It's not hard to write about city's many projects
A reader asked recently if I ever have writer's block.
Quite frankly, my challenge every week is to stay focused on one topic. I call it "Naperville writer's curse."
But writer's block? Nope. So far, it hasn't happened.
Young professionals
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce conference room was filled Friday morning with younger-than-40-year-olds who introduced themselves as the Young Professionals of the Naperville Chamber.
They meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. the second Friday of every month and their sessions are open to new members.
When it was my turn to speak, I was tempted to mention I'm from another generation. But old jokes aside, I hope it was obvious I was there for reasons other than membership.
Founded in 2004 with 10 people, YPN now boasts 100 members. Attorney Russ Whitaker is the chairman for 2008.
The guest speakers were State Rep. Joe Dunn and city Councilman Grant Wehrli, both 39 and members of the Rotary Club of Naperville. They addressed the group about actively participating in local government on some level, but especially by voting in the Feb. 5 primary.
The high-energy group --bankers, attorneys, accountants and business owners -- likely will become tomorrow's civic leaders.
Members are playing host to a party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Kiku Japanese Steakhouse. For details or reservations, visit www.napervilleypn.com or call Courtney Brown at (630) 544-3364.
Rotary PolioPlus
I also learned some fascinating information from Rick Quackenbush, a member of the Rotary Club of Naperville/Sunrise, who talked about his recent trip to Nigeria during Saturday's Rotary District 6450 President's Roundtable in Burr Ridge.
While in Nigeria, Quackenbush joined other volunteers to inoculate children younger than 5 against polio as part of Rotary International's quest to eradicate the crippling disease worldwide.
In order to determine a child's age, youngsters were asked to raise up their right arm, bend their elbow and wrap their arm around the top of their head, trying to touch their left ear. Rare exceptions discounted, until a child is 5, it's not possible.
With parental permission, I asked every young child I encountered on Sunday to try. The trial also gave me the opportunity to explain to parents how Rotary volunteers and their global partners are administering the polio vaccine.
For details about PolioPlus, visit www.rotary.org.
Naperpalooza
Dawn Ruth, president of Rotary/Sunrise also attended the Roundtable.
She's pumped about her club's first Naperpalooza, which is slated for Feb. 9 at the Jackson Moving and Storage warehouse.
The event will feature two bands, The Play Doctors and The Ides of March, fine food and drink. All-inclusive tickets are $130 per adults only.
Proceeds will benefit schools in Zambia, Africa, and Pass Christian, Miss., as well as college scholarships for Naperville students.
For details, visit www.napervillesunrise.com.
Retiring leader
Harris Bank will go down in my personal history as sponsoring my first major media project when I worked as public relations manager at Naper Settlement in 1994.
That year the 19th-century village celebrated its 25th anniversary and the Naperville bank underwrote an ad featuring memories of many of the founding members of the Naperville Heritage Society.
A couple years later, when I joined the Rotary Club of Naperville, I met Frank Slocumb, then president of Harris. Over the years, I've watched how this gentleman quietly served as an ambassador for Harris.
The bank always seemed to be listed among the sponsors of important initiatives for our school districts' foundations, chamber luncheons, the United Way and more.
On Friday, I learned Slocumb, 62, is retiring from a 35-year banking career at Harris effective March 1. (He enthusiastically reminded me he's also been married to Kay for 35 years!)
Though Slocumb often joked about his less-than-perfect attendance at weekly Rotary meetings, I suggested now maybe he'd have time to make up at the Rotary Club of Naperville/Downtown, our city's newest Rotary I joined a year ago.
"The way that this is all coming together just proves the old adage that sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good," Slocumb wrote.
"Cheers, and maybe I'll take you up on the invitation to swing by the 4:44 meeting one of these weeks."