Forced hibernation can make you beastly

I'm often chided for being a dinosaur because of my lack of curiosity about remote controls and cell phones.

But so far this year, I've felt more like a groundhog in hibernation.

Trapped inside and reluctant to take my two-mile morning walks with Karl-the-girl-dog because I'm not sure of my footing on icy, slippery sidewalks, my disposition is beastly. Walking four laps of the Westfield Fox Valley Mall just isn't the same as a one-hour trek along the Riverwalk in the fresh outdoors.

(Please know, however, that I'm indeed appreciative that the mall opens early to allow us to keep up with walking routines.)

Mostly, I miss my morning outdoor walks because I can clear my head in the solitude, solving some of my most pressing problems. Noise and the clutter of indoors too often hamper my train of thought.

All that said, I bundled up Thursday and quickly strolled by the new Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center now under construction at Ellsworth Street and Chicago Avenue, studying the progress on the campus at North Central College. (Check out the college's Web cam to see the progress "live," complete with vehicles stopping and starting. Even a dinosaur knows this site is cool: http://www.northcentralcollege.edu/x22849.xml.)

Then I headed toward Old Main to see Barbara Knuckles, managing director, development and corporate relations, to drop off a check for $2,500 from the Rotary Club of Naperville/Downtown. It was the club's gift to underwrite seat 444 in the 605-seat Wentz Concert Hall.

A year ago, Naperville's third Rotary club was chartered to hold weekly meetings at 4:44 p.m. every Wednesday at a downtown location. Recently, the 27-member club voted to allocate our first Community Service Grant to the new concert hall in the spirit of education for the arts.

While there, Knuckles noted that grand opening events are being planned throughout September 2008. She especially urged me to save Sept. 30. That evening, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, comprised of 15 jazz soloists, will perform in Wentz Concert Hall during a gala dinner event to officially open the fine arts center. I marked my calendar.

More progress

Saturday's glorious sunshine and dry streets attracted me to venture by car outside of my usual stomping grounds to see what else has been happening in the dead of winter around Naperville.

Oh, my gosh! The retail center on the north side of 75th Street at Fort Hill Road has snowballed.

Workers were busy Saturday, too, high atop the banner that designates where Whole Foods Market will be located.

On my way down Route 59 to 111th Street, I discovered many changes have begun to fit into the landscape, such as English Rows just south of 103rd Street.

At Fort Hill Road and Jefferson Avenue, the city's new multi-purpose public works service center has taken shape, too. Just yesterday, it seems, a tent was set up for the groundbreaking of the 213,000-square-foot facility, touted as a model for green construction.

I kept heading north and discovered the fencing is down around the new Tabor Hills Supportive Living Community on McDowell Road -- even the stripes are painted on the asphalt.

Construction also seems under control at City Gate at Route 59 and Ferry Road where handsome LED signs are just the type of welcome I'd like to see at other entrances to our city to provide up-to-date information about happenings around town.

I drove over to Calamos Investments to pace out the new route for NCO Youth and Family Services' ninth annual Spring Ahead Run/Walk slated for April 20. This year's event will begin and end on the Calamos campus, with three different race courses. Save that date, too.

One more thing

I watched the Oscars Sunday. I cheered when Diablo Cody, a Benet Academy graduate known as Brooke Busey, won her first Academy Award for her first screenplay, "Juno."

Boy! The Oscars have changed in 80 years. Again, I thought about dinosaurs.