Columnist shows community support by pitching ideas

I first met Earl Meisinger about 10 years ago at a Wheatland Plowing Match Association Pig Roast.

Then one Columbus Day weekend some years later, Meisinger arrived to volunteer at Rotary Oktoberfest clad in his authentic lederhosen. The longtime Naperville resident greeted me with a comment about this column.

"You're always pitching something!" Meisinger chided.

I also recall the time the Daily Herald first approached me to write a weekly column. I wondered to my soon-to-be editor if this space could include my family, friends, neighbors and business associates, many of whom are active players in Naperville.

City Editor Bob Smith - who for years had received my press releases for Naper Settlement, Riverwalk campaigns and other pet projects - replied, in essence, that that was precisely what he wanted.

Going on 10 years, I've shared my passions and perspective, as well as thoughts of family and many old and new friends. And every time I begin this column, I think of Meisinger, wondering if he'll catch my pitch for something new.

Soup's On!

In case you've missed the bright yellow Oktoberfest signs that usually dot the landscape this time of year, Rotary's German fall festival is on hiatus.

Instead of an oompah band and bratwurst in the big white tent in downtown Naperville, the Rotary Club of Naperville will host Soup's On! from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, to stir up funds for Loaves and Fishes, Hesed House and DuPage PADS.

The new family event will be held in the atrium at Tellabs, 1415 W. Diehl Road.

Soup's On! features a tempting menu of soups, chili, stew and desserts by 25 local restaurants. Entertainment includes bluegrass bands, high school music groups and a children's activity area hosted by the DuPage Children's Museum.

For complete details and tickets, visit wwwsoupsonrotary.com.

Genevieve

A couple months ago, Rita Harvard mentioned that her cousin, Caryl Towsley Moy, would be at Anderson's Bookshop Saturday to promote a book about her mother, Genevieve Towsley.

Words on a bookmark provide a snapshot of the work.

"'Naperville's Genevieve, A Daughter's Memoir' vividly illustrates Genevieve's Towsley's declaration, 'I've always been a liberated woman.'

"She was a journalist/historian in Naperville, Ill., for nearly half a century, chronicling and influencing changes in that community. Using excerpts from her mother's columns to punctuate and illustrate her memories, her daughter tells the story of this unusually gifted woman."

I met Towsley once in 1994 at Naper Settlement, a year before she died at age 88. Saturday I couldn't help noticing how closely Moy resembles her mother.

During the booksigning, I learned that the power of Towsley's pen came from ballpoints provided by Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Services, a replica of which is in the hand of her bronze sculpture, a Century Walk piece located in front of Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

Later, when I curled up with Moy's charming and nostalgic biography that includes her mother's favorite recipes, I recognized many familiar names and places. And some folks featured in the book, including art professor Will Smith, poet Glenna Holloway and arts advocate Bev Patterson Frier, had attended the book signing, too.

Wentz Concert Hall

Towsley also was a 1928 graduate of North Central College. Her alma mater received more ink than any other topic, according to the chapter titled "Genevieve's Favorite Subjects."

I could only imagine the riveting review Towsley would have given of Tuesday's opening night of the new Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center when jazz great Wynton Marsalis and his orchestra performed to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience.

Truly, the college has launched itself to a new level of distinction where students and residents can embrace culture on many different visual and performance levels.

This fall is a great time to discover North Central's season for the arts at several new venues, from the recently restored Meiley-Swallow Hall (in the old Grace Evangelical Church) to "The Wentz," as the center was affectionately tagged Tuesday. All new stages augment performances at Pfeiffer Hall.

To see what's on tap, visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/show.

Final pitch

Early Sunday morning, I longed to give my 25-year-old son, away teaching English in Seoul, Korea, a big hug to ease his pain. With news of the Cubs' loss, I figured he wishes his favorite team had pitched something, too.

• Stephanie Penick writes about Naperville. Contact her at spennydh@aol.com.