Stephanie celebrates 10 years as columnist

OK. Last week I mentioned that May is Naperville Community Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our city's rich history during many special events listed under "Featured Topics" at www.naperville.il.us.

May is historic for me, too.

On May 4, 1999, I started writing this column in Neighbor. Of course, in today's numbers where we throw around trillions, a decade seems minuscule. Even 3,650 days sound short. Nonetheless, this week marks a milestone for me, so I figured I'd give you a little tour down memory lane.

Back then, this publication was about 1.5 inches wider, a half-inch longer and each section was thicker.

Headlines in business that Tuesday heralded that the Dow had crossed the 11,000 mark for the first time!

In Neighbor we learned District 203 was considering a multiyear administrative contract, ADOPT had raised $45,000 during its weekend walk, Naperville was honored for 10 years of curbside recycling and the park district was studying beach attendance.

"Around Naperville" appeared for the first time with a story about the one-page penny newspaper I peddled when I was 10 in Muncie, Ind., along with my Career Day experience that year at Hill Middle School, where all three Penick children had gone to school.

Last week I created a little cultural literacy quiz based on my experiences, focused on some of the people, places and things featured in this column.

Thumbing through about 500 saved Neighbor sections, I was reminded of countless serendipitous moments that linked my before-Naperville life, my current perspective and the future. I then put together what I considered thought-provoking questions, the result of taking notes at hundreds of news-making meetings, workshops, events and attractions to help connect readers with this remarkable community.

After I reread my quiz, I thought how presumptuous of me to think you'd want to test your memory against my ramblings.

But mostly, I stopped short when I finished the final question: What two industries, either directly or indirectly, do I mostly urge readers to support?

I flashed to a recent press release.

A publicist provided 10 timely suggestions on how to survive the uncertain economy with advice from prudent folks who had lived through the Great Depression.

Most of the advice was basic common sense, such as not spending money you don't have and distinguishing between wants and needs. The sender had good intentions.

But when I read her third recommendation, "Avoid eating out in restaurants," I hit "reply" to set her straight.

I wondered why, of all industries, had the hospitality industry been targeted as one to shun.

Didn't she know that the restaurant industry has grown since the 1930s? Today it's among the nation's largest private-sector employers, providing jobs for 13 million individuals in 2008, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Plus, in Naperville, some 260 eating establishments easily provide jobs for more than 5,000 employees, many of whom support families.

And that's not including the support services such as printers who print up menus or linen suppliers who launder napkins and tablecloths and so on.

Further, many generous restaurant owners continue to host charitable events, giving a percentage of profits to worthwhile causes.

Just last month nonprofit social services such as Little Friends, Heritage YMCA, NCO Youth and Family Services and KidsMatter benefited when diners ate out.

Now, mindful of my 700-word limit, I ditched the "Around Naperville Trivia Game."

But there's still room to thank you for patronizing the hospitality industry, including a whole host of local restaurants and hotels that stepped up to serve events such as St. Baldrick's for childhood cancer research, "A Taste of Hope" for DuPage PADS, "Cuisine for a Cause" for Naperville CARES and "Spring for a Cure" to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

If you're wondering about the second industry I promote, it's newspapers. Thanks for reading. And, especially, thanks for subscribing to a hard copy of the Daily Herald.

Going forward, remember: A printout of an Internet story or Twitter tweet just won't frame up to grace your wall the same as the printed page when you, your child or your company make the news.