Columnists

Honeywell: Arguably, my favorite day of the year is the one during which we turn the clocks back an hour for that extra bit of time. I look forward to turning my clock back every year from the day I turn them forward until that day arrives. It’s not so much the extra hour of time that I want, but the next couple of days or weeks that make everything feel later than it really is.

Editor’s note: Donald W. Whisenhunt is an emeritus professor of history at Western Washington University. He is lecturing for several weeks at Nanking University in China and will share his experiences in this column.

I’m a unique person. I march to the beat of my own drum. Even though I no longer dress up in an awesome costume for Halloween, it didn’t stop me from thinking about some out-of-the-box ideas. And, as in my unique nature, all these lovely ladies are fictional – and amazing feminists.

Maher: I had a family wedding to attend this weekend. I love weddings – adore them, actually. I just think weddings are fun – the touching ceremony, the music, the dancing, the mingling with friends and family. It’s a good thing, considering the lengths we went to in order to attend this recent joining of two.

Honeywell: There’s plenty of conventional wisdom the breaks down the human race into two kinds of people. For the most part, I follow the idea of author Tom Robbins who once wrote that there are two kinds of people in the world – those who classify others into two types and those who are smart enough to know better. Still and all, just as there are Cubs fans and Sox fans, I think the world does break down into two distinct factions: coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. And, just as you can claim to be both Sox fan and Cub fan, you can claim to like both drinks. If you do, though, most people will talk about you behind your back.

Schrader: Some people think only of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival come October, but the Sycamore History Museum and DeKalb Township decided it was time for cemetery walks. Despite the autumn chill recent tours have been conducted at Elmwood in Sycamore, then Oakwood and Evergreen cemeteries in DeKalb.

Blake: Exactly two weeks ago, my mother, as only she could from a post-op surgical bed at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, taught me one of those great life lessons: The joy and sheer satisfaction that comes from practicing preventative medicine. In her case, it was preventative medicine times three.

My parents left for an alumni event at Eastern Illinois University this past weekend and when asked to “hold the fort down” for the day and a half they would be gone, I happily obliged. I now have a whole lot more appreciation for my mom. A whole lot more.

I have a relationship with the idea of travel. I don’t like traveling, but I do like being other places. The Star Trek transporter technology is appealing to me because of this, although I wouldn’t want to be the person to beta test the device. Of course, all bets are off when it comes to traveling for work. I won’t say I ever left a job because of business travel, but I will say not having to travel has been a perk of several past occupations.

Schrader: How can you beat 246 years of combined spelling experience, especially when two of the spellers are lifelong teachers?

Schmidt: We recently received this unsigned letter to the editor:

Blake: Disclaimer: I debated whether or not I should write this column. There is an inherent risk for my safety in doing so. But any good writer knows that some things need to be said, regardless of the possible consequences. But in the event that I disappear next week … well, you’ll know why.

Maher: Beauty pageants have never been my thing. I wore a purple cape and a silver crown once for Halloween when I was five but that’s where my dreams of being a princess ended. I’ve never longed to be Miss America or dreamed of the day I glide across a stage in front of thousands in my swimsuit. I have never practiced interview questions in my bedroom mirror and I’ve never polished my wave or blown kisses to an imaginary camera.

If you were to pick the three most influential men in DeKalb County in the 19th Century they would undoubtedly be Glidden, Ellwood and Haish. Then in the 20th Century the three names that come to mind would probably be Tom Roberts Sr., Tom Jr. and Charlie Roberts.