New Year’s resolutions, by nature of keeping them and making real choices, should be brief and concise and realistic. A list of 10 good ideas is fine, however, when a few are broken, the rest follow much too easily. Keep it for proper functions. Use one goal at a time. For The Voice, our resolution is simple and continuing: Do our best; do our best to reflect our communities; provide a forum for all reasonable voices; and insist on a cross-section and not uniformity of opinion. As a society, we always can do better, be more understanding, and see the other side appropriately.
Items, notes, and thoughts:
• The Voice essential contributor, photographer, writer, Al Benson reports that Good Shepherd United Methodist in Oswego filled a need to provide toys for 75 children through the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. Janet McCarty, president of the United Methodist Women, which sponsored the collections, said, “Our congregation and our pre-school parents together provided many gifts for Oswego area families.” Congregants gave eight members of three families clothes, toys, and household items through Share Your Blessings program of the Kendall County Health Department. “This is an example of putting our faith, hope, and love in action, Al Benson quoted Janet McCarty. “A big thank you to Amanda Sidhu and her dad for delivering the Share Your Blessings gifts.”
• We can make a difference, one step at a time, one dedicated resolution at a time. Change does not have to be dramatic, however, simply incremental. Change is possible if we find focus.
• Aurora Downtown earlier this week made announcements on events through June. First Fridays will return to presenting a full season of First Fridays, February through December. The events on the first Fridays of each month include art, live music, at dozens of venues in downtown Aurora. There is no event in July because of the Independence Day celebrations. Independence Day will be on a Monday this year. Downtown’s Love Local Days will return February 1-14.There will be Art and Market Aurora, Egg Hunt on the (Stolp) Island, Food Truck Festival, and Aurora Museum Week during the week of June 5.
• Although a sports item to some observers, it should be noted that Northern Illinois University Fall student-athletes combined for a grade point average of 3.236 on a 4.0 scale. Student-athlete is the objective to derail the dumb jock stereotype which continues to fade.
• A focus on international relations remains relevant. Understanding the complexities in the world around us is essential. Receding into simplistic phrases and calling for merely an American point of view is old, tired, and counter-productive. The world continues to shrink, in a sense, and greater understanding is a responsibility each of us must strive to undertake. Waiting for others to determine our outcomes and beliefs must be in the past.
• The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) earlier this week wanted all of us to understand that the internet is available 24 hours each day, seven days each week, at all Library locations. In partnership with the city government of Aurora wireless internet points were installed as of Monday, Jan. 10. Internet access is available from the parking lots of Santori Library on River Street downtown, Eola Road Branch, and West Branch each by using the network name, APLDExterior and password, “yourlibrary.”
• Deborah Lee Sheppard, the Americorps Seniors RSVP coordinator of Kendall and southern Kane Counties, has expressed a need to find volunteer drivers to deliver meals in Yorkville and Plano Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call her at 630-553-5777, or contact her at dsheppard@seniorservicesassoc.org.
• Clear and Concise, Week 2 Year 3: We have been made better persons and better journalists with exposure to the late Jim Wyman, broadcaster extraordinaire, teacher, and accomplished human being. He always had a good word with encouragement. He died last weekend at the age of 73, much too soon.