Naperville ranked fifth most festive holiday town in the U.S.

• Holiday Season
• Naperville

Naperville, Illinois, ranks fifth on the list of the Most Festive Holiday Towns in the U.S. The list comes from SIXT, a rental car company which has locations globally and was recognized as the #3 Rental Car Company in the U.S. in the Condé Nast Travelers 2021 Readers’ Choice Award. SIXT’s third place ranking is the product of submitted responses from more than 800,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers rating their travel experiences across the world.

SIXT provides information regarding the best hotels, resorts and destinations that can be reached through their travel services. Among the list of experiences are recommendations for the best holiday towns in the country. Lights, festivals and other activities factor into the calculations that determine the charm of these holiday towns, and Naperville is now among the top competitors. Following towns in Missouri, New York and Texas, Illinois is recognized as a must-see destination for holiday cheer.

The snowfall in Naperville is authentic, whereas the snow in other ranked towns is manufactured. Its Christkindlmarket offers crafted decorations that mimic what one would expect to see in Santa’s workshop. The All-Seasons ice rink allows patrons to glide across the floor not only during the holidays, but also for figure skating, lessons and other parties and events. The suburban Chicago city’s attractions include parades, art shows and multicultural celebrations including observations of Diwali, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan.

A trip to Naperville is just as exciting outside the holidays. The bustling city frequently hosts a number of events, including fairs, live music festivals and community-wide activities. It is also home to the Riverwalk, which is considered the “crown jewel” of the town because of its beautiful view of the West Branch of the DuPage River. Additionally, Naperville is home to historical sites, museums and a plethora of local shops, thriving stores and restaurants.

Information about the teeming streets of Naperville can be found on the city’s website. Having been voted fifth most festive holiday town in the U.S., Naperville adds this recognition to its list of nationally competitive accomplishments, which can also be found here.

Did you know that the father of modern dentistry is from Illinois?

Did you know that the father of modern dentistry is from Illinois? Visitors to Lincoln Park in Chicago may have noticed a statute of a mustached man sitting seriously, overlooking the walking path. The statue, designed in 1918, honors Greene Vardiman Black, the father of modern dentistry and first dean of Northwestern University’s dental school. More than 1,500 members of the National Dental Association attended the dedication of the monument at its unveiling in 1918.

Greene Vardiman Black (1836–1915), grew up on a farm near Winchester, Ill. He studied under an older dentist, Dr. J.C. Spear in the late 1850s, a time when the science of dentistry was extremely rudimentary. By the age of 17, Black began studying medicine with the help of his brother, Dr. Thomas G. Black. In 1857, he met Dr. J.C. Speer, who taught him the practice of dentistry. After the Civil War, in which he served as a union scout, he relocated to Jacksonville.  It was here that he began an active career and conducted research in the developing field of dentistry. He studied dentistry for 20 months as was common at the time, followed by an apprenticeship.  He taught in the dental department at the University of Iowa before moving to Chicago in the 1890s. In the period after the Civil War, Black made many important contributions to the profession of dentistry. These include inventing the dental drill, using nitrous oxide for extracting teeth without causing pain, and developing the method for filling cavities, which is still used today. The phrase, "extension for prevention," is still famous in the dental community today and represents Black's idea that dentists should incorporate more grooves and pits than those currently exhibiting decay as a preventive measure against those grooves and pits developing tooth decay in the future, although today ideas have changed and focus much more on minimal intervention. Black published his concepts and ideals in his text called “Manual of Operative Dentistry” in 1896. Further, he organized “Black's Classification of Caries Lesions” which is still in use today. Since that time, only one more category has been added to his classification system. When you go to your dentist’s appointment, you can thank Greene Vardiman Black for most of the procedures that you experience!

Did you know that Illinois is home to the largest laser tag arena in the world?

Illinois is home to the world’s largest laser tag arena. The Edge, located in Belleville, is officially the world’s largest laser tag arena. In addition to the world’s largest laser tag arena, The Edge also has two arcades, mini-golf, five movie theaters, and a family friendly sports pub. The Edge also hosts hundreds of birthday parties and events each year.

Laser Tag is a recreational shooting sport where participants use infrared-emitting light guns to tag designated targets. Infrared-sensitive signaling devices are commonly worn by each player to register hits and are sometimes integrated within the arena in which the game is played. Since its birth in 1979, with the release of the Star Trek Electronic Phasers toy, laser tag has evolved into both indoor and outdoor styles of play, and may include simulations of close quarter combat, role play-style adventure games, or competitive sporting events including tactical configurations and precise game goals. Laser tag is popular with a wide range of ages. Indoor laser tag is typically played in a large arena. The packs are tightly integrated with the devices inside the arena. The arena devices, and the packs themselves may be linked into a control computer for scoring and control over the game settings using radio equipment or infrared links. The game computer often serves to control other game effects and to manage player scores.

Open since 1995, the laser tag arena at The Edge is home to over 14,000 square feet of pure adventure and adrenaline. Laser Rock is a multi-level arena featuring a variety of game formats that can play up to 60 people. Other well-known laser tag arena’s in Illinois include Laser X and WhirlyBall-both located in Chicago.

The Edge is located at 701 South Belt West in Belleville. Be sure to check out their website here. 

Two Illinois K-9s featured in national competition

• Charleston
• Springfield
• K-9

The American Kennel Club and the United States Police Canine Association have partnered to create the first ever AKC/USPAC K-9 Detection Dog Challenge, which will feature two Illinois K-9s. This national competition displays the intersection of the work of AKC, the world’s largest purebred dog registry, and the USPAC, the oldest and largest police canine organization in the nation.

The competition showcases the abilities and precision of the K-9s used for police activities, providing viewers with a glimpse of the training these dogs and handlers endure to ensure the protection of our country and its citizens. The event includes 10 narcotics dog teams and 10 explosive detection dog teams. Teams consist of a K-9 and its handler. The teams are scored on the accuracy of the search, the perfection of the alert, which entails telling the handler where the substance is, and the find itself, which is a combination of the ability of the dog and the handler to accurately tell judges where the substance is.
These organizations further the well-being and rights of purebred K-9s that participate in the 22,000 yearly competitions held under the AKC as well as those that are family companions and law enforcement aids.

K-9 Chaos from the Springfield Police Department and K-9 Kyle from the Charleston Police Department and their handlers will face off against 18 other teams to see which can detect their substance quickest. Teams may display police dogs with certification in areas such as General Patrol, Tracking, Protection, Arson, Fish and Game, and Search and Rescue. The competition will be broadcast at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 28 on ESPN2.