The Village of Downers Grove has done a wonderful job of celebrating its 175th anniversary. While the town’s heritage is also celebrated in other years, such as with its annual Heritage Festival and occasional Founder’s Day events, it would be nice to see even more attention paid to Downers Grove’s past and present — tomorrow’s history — every year. We don’t need to wait for 25-year milestones.

Among the various entities, individual people and groups already honoring our town’s heritage are village officials; the Community Events Commission; the Downers Grove History Museum; the Downers Grove Historical Society; groups saving, restoring and promoting education programs related to the Blodgett House; Robert Jensen with his Sears Homes and other programs; the PriMerry Players with the historical “read-‘n’-act-ments” that include Downers Grove history; and even the Downers Grove Choral Society with its Heritage Concert.

These people should continue to honor all that is right with our town and also invite even more participation from residents.

We could call this year’s movement “Celebrate a Century and Seventy-Six.” That “s” alliteration can work until the village’s 180th anniversary, at which time we’ll have to settle for the rhyming of “century” with “eighty.” After that, the best I have come up with so far is “Downers Grove at 181: Make it Fun.” Luckily, we have a few years in which to improve upon that. Suggestions, anyone?

But let’s get back to how we can do more. The Village recently concluded its official celebration of the town’s 175th anniversary with the Ice Sculpture Festival. As one of its final acts leading up to that closure, the Village Council voted my song — “Downers Grove, Home to Harmony,” arrangement by Sharon West and Jann Mochelle and vocals by Mochelle — its first “official” village song.

Well, we can solicit more songs about Downers Grove. The town can have as many songs honoring it as there are people composing them. In fact, I understand that comic Emo Phillips wrote one some years back which has to do with shopping downtown. Some of the places he mentions, I was told, no longer exist, which automatically makes the song valuable for its reminder of the downtown’s history.

Bob Holst, a Lisle resident but the director for many years of the Downers Grove Choral Society, has created a song he calls “Downers Grove,” which is an adaptation of another song, but with original lyrics and music. It will be performed at the previously mentioned Heritage Concert, to be held at the library in June.

Are there other songs on Downers Grove already out there? If so, the village would like to know the details. Moreover, we don’t have to stop at songs. One of my ideas is to “Celebrate Downers Grove, Past and Present, Through the Arts.” This initiative would invite citizens to create more works of art, write more poems, skits and so on with a focus on Downers Grove.

As the details for this movement are worked out and individuals and community groups interested in helping organize it come forward, the public will be informed. Meantime, get those creative juices flowing in readiness.

Feel free to contact me at joytumea@sbcglobal.net with any ideas.

A note to readers:

Readers who learned of my mother-in-law’s failing health and Christmas morning rally in my Jan. 2 column may want an update. Her state continued, with a setback or two, for about six more weeks. Then, on Sunday morning, Feb. 10, Rosina Tumea, or Mama Ro as she was called, died. We were told that she was at breakfast, reaching out to smell a flower in a nearby vase, and with that gesture, took her last breath.