Looking East: To astonish or not to astonish

I received a strange e-mail this week from a reader who came back from his summer vacation and was catching up on issues of the paper.

“Having been out of town, I was catching up on back issues of the “East Peoria Astonisher” as your paper is affectionately known by many. I note the article about the EP cemeteries.Wrongo!!! The Sommerfield’s hardware store was on East Washington where the little mini-mall now stands ... about where the drive into Kroger’s now is. The place you claim was once Floyd’s Grocery and Hardware, now Servicemaster. I am sure this has already been brought to your attention.”

I thought the e-mail was strange. I always appreciate people bringing mistakes to my attention, but the nicknaming of the paper left me confused.

So I responded....

“Yes, it has. However, all the information was given to me from the East Peoria Historical Society. I did bring it to their attention. Thank you. As for the name-calling of the paper, I always welcome criticisms when done in a respectful manner. As I’m sure you know, I have been editor just shy of seven months now and am still learning every day. If you would like to talk with me over the phone or meet for coffee to discuss some of your complaints, I’d be happy to.”

To which he replied...

“I think that the nickname “East Peoria Astonisher” was developed more in humor than as a criticism. I have been here for 70-plus years and have served under seven mayors on the commission on which I serve ... so I am no stranger to the city. I have no complaints /per se. /And we may meet at Eysal’s some day ... stay tuned.”

Those who know me best understand that I had to get the last word in. (It’s a bad quality of mine.)

“Well, I don’t get the joke, and I would love to be included in the humor if you don’t mind sharing. Hopefully, we will talk soon.”

I’m sad to say, he never replied back. I really would love to go to coffee with this person, especially if he is a long-time citizen of East Peoria.

However, the labeling of the paper as the “East Peoria Astonisher” has left my co-workers and me joking about what in the world he meant by that.

And if it was developed “out of humor,” I really would like a good laugh.

This situation drove me to look up synonyms for “astonish.”

Amaze, surprise, flabbergast, to fill with wonder.

Hmmm, those words never come to mind when I think of the East Peoria Times-Courier.

I’ve received quite a few strange e-mails since becoming editor, but this one puts the icing on the cake.

I really did enjoy my quick encounter with this reader, but I’m afraid I’ll never understand the “astonishing” quality of the paper.

To astonish or not to astonish, that is the question.

Stephanie Gomes is the editor of the East Peoria Times-Courier. She writes about her journeys in East Peoria in her blog “Looking East.”