Naperville, IL - As part of Naperville Community Television's on-going commitment to preserving Naperville's history, a rare opportunity has presented itself with the current documentary in production about the Stenger Brewery. The Stenger Brewery operated in Naperville from 1849 to 1893 and was the city's largest employer at the time.  After much research a connection between Naperville, Illinois and Astoria, Oregon has been established.  Astoria's Evelyn Leahy Hankel is the great grand-daughter of John Stenger, who ran the Naperville brewery with his brother Nick.  A crew from Naperville Community Television, Channel 17 is traveling to Oregon January 11th, looking for stories and memorabilia from the Stenger family brewery. This trip is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Ron and Paul Stenger and their families. 

To share the excitement with the Naperville community, producers Elizabeth B. Spencer and Laura Zinger will be blogging everyday from both Astoria and Portland, Oregon.  The nights of Thursday, January 11th though Sunday, January 14th, the duo will post pictures and commentary from the day's interviews on NCTV17's website www.nctv17.com  

As part of the trip, not only will the pair interview a direct descendent but also visit the Clatsop County Historical Society and further research the connection between the Naperville Stengers and the Schamberger Brewery.  Joseph Schamberger married Mary Stenger, one of John Stenger's daughters and established a brewery in Astoria which prospered for many years.   Both Spencer and Zinger hope that residents join in their excitement by following the blog. 

"It's not often that you come face to face with history like we will this week with Evelyn," said Spencer, producer and NCTV17 Executive Director, "We just want everyone to share in our passion for this wonderful story."

The Stenger documentary began production in late June of 2006 and is being funded in its entirety by the Stenger family. It is part of Naperville Community Television, Channel 17's on-going documentary series and will air on Channel 17. Working in collaboration with Naper Settlement and the Naperville Heritage Society, NCTV17 has been able to create award winning documentaries that not only entertain but educate as well.   In 2006, the two entities formed a partnership to preserve the digital media of Naperville.  

"This is a perfect example of a partnership," says Spencer. 

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Naperville Community Television, Channel 17 provides a voice to educate, inform, preserve, entertain, assist, and celebrate one another through diverse programming that reflects the character and spirit of our community.

                                                     # # #

** Editor's Note: The Pacific Northwest is two hours behind Central Standard Time.