Soapbox: Better to be lucky than good
“I'd rather be lucky than good is a great mantra for golfers and, now too, for some private pilots. How else do you explain how a Naperville couple escaped death Wednesday after their aircraft crashed into a Naperville fitness center and none of the 75 people inside the center were hurt and the couple suffered only broken bones and cuts?
Safety first:
Today marks the end of National Fire Prevention Week, and many firehouses around the suburbs are holding open houses. Aside from getting to know your local firefighters, this also is a good opportunity to remind citizens that fire safety is something to practice all year. So it might be a good day to change the batteries on those smoke alarms.
Banner moment:
It may seem like there are only a couple of people who haven't seen or touched the Stanley Cup, but tonight's ceremony by the Blackhawks to hoist the banner is a fitting end to the monthslong celebration we've all enjoyed. Like all events the Blackhawks do, you can be assured it will be first-class and memorable.
Imagine:
Had his life not been cut short by violence, John Lennon would have turned 70 today. His music lives on, though, as does his legacy. The “Give Peace A Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-in for Peace exhibit opens today at the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda. You can remember his message there and make your own wish for peace.
Memories, good and bad:
This week we remember Secretariat's visit to Arlington Park in 1973 and how special it was for the suburbs to see the Triple Crown superhorse. Unfortunately, it also reminded us of the bribery scandal of former Gov. Otto Kerner. In Illinois, unfortunately, some things haven't changed.
Local noise ordinances?
Apparently, they don't apply to highway construction because the sound of a jackhammer echoed through Rolling Meadows at 2 a.m. Thursday. We all want Route 53 construction completed as soon as possible, but not at the expense of our sleep and sanity.
Messing with the DVR:
Now that the new TV season is well under way, there should be a law: Stop making hourlong shows 61 minutes. Those who tried to record a couple of shows this week in particular may have noticed the network's preceding show ended at either 8:01 or 9:01 p.m. Could it be a ploy to irk viewers by networks who fear competition? It's working.
Leading suburban indicator:
They say the recession officially ended last year. We know better. However, if Schaumburg is any indication, things finally may be looking up. The village a suburban hub of retail activity has seen its unemployment rate drop since January. Let's hope that spreads quickly.
Bugs' last hurrah:
This week's warm fall weather has brought out little bugs swarms and swarms of them in forest preserves. We ran into them ourselves on a Cook County bike trail around lunchtime; we assume they're appearing in DuPage and Lake forest preserves and along the Fox River, too. You might need a mosquito net, unless you need the protein.