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The Soapbox

Golden memories:

Whether they won gold medals or not, we salute suburban athletes representing us well at the 2012 Olympic Games. From Aurora's Anna Li cheering on her gymnastics teammates to Hoffman Estates' Melissa Siedeman (water polo) and Crystal Lake's Amy LePielbet (soccer) winning gold with their teams, they all brought the games closer to home.

High-five:

The Suburban Chicago's Got Talent competition wraps up at Taste of Arlington Heights today. Nearly 200 acts auditioned; five remain. Throughout, we've been awed by the participants. We wish the final five luck, and we suspect we will be hearing more about these talented folks in years to come.

Gone too soon:

Many of us are anxious for answers as to why 22-year-old professional soccer player Kirk Urso of Lombard collapsed and died Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. We hope his family and friends, however, take comfort in descriptions from others of how he lived his life. Urso was a leader and a hardworking young man who made friends with everyone he met.

Double dipping in Des Plaines:

Welcome to Des Plaines' new police chief William Kushner, an experienced choice for a department in need of leadership. What disappoints, however, is news that yet another suburban chief is collecting a five-figure pension and a six-figure salary. When will citizens demand an end to the double dips? Pensions are for retirees, not full-timers.

Nice try:

You have to give the Schaumburg Boomers credit, but a news release this week didn't aim high enough. The Boomers claimed their 43rd win against 31 losses and noted they matched the wins total of the Cubs, who played 35 more games at that point. Nice year so far, but perhaps the Boomers should set the bar a little higher than the Cubs.

Just add an “h”:

A suburban curiosity surfaced this week when we wrote about a new hospital exit onto “Kirchhoff” Road in Arlington Heights. The street signs near there all have the double “h” in the name. If you live in Rolling Meadows or have taken the “Kirchoff” exit off Route 53, you may wonder where the extra letter came from. We're not sure either.

Signs of life:

We're heartened by a couple of indications that the economy is improving in the suburbs. In addition to a massive proposal for a downtown in Buffalo Grove, this week we've also heard about sales tax receipts rebounding in Vernon Hills. We're crossing our fingers, but it looks like progress in the right direction.

Man imitates nature:

Or does nature mirror man? Seen this week were crews with chain saws cutting down trees affected by the emerald ash borer along Springinsguth Road and Syracuse Lane in Schaumburg while two large beavers did their own tree removal in the creek near the two streets.

Remembering Tony Gordon:

The Daily Herald's longtime legal affairs writer who died this week from cancer leaves behind a legacy to which we all should aspire. Tony, who covered some of Lake County's most notorious crime and court cases, elicited words such as fair, honest, respected and trusted. People in the legal community said he had the highest degree of integrity. He was also known for being able to tell a decent joke. Tony was a fine gentleman, and we will miss him.

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