The Soapbox
Seeking justice for Gabby:
We join police in hoping the banners placed at this weekend’s Alpine Fest in Lake Zurich call attention to the unsolved 2011 hit-and-run that killed Gabriella Drozdz. The 18-year-old was killed while walking along Church Street to the festival. Police hope someone will step forward with information.
Every little bit helps:
Kudos to Algonquin for its efforts to turn the municipal fleet green. It’s replaced two old diesel pickups with ones powered by compressed natural gas, saving the village $48,000 in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles. Add to that some biodiesel vehicles and hybrids and the village is running cheaper and cleaner.
Smart partnering:
In these austere times, we’re always impressed when local governments explore ways to streamline. So hats off to Indian Prairie Unit District 204 for addressing its future data needs by partnering with nonprofit OnLight Aurora, which leases bandwidth on the city of Aurora’s fiber Internet network.
You’re hereby advised it was hot:
The National Weather Service didn’t officially issue a heat advisory until Thursday, when its complicated criteria for heat advisories — such as the heat index must be over 100 degrees for so many consecutive days — were finally met. Given the humidity this week, the advisory seemed a bit tardy.
Working up an extra sweat:
Even with high humidity, air-quality warnings and temperatures in the 90s, we saw fitness buffs outside during the hottest times of the day. It may have been oddly impressive, but it also was frightening and ill-advised. Please, in such weather, use common sense and run in early mornings or early evenings, for your sake and for your family’s.
Speaking of running:
While on an evening run, one of our editors passed a mobile contraption that flashes the speeds of cars going by. On her approach, it registered 22 mph. Not exactly accurate, but she thanks Rolling Meadows police for the ego boost.
A bridge to safety:
The work to build a pedestrian bridge across Higgins Road for the west end of the Busse Woods trail on the Elk Grove Village-Schaumburg border is beginning, and we praise the effort to keep the trail open during the construction. Regular trail users would have had to figure out a new routine — though that’s a small price to pay for future safety.
Nowhere to turn:
For commuters going east-west around Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, this is one long summer. We know road construction is one (or is it two?) of the four seasons along our suburban roads, but this one’s too much: Schaumburg, Golf and Higgins roads, all at once?
Hurrah! Route 59 relief:
Plans are moving along to widen some of Route 59 through Naperville and install a “diverging diamond” interchange at Route 59 and I-88. The news is huge, as relief for that stretch of Route 59 is overdue. In the interim, if you can’t find another route, prepare for big delays.
Hurrah! A Harper garage:
A new parking garage approved for Harper College in Palatine will save students a lot of headaches — and gas money wasted on driving around looking for a parking place.