Soapbox: Buffalo Grove, Long Grove agree; monks sue Benedictine; Mundelein councilman's apology and more

Better service, less cost:

Kudos to Buffalo Grove and Long Grove for cutting a deal for the former to do property maintenance inspections for the latter. Long Grove officials approached Buffalo Grove because they needed to improve their system for making sure property was kept up, but it didn't make sense to go it alone.

Monks suing Benedictine:

Seven monks from Lisle's St. Procopius Abbey are suing Benedictine University claiming the school denied them their right to, among other things, vote for the school's new president. It's not surprising the monks and the Catholic university decided to take their debate to a higher power, but it's sad that higher power has to be the courts.

Attention Gordon Beckham:

In the midst of another dismal season for the Chicago White Sox, infielder Gordon Beckham has provided a rare glimpse of sunshine by becoming the first major leaguer in history to deliver walk-off game-winning hits on both Mother's Day and Father's Day in the same season. Note to Gordo: Grandparents Day is Sept. 13.

It's just a ball:

We understand that with 40,000-plus fans at Wrigley, your odds of catching a foul ball are pretty slim, but when you have your baby in the crook of your arm, it's never a good idea to try to snatch a ball from the glove of a first baseman with the other - even if that first baseman plays for the dreaded Dodgers. Safety first!

A long way to go:

Mundelein City Councilman Dakotah Norton said Monday he "can't apologize enough" for his arrest on DUI charges. He's right. But he can try by adopting the attitude that he also "can't do enough" to prove he deserves the public's trust.

Fremd frustration:

Construction projects at Fremd High School have made the daily drop-off and pickup of summer schoolers an adventure. Everyone understands these projects are necessary, but there has to be a better way to organize traffic flow, as students are left to pick their way through two lanes of impatient drivers.

A question of pay grade:

Des Plaines Police Chief Bill Kushner praised the potential for the old Salvation Army headquarters to serve as a new police headquarters. "But that's a decision made by people who have a higher pay grade than me," he said. Hmmm. Whose pay grade tops that of the police chief? Ah, that's right, the voters. Wisely, they would get the first say.

Long day with the storms:

We editors working Monday night watched for that dangerous storm to hit the suburbs. It didn't. Then we watched some heroics: Emergency crews and government officials working to keep people in rural towns safe, and meteorologists monitoring the storm late into the night. A salute to you all.

Can't we all just get along?:

A Kane County Board committee said Wednesday it "will not pay nonstatutory expenses" for a nonessential hire the coroner wants to make. The committee could've just said, "The chairman doesn't like you or your ideas, so guess how this is likely to play out." Ah, politics.

Generations at Risk:

How do we promote educational success for students across all income levels? There's more than one answer to that question. What's yours? Email us at fencepost@dailyherald.com