The Soapbox: A fine memorial at Arlington Park, saluting vets in Carol Stream, wondering about Trump everywhere and more
Keeping a leash on it
Good for Carpentersville trustees. After Jason Koth's dog was attacked and severely injured by a neighbor's dog, Koth asked the village board to tighten its rules on dog owners. This week the village passed "Buddy's Law," named after the injured dog, imposing regulations owners must follow once a dog is labeled vicious or dangerous.
Trump's being 'right' boast, Part 1:
When Donald Trump responded to the Orlando shootings horror by congratulating himself for "being right," what exactly was he right about? That we're still vulnerable to terrorism? Is he the only guy who has believed that? Did we miss a memo from Homeland Security that we had nothing to worry about?
Trump's being 'right' boast, Part 2:
Maybe Trump meant he was right about a ban on Muslim immigration. Except the killer wasn't an immigrant.
Trump's being 'right' boast, Part 3:
So. Another possibility is that Trump was saying he is right to oppose gun control because there'd be fewer dead "if the bullets were going in the other direction." Except bouncers at the nightclub were armed and it didn't avert tragedy.
Trump's being 'right' boast, Part 4:
Hard to say what he meant. He also has declared himself a "great unifier," so maybe this was just his latest attempt at that.
Transformation:
It's tough to take stock of personal flaws, so congrats to former pro football player Tommy Zbikowski of Arlington Heights, who transformed himself from a heavy drinker he calls immature and selfish into a focused and thoughtful Chicago firefighter who says saving a man from a burning building was "the biggest thing I've ever done."
Saluting our vets:
A snappy salute to Jim Benzin, a Vietnam War vet and commander of Carol Stream's VFW post, who is spearheading a plan to raise roughly $200,000 to spruce up the village's veterans memorial. A worthy cause, indeed.
New businesses in Wheaton:
It's encouraging to see new signs of life in Wheaton's struggling Danada Square East shopping center, where a Whole Foods is moving into a vacant Dominick's store and helping attract other businesses, including Starbucks, Charter Fitness, Sierra Trading Post and a still-to-be-named chain restaurant.
Honoring a loved one:
You wouldn't blame family and friends of slain Hanover Park resident Sami Salaymeh if they had bowed out of a weekend cancer charity event they helped organize in Naperville. Instead, they made Sami's death June 6 a rallying point and raised about $30,000 in his name to benefit kids with cancer. A remarkable way to honor a loved one's memory.
Gardening gift:
Thanks to Prairie Crossing Charter School students Jennifer Stenzel and Christine Sullivan, residents at a Gurnee memory care facility will enjoy tending to flowers, herbs and vegetables this summer. The eighth-graders built and delivered gardening tables for Autumn Leaves of Gurnee residents and helped them get started. Here's to a bountiful harvest.
Time to celebrate:
While it was great fun to celebrate another year of prep sports at Sunday's Prep Sports Excellence banquet, there's another milestone to salute on Monday when the Daily Herald's high school sports ambassador, Bob Frisk, turns 80. Not surprisingly, he can't wait for the fall sports to return. His enthusiasm and passion inspire all of us.
Lasting friendships:
As John Leusch's story in Friday's editions explained, Mike Spellman left a lasting impression wherever he went, and Arlington Park was one of his favorite stops. It's great to see track officials feel the same way as they honor him on Saturday with a second Mike Spellman Memorial Stakes race. To Mike, nothing was better than friends getting together.