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The Soapbox: School honors in DuPage, relays in Palatine, fighting distracted driving in West Dundee and more.

Important message/mission

Suzanne Ploger, director of development for Journeys, The Road Home, explains that "homelessness can affect anyone." Secure housing is never 100 percent secure. That is the message. Journeys' mission is to assess and serve the homeless and near homeless while broadening community awareness. This good work is to be applauded.

Making the grade

The Illinois Association of School Administrators named Winfield District 34 Superintendent Gwynne Kell a Superintendent of Distinction this week. Meanwhile, the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents named Gloria Trejo, principal at West Chicago's Pioneer School, Latino Administrator of the Year. Way to go, suburban educators.

Another run at history

The 85th edition of the second-longest-running high school track and field meet in Illinois will begin Saturday at Chic Anderson Stadium with the running of the Palatine Relays. Jackie Joyner Kersee and Evan Jager are among the Olympians who made some of their strides here, so if you like your sports with a sense of history, stop by.

Glass half full

It's getting warm out, so that means another season of some kind of construction along Higgins Road from Arlington Heights Road going west. Unfortunately, we took that route out of habit recently, and of course, got in the slow lane. But there's a positive take-away. Seeing Busse Woods come alive with green and wildlife.

Extreme buzz

An Algonquin resident called for Village President John Schmitt to resign after Schmitt posted a Facebook picture with his face attached to the body of a bee. A judge had halted construction of the Longmeadow Parkway because of the possible presence of an endangered bee. Schmitt admitted the photo was in poor taste. It's hardly a resigning offense.

Progress in traffic, if you insist

The massive $4 billion makeover being proposed for the Central Tri-State Tollway would boost the average speed on that section during rush hour to 45 mph instead of 24 mph, the toll authority says. Is there no hope, then, for going the actual speed limit during rush hour?

Pluses and minuses of early blooming

The many mild days we had in the winter and so far this spring apparently got our trees and flowers blooming a little earlier - as soon as mid-April! That's great, unless you're an allergy sufferer. We saw the video of a guy beating puffs of pollen off his Sugar Grove bushes like it was a filthy carpet. Maybe the rainy portion of this week will calm that down.

Just pay attention

We certainly like the approach West Dundee officers took this week to discourage distracted driving. Instead of writing tickets, they passed out fliers to drivers stopped at intersections. Education, as a spokesman noted, is a key part of enforcement. But, drivers, just be sure to wait till you reach your destination to do the reading.

Get rid of your old drugs

Many local police departments are accepting unused and expired drug prescriptions between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today. The federal Drug Take Back initiative, which began in 2010, collected 447 tons of old medications last year. If your department participates, do your part to be sure unneeded medications are disposed of responsibly.

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