The Soapbox: Old and tiny bones in Elgin, an anniversary in Wood Dale, openness in Des Plaines and more.
Tiny bones
Dan Gebo's lifelong fascination with fossils has paid off. The Elgin anthropologist has assembled nearly 500 minuscule finger and toe bones as belonging to 45-million-year-old and very small primates. It's the largest collection of primate fossils - many as tiny as a mustard seed - ever assembled. But we don't want to make too big a deal about it.
Nightly safety check
A middle-of-the-night car theft from the owner's garage? It happened in Arlington Heights' Scarsdale neighborhood, and four other cars on the block were burglarized. Police are pushing the social media campaign #9PMRoutine to remind people to check nightly that cars, garages and homes are locked and valuables are taken indoors. Pass it along.
50th anniversary party
Happy anniversary to Wood Dale Park District, which is celebrating its 50th year with a party from 10 a.m. to noon today at its recreation complex, 111 E. Foster Ave. The district, which formed in 1967, now features 16 park sites, including a water park, nature center and golf course.
Critical task in Lake County
After watching the number of fatal and serious accidents steadily increase between 2010 and 2015, Lake County's Division of Transportation has teamed with police and municipalities on a task force to seek ways to make roads safer. The work so far is preliminary, but critically important. We look forward to their analysis.
Call of the Wildcats
Northwestern University is doing everything possible to live up to its brand as "Chicago's Big Ten Team." The football team is headed to a third straight bowl game, and the men's basketball team is nationally ranked. Yet last Saturday's football game drew just 33,765, and Monday's basketball game in Rosemont drew 5,101. Fans are missing a good thing.
Good luck, boys
It's an exciting day in high school football. Five Daily Herald area teams will compete in the IHSA state semifinals today, with a berth in next weekend's state finals at Northern Illinois University's Huskie Stadium on the line. Best of luck to Hoffman Estates, Batavia, Benet Academy, Lake Zurich and IC Catholic Prep as they take the field today.
Coming together for charity
Opponents of an apartment proposal have packed Batavia City Council meetings and council members expect the same Monday, when they could vote on the plan. Council members also will donate to a local toy drive that night - and voted to encourage all attendees to join in. Apartment opponents like the idea as a way to bring the community together. Excellent.
Openness on display
Des Plaines Elementary District 62 school board members set a standard for government agencies that part company with a top executive early. They let their superintendent go in the wake of multiple complaints of sexual harassment, and recognized that both the community and potential future employers deserved to know the circumstances. Good for them.
Delicious victory
A stuffed roulade of beef shoulder marinated in cider with orange, on top of chive and goat cheese mashed potatoes with kale, red peppers, broccoli raab and crispy pancetta, topped with mushroom and shallot cream sauce. With that dish, Elizabeth Schuttler of Inverness won the Daily Herald's 2017 Cook of the Week Challenge. Yum!