Saturday Soapbox
Going, going gone:
There's nothing quite like the Internet for spreading the word, it seems, even about stray animals. Since Kane County's new animal shelter started listing pictures and descriptions of some of its feline and canine denizens on petfinder.com a month ago, adoptions have increased dramatically. The response has "almost wiped us out in dogs," said facility director Pat Sikorski. About 2,000 hits per week seek information about animals at the Geneva facility. If you're seeking a furry companion, simply type "Geneva, IL" into the location box on the left rail of the Web site's main page.
Fines good. Underage drinking bad.
Four downtown Geneva bars and restaurants each face a $1,000 fine and a one-day suspension of their liquor licenses for serving minors during the city's Swedish Days festival in late June. This is the city's biggest summer festival. Shouldn't bar owners impart to their staff the importance of carding patrons religiously? Especially because officials notified them ahead of time that the police were planning to conduct compliance checks during the event. Although the bar owners, all first-time offenders, apologized for providing alcohol to the underage patrons, several complained that the punishment was "too severe." Maybe next time the punishment should be shutting down these establishments during Swedish Days.
The sweet potato fries were great:
Too bad the bridge project is not. One East Wilson, a restaurant and pub in downtown Batavia with fantastic sweet potato fries, has closed its doors. This was undoubtedly a byproduct of the Wilson Street bridge project that is behind schedule, hurting merchants and threatening the city's downtown. The contractor needs to finish on time and work needed overtime to get it done. Having heavy machinery sit idle Saturday afternoons while businesses and their owners' languish simply adds insult to injury.
Bear market for senior center:
It's a date five years in the making. Geneva Township officials will have a grand opening/open house from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 9 for their 6,000-square-foot senior center in Wheeler Park. The event also conflicts with the Chicago Bears season opener at 3:15 p.m. that day. Torn? Set the DVR, TiVo, or VCR and get out to the center. It's got a lot of great touches and will be an asset for the community for decades to come.
Now's the time:
Let's say you're a longtime follower of St. Charles School District 303 and have always wanted to contribute your time and expertise to how it's run. Now you have your chance: Applications are being taken until Aug. 22 for an open school board seat. Whoa. It's not that simple, you say? Yes, there's been lots of discord on the board -- no one said it would be easy. But if there's anything this board, and district, could use is a citizen with no ax to grind who just wants to help the kids get the best education possible. That's what it's all about, right?
Ready for handoff:
Campton Hills has its new police chief, and he looks like an ideal choice. Gregory Anderson has many years of experience in the Aurora Police Department, and is currently the deputy chief. Early on, the new village was criticized by some for how it conducted the search. But it looks like they found the right person to lead the transition from Kane County Sheriff's department oversight to local law enforcement control.