Soapbox: Circle talks can live on
Aurora's Study Circles program officially disbanded last week, a decade after it was formed to promote diversity awareness. In the end, leaders said it was too hard to compete for funding. But we hope the group's concept -- people with diverse beliefs coming together to talk about their differences, in hopes of promoting greater understanding of a specific issue -- continues. Such a simple philosophy need not live on through an official group.
Do right in fighting blight
The Naperville City Council is considering enacting its first tax increment financing district (TIF) to redevelop an aged block of southern downtown. Usually, TIFs are used to revitalize blighted areas. But state law also allows using this tax incentive to prevent areas from becoming ugly. There is concern, however, that a TIF will spur development that would commercialize the Riverwalk, which would be a form of blight in its own right. The city has to guard against that.
Fighting crime isn't frivolous
Among the items stricken from the state budget by Gov. Rod Blagojevich was $200,000 for a new Aurora police station. A headquarters for crime fighters can hardly be considered pork. And if the $200,000 is among those items that the governor says the state simply cannot afford, how can he justify allowing nearly that much for bike path projects in two suburban communities, to stay in the budget? Cyclists get higher priority than cops?
Risky police work
And if you think suburban police have it made, working in a safe job busying themselves with traffic and parking tickets, think again. In the past week, a Naperville cop was thrown to the ground after struggling with a suspect who had been pulled over on a traffic stop, according to police. And police say a Lisle cop, who had also pulled over a motorist during a roadside safety check, was struck in the arm when the motorist drove away from the scene at a high speed. The car also ran over the police officer's foot. Both officers were treated for injuries. But it could have been worse. There's risk of injury, even death, in every traffic stop, every arrest, in every domestic violence call, whether you are a cop in the suburbs or the city.
Memorable memorial message
We like Don Allen's take on the memorial to fallen soldiers that came to Lisle on Wednesday: "This is not a morbid place," said the CEO of the America Veterans Traveling Tribute. "We have an obligation to celebrate that freedom that they gave us. That's what they would have wanted."
Fantastic Last Fling
Another great Last Fling. Great entertainment. Great food. Great weather and a great crowd of more than 200,000. No arrests. And the greatest thing of all is that the money raised from Last Fling attendees will be used to help charitable organizations.
Good thing there was no smoke
Lisle-Woodridge fighters stumbled upon a marijuana-growing operation at a Lisle apartment complex while checking on a alarm. Police say more that 90 marijuana plants were discovered. If there had been a fire, no doubt paramedics would have been treating some very curious cases of smoke inhalation.
Manmade misery
Book Road south of 95th Street in Naperville was evacuated Sunday after landscape workers struck a gas main. Last week, rush-hour traffic on North Aurora Road in Naperville was stalled for more than an hour after a dump truck got tangled in fiber-optic and cable lines. What, JULIE wasn't taking calls on these days?