Soapbox: Outbound heavy on the Addams
Having one's name affixed to a Chicago-area tollway is a mixed honor; after all, on snarled-traffic days drivers may curse the honoree's name. And columnist Chuck Goudie is correct in noting that turn-of-the-20th-century social reformer Jane Addams might not have been a big fan of the tollway system had they been around at the same time. Still, the Illinois Toll Highway Authority's decision to rename the Northwest Tollway as the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway is refreshing. It's a high-profile way to remind Chicagoans of Addams' timeless work. And it's nice, finally, to see a woman so honored, taking her place alongside Kennedy, Ryan, Stevenson, Ike and Reagan.
Giving credit where it's due
Supermom Dawn Meehan of Elk Grove Village has become an Internet hit with her blog that gets into her daily routine of raising six children. Her blog -- mom2my6pack.blogspot.com -- averages 30,000 to 40,000 hits a day, with faithful readers coming away impressed with Meehan's humorous side. Meehan, however, understands her true talent: keen observation and the ability to put that into words. "It's not that I'm funny," she says. "It's my kids. They do some of the funniest things." Now that's blogging it like it is.
Study in inefficiency
Parents in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 worried earlier this year about the district changing bus routes, which previously had been aligned in a four-tier system. District officials this fall changed its school-start times and implemented a two-tier bus system. But apparently not very well. Because now parents have made hundreds of complaints about their children waiting forever for buses, being assigned routes that take them far out of their way, or arriving at school late. So, after the fact, the board will pay a consultant up to $25,000 to help straighten things out. Maybe the study should have come before the routes went into effect. In any case, parents who want to vent -- or otherwise comment -- may fill out a survey at www.ccsd15.net.
Green thumbs, big hearts
The Daily Herald takes pride in organizing the Giving Garden, an 8-year-old program urging suburban gardeners to donate excess produce to area food pantries. But the project succeeds only through the bottomless generosity of area residents. Since July 1, the Giving Garden has attracted more than 60,000 pounds of produce; contributions may be made at various drop-off points through Oct. 1. Thanks to all who have taken the time and effort to make these nutritious foods available to those who rely on food pantries to feed themselves and their families.
Smart? You could say that
They are too many to list here, but congratulations are in order to several dozen suburban high school students who have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Nationwide, there are 16,000 semifinalists. If that sounds like a large number, trust us: This is elite company; the vast majority of us do not want to get involved in any sort of quiz bowl or any other academic competition with these teens.
Bumpy ride
Mount Prospect officials will talk with neighborhood residents before deciding whether to keep or remove speed humps installed last year on See-Gwun Avenue in an effort to reduce cut-through traffic between Golf Road and Lincoln Street. The results are mixed. A study indicates speed and traffic volume on See-Gwun have gone down. But traffic on nearby streets is up. Which is no real surprise. No one in a hurry -- and no one who values their car's shocks and struts -- is going to take on speed humps the size of these.