Soapbox: Impressive response; happy ending
Nine police officers, a helicopter unit and several other Lake Zurich municipal employees searched high and low Wednesday for a 6-year-old boy reported missing from him home. Then Mom found him: The child had fallen asleep across a pair of dining room chairs, where a tablecloth hid him from view. Was anyone upset about using so many resources for a false alarm? Not likely, not with that kind of happy ending. And the good news, beyond the obvious? This clearly is a police force and community that responds in a big way -- and in a heartbeat -- when the stakes are high.
Green, but questionable
Lincolnshire officials have worthy goals in mind as they weigh the idea of giving village residents trees to plant. The village would pay for the trees from a village fund consisting of money from developers and residents who pay when they remove trees from their properties. But Lake County Forest Preserve District Executive Director Tom Hahn asks a good question that Lincolnshire officials might have trouble answering affirmatively: Is it a good idea to use this public money for private benefit? It just might be better to use this money to plant trees on public property.
No impact fees? Not so fast
If a development near Gurnee goes through as planned, only buyers older than 50 would be allowed to buy the homes. Developers say that should exempt them from paying impact fees designed to help schools cover the costs of educating children who typically show up in any new subdivision. Officials from Woodland Elementary District 50 and Warren Township High School District 121 beg to differ. Lots of folks, they say, postpone parenthood these days, and plenty of people 50 or older still have children in school. Maybe some compromise is reasonable here, but a survey of the crowd at any school event will quickly confirm that District 50 and 121 authorities are right.
Bears catch a break:
The best thing that happened this week to the 2007 Bears is the 2007 Cubs. With no teams in the baseball playoffs, the media scrutiny of the struggling Bears would have been even more intense. The Bears always are big news in Chicago, win or lose, but they become a slightly smaller blip on the sports radar screen with the Cubs grabbing the most significant headlines. But just wait until the Cubs' season ends.
Moving up
Some folks around Barrington are still a bit frosted that a majority of their neighbors voted for a new athletic stadium at the high school while voting down plans to move the early childhood program into a decent facility and after earlier rejecting plans to build a new middle school. Understood. Nonetheless, with the school board naming a stadium contractor this week, it's exciting for BHS athletes and their fans to anticipate finally getting a facility that's more in line with the Mid Suburban League company they keep.
Is there a doc in the House? Senate?
Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross joked on Thursday that sparring legislative leaders might benefit from bringing a relationship therapist into the state Capitol. He cited the book by Dr. Kate Wach titled "Relationships for Dummies." Which opens up a whole library full of opportunities, including "Leadership for Dummies" for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and, for all of them "Setting budgetary priorities and serving constituents for Dummies."
Cubs' mantra…
…heading into today's game: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…"