Saturday Soapbox: Working together
Prairie Crossing Charter School has had its share of problems in 2007. Board infighting, hostility between a board member and the staff, and ongoing money trouble made it memorable for all the wrong reasons. But parents, school officials and others are ending the year on a positive note by pitching in to raise money to ease the school's financial woes. As of last week, Lake County's only charter school had raised $67,580 toward a goal of $75,000. Donations have come from parents and the nine board members. Students have been collecting pennies for the cause. A big push came from Liberty Prairie Foundation, which jump-started the fundraising effort with a challenge grant. The group, which backs environmentally friendly efforts, pledged to match all donations dollar-for-dollar up to $75,000. If Prairie Crossing meets the goal, it would reap $150,000 -- enough to preserve all teaching assistant jobs. Here's hoping this new spirit of cooperation carries over into 2008.
Be careful out there:
The tragic weekend death of a 33-year-old Round Lake Beach man should serve as a reminder to everyone about the dangers that come with snowmobiling. At the beginning of another winter, it's wise to keep these things in mind: You need at least 4 inches of snow to ride safely. Don't cross lakes until ice is 7 inches thick. Black ice is a sure sign the lake isn't frozen enough, and most snowmobile-related deaths are caused by drowning. Never ride alone. Wear a helmet. Drink responsibly. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources offers a safety course for snowmobilers. Course times and locations are listed at dnr.state.il.us.
Working for greater good
Credit Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park and Democratic state Rep. Elaine Nekritz of Northbrook for putting aside party labels in an effort to get something accomplished. Kirk and Nekritz are among the local elected officials who headed a news conference this week pushing for an expanded Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, near Arlington Heights and Lake-Cook roads, in an effort to aid flood-control efforts on the Des Plaines River. Just as impressive is that the Lake County Forest Preserve District is willing to have its Buffalo Creek property be part of the solution for Cook County towns to the south.
Dark days of winter
Outside of maybe Atlanta, can there be a city suffering a deeper winter sports malaise than Chicago? The Bulls and the Bears, both expected to at least contend for the playoffs and possibly for titles, have simply tanked. Can there be anything more embarrassing than watching those two teams play before a national TV audience? Then the White Sox faithful watched as the Tigers loaded up for next year. And those youthful Blackhawks gave us a tease before slipping back to mediocrity. They actually have the most up-side. Grim, grim, grim. Go Illini, on both the gridiron and the hardwood.
Let it snow already
For all the attention we pay these days to the weather, especially in winter, is falling snow really worth getting all that worked up over? Sure, it's a nuisance to navigate a trip on our roads during a snowstorm, but all this hand-wringing? Over 1-4 inches of snow? After all, by the next day, the roads -- and life -- are pretty much back to normal … as we hold our breaths for news of the next big storm? So take a deep breath and enjoy the winter wonderland.
Holiday wishes
For those whose faith has them celebrating Christmas, we wish you a happy, festive and safe holiday.