Soapbox: Don't rush to judgment

When word first went out that Wheeling had cited a man for barbecuing pigs in his backyard, a hue and cry arose from across the country, with some suggesting that Wheeling officials were anti-barbecue vigilantes depriving citizens of their rights. The court of law rendered a different verdict than the court of public opinion though, as testimony Thursday offered ample evidence for Wheeling's argument that the man was cooking for the masses without a license. For vilified Wheeling officials, it was vindication. For the rest of us, it was a reminder not to rush to judgment before all the evidence is in.

Win, lose, draw

A judge has ruled, but it hardly has brought resolution. Villa Olivia, a banquet, ski, golf resort in Bartlett, has been trying for some time to convert its golf operation into homes, pitting Bartlett vs. Elgin, and basically asking to subvert a covenant requiring that the course to stay in place until 2022. A judge said, yes, Villa Olivia could de-annex from Bartlett, making annexation by Elgin possible. But no, it couldn't ignore the covenant and build homes, meaning there's little reason to de-annex. Everybody plans to appeal, of course. Stay tuned for more. Or no change at all.

Keep it clean

Saw an interesting bumper sticker recently, one with a message for all: "Keep your butt in the car. The Earth is not your ashtray." And, yes, we did say a message for all. Too often we single out the smokers, but in this case, butts and any other garbage should stay in the car. The Earth is nobody's ashtray…or garbage can. And, really, how much effort does it take to wait until you get home to toss out that trash?

Great weather, great results

Scheduling a snow-sculpting contest is a calculated risk and an act of faith. Organizers know they have a chance of getting the right combination of snow and cold temperatures in early February. But in some years, an early mild spell or dearth of snow spells doom. Not this time. Mother Nature delivered tons of snow to give sculptors the medium needed for their creative minds and skilled hands. Then, the mercury plunged to near zero, preserving sculptures for the delight of thousands of visitors to Randhurst Shopping Center. Congratulations to organizer Fran Volz and his team on an outstanding event that injected some fun and culture into a frigid week.

More, more, more

So, ComEd wants a big delivery fee rate hike. ComEd says it needs more money to assure reliable service and modern equipment. But the Citizens Utility Board says ComEd is exaggerating costs and understating income to justify the increase. No real surprises in those arguments. But with gas companies gearing up for delivery rate hikes and electricity users still recovering from last year's rate hikes, financially beleaguered consumers are likely to revolt over more, mostly because they don't have much more to give.

Aberration or trend?

Could be the state smoking ban. Could be the bad weather over the past month. Could be the economy. Could be all three. But a 20 percent drop in Grand Victoria Casino revenues this past January over revenues recorded in January 2007 certainly is a warning flag that can't be ignored for long. If that revenue decline continues, the city of Elgin could lose $4 million and projects would have to be dropped, delayed or scaled back. Across the state, casino revenues were down 17 percent this January over last. It's too early to tell if the drop is an aberration or a trend, but it certainly requires watching.