Soapbox: 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 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. So stay tuned for more.

Promise delivered

With the inclusion of random drug testing of sheriff's department personnel in its contract with union employees, Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez has delivered on a major campaign promise. And made his office a safer, more professional place to work in the bargain.

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, a reality for which the city is already planning. Overall 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.

Helping hands, Inc.

Police and fire departments know well the value of mutual aid agreements when they help one another fight crime or fires. But when it comes to snowstorms, floods or other public works issues, only informal pacts between communities have helped ease these crises. Amid one of the worst winters the region has seen, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Crystal Lake, McHenry and Woodstock seem very wise to band together on a public works mutual aid pact specifying the details of that shared effort. Seems a good idea for all communities these days. Salt, anyone?

Putting up a stop sign

There has been no shortage of towns considering installing cameras at intersections to control running of red lights. East Dundee will be the latest to consider the cameras at Monday's meeting, a week after Mount Prospect officials nixed the option. East Dundee Police Chief Terry Mee says the cameras can provide extra attention to an offense that threatens public safety. And in that instance, red light cameras merit support. But Mount Prospect trustees said most of their accidents are caused by improper left turns, not red light runners, prompting them to wait to see how effective the cameras are in other towns. Finally, a town that doesn't have to have the latest toy just to have it or because it's the latest fad in dragging a few more bucks from the pockets of hard-pressed residents.