Saturday soapbox: No long wait, nice photo, nice people
Remember the epic horror stories of waiting in line at the Secretary of State's office for a new driver's license for days on end, only to walk away with a plastic card with a photo of you looking as if you were falling off a bar stool? Well, no more. At least not on Tuesday. A trip to the Elgin office lasted just 20 minutes, and every clerk there was efficient and friendly, greeting all with a "good morning" and a smile. And rumors of better photos have not been exaggerated. The camera guy indicated the new pic was GQ cover-worthy. Well, OK, a slight exaggeration.
Wal-Mart on both sides of the river
With word the world's largest retail chain plans to open a bigger and better mega-center in its sister city, East Dundee has reason to fret. Wal-Mart is proposing to build a Supercenter in West Dundee this year, pending village approval. A quick look back on past stories regarding the retailer uncovers that East Dundee was essentially reassured the village would not lose its largest sales tax generator. This is a possibility as a new Wal-Mart would be built less than two miles from the standing Wal-Mart in East Dundee. Representatives over the last two years have repeatedly told East Dundee that it is rare to have a Wal-Mart leave town once it is established. Wal-Mart has been on Route 25 for more than 15 years.
Being tough's a must in District 303
St. Charles School District 303 should be commended for its enough-is-enough response to another threat found in a school bathroom. The district was swift and fierce in its handling of the situation, immediately alerting parents and offering a $2,000 reward for information about the responsible party. More school districts need to take this sort of approach. "Everybody's just sick of this stuff," Superintendent Don Schlomann said. Ditto.
One wet spring
Many high school athletic directors have been at their jobs a long time. Not a one of them can remember canceling so many spring events. Dan Kallenbach at Bartlett, who graduated from Larkin and has worked in District U-46 his entire life, couldn't recall a spring with so many rainouts. Many area baseball and softball teams won't get in the 35 games they are allowed prior to the state tournament -- heck, some might not get in 20. But what's the big deal? Schools are spoiled today with being allowed to schedule so many games. Back in the day, a 20-game schedule was commonplace. The 1976 state softball champions from Rich South played 23 games including the post-season. The next year Cahokia won the state title with a 19-0 record. Have to wonder if there weren't so many games if student-athletes' study time would increase as well as test scores.
Cover up or pipe down
When you agree to be immortalized by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, you should probably do your homework. Apparently teen sensation Miley Cyrus did not, and she is now crying foul that she doesn't agree with the tone the photos, to appear in Vanity Fair magazine, set for the young pop star. Here's a hint for would-be photo subjects -- if you're asked to wear nothing but a blanket during the shoot, it's going to look risque.