Saturday Soapbox: DuPage County
Fiscally irresponsible graffiti
Paper signs in the men's restrooms at the DuPage County courthouse remind gentlemen to flush urinals. However, several of the signs have been tagged by a few of the lazier users demanding the county get urinals that flush automatically. One example: "Cook County has them." To the vandals, remember your suggestion when the judge levies your fine at a higher level than your attorney anticipated to cover the cost of your reckless suggestion. Now that would be flushing money down the toilet.
Waiting room Web
Here's a thought for all the doctors' offices, car repair shops and other places where people have to sit and wait: Invest in wireless Internet access for customers. With many people carrying laptop computers, it would be nice if, when stuck waiting through an oil change or for your turn to see the doc, you could surf the Web or connect to your workplace server. Beats reading old copies of Parenting or Golf Digest.
Kitty in Packham's (gun) sights?
Candid, yes. Refreshingly so, not so much. Hanover Park Trustee Robert Packham showed a frankness rare for a politician when he said during a village board discussion last week about controlling the feral cats population, "It if was up to me, I'd buy more bullets for the police department." He complained that we live in an age of "raging political correctness and nobody wants to hurt these cats' self-esteem." But Packham is reducing the issue to a gross oversimplification. And, come on, do we really want to grant police the power to shoot feral cats on sight?
Eyesore no more
For many years, the old Ovaltine factory was considered the largest eyesore in Villa Park. But then a developer came in and redeveloped the site. Now Villa Park officials are debating whether to spend more than $225,000 to save one of the last remnants of the plant -- a deteriorating 217-foot-tall chimney near Villa and Kenilworth avenues. Just the fact that village leaders are debating whether to save a piece of the Ovaltine plant shows how far they've come in turning an eyesore into a landmark.
For the fathers
On the eve of Father's Day, we thought we'd share this quote from Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry Truman, courtesy of About.com: "It's only when you grow up, and step back from him, or leave him for your own career and your own home -- it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it. Pride reinforces love." We hope it's a great Father's Day for all the dads. Enjoy the time with your family. You are all lucky to have each other on Father's Day, and every day.
Good luck to a great superintendent
If you want to know how education in DuPage County has changed through the years, you'd be wise to talk to Queen Bee Elementary District 16 Superintendent James White. He has spent 40 years in District 16, starting as a teacher and rising up through the ranks to become superintendent, a post he has held for 23 years. Now White is retiring, and we wish him well. District 16 has certainly benefited greatly from White's fine leadership.
Good move for the environment
Kudos to the DuPage County board and the city of Naperville for reaching an agreement to keep the Household Hazardous Waste Facility open, an environmentally wise decision. Through the years the public has used the facility to safely dispose of a variety of hazardous substances. The facility, which is behind Fire Station No. 4, 1971 Brookdale Road, Naperville, is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., excluding holidays.