Saturday Soapbox: Cook County
NWCH takes pain out of parking
Here's good news for anybody frequenting Northwest Community Hospital and wondering where to put the car -- the new seven-story parking garage opened this week. The garage is part of the hospital's $250 million expansion project expected to be completed by 2010. And while we're happy about that new patient tower and the expanded ER to come, getting that garage done is great news!
Kudos to the Buddy Foundation
The Buddy Foundation has been taking care of abandoned animals in the Northwest suburbs for years, placing pets in foster homes and aggressively working to place them in good homes. Now, with the opening of its new no-kill shelter on Seegers Road in Arlington Heights, it has taken itself to another level. Congratulations to the Buddy leaders, who raised money for more than a decade to get to this day.
Dreams do come true
The hundreds of volunteers who helped Elsa Leonardo's dream of owning her own home become a reality deserve a round of applause. Men and women from organizations such as the Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington and executives from Zurich in Schaumburg built a 1,350- square-foot home in Carpentersville with help from Habitat for Humanity at breakneck speed. About 90 percent of the home was completed in about a week. Leonardo will own her first home and share it with her daughter, Ivette.
U-46 plan better late than never
Kudos to Elgin Area School District U-46 for catching up to its neighboring districts in offering a dual-credit program. The aim of the program, Executive Director of Secondary Education Tom Donausky said, is to create a stronger link between high school and college. In an era when so much time is necessarily dedicated to bringing so many students up to state standards, it's good to see that those kids who already exceed those standards aren't being left out.
Elgin's big green machine
The city of Elgin's efforts to greenify itself just keeps chugging along. The city this week inked a deal to lure a new Siemens factory that will produce the parts that make power-generating windmills go around. The council also this week approved a popular bike lane plan that will make it easier to ride from one end of town to another for fun. Or if you'd just like to save some green on gasoline. Bravo, Elgin.
Brave lad
Griffin Cox didn't cry. Even though he had been beaned by a line-drive foul ball during batting practice at U.S. Cellular Field, the Glen Ellyn boy didn't want all the White Sox players and others who rushed to his side to think he wasn't tough. And initially, all seemed to be well save for a slight headache. But days later Griffin was rushed to the hospital, where they found multiple skull fractures and significant fluid pressure. The good news, though, is further testing revealed the fluid is blood, meaning, in essence, Griffin has a giant bruise. He'll have to take it easy for a while but the long-term prognosis looks good.
A whole new (big) world
Ever wonder what a fish feels like after being moved from the small pet shop tank to one that's 55 gallons? Kids and staff members at the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin could probably relate after moving in to their 15,000-square-foot facility this week. The $2.4 million project replaced a cramped 2,000-square-foot home on Elgin's east side. The Boys and Girls Club certainly has grown, and we have no doubt the folks there will help others blossom as well.