Saturday Soapbox: Lake County
Keep your shirt on
Girls Gone Wild, the soft-porn video group, arrives today at Blarney's Island on the Chain O' Lakes as part of its "Hottest Bars in America" search. If you've seen the late-night TV ads for GGW, you know their schtick is urging young women and coeds to take off their shirts. Blarney's officials say there will be none of that tonight, but stuff happens. It may sound like a wild and crazy thing to do, even liberating, in an impetuous celebration of youth. But keep in mind there may be some permanency to those fleeting moments. The Internet, MySpace, Facebook and others provide a lasting, and sometimes, unwanted record of the things you do. Once posted, the entry is there for the world to see. Perspective employers often run a search of job candidates to see what they might find. And, what would your relatives think if they come across such an entry? In other words, a starring role in a Girls Gone Wild video might not be the kind of lasting impression you want to make.
Local hero
Lake County Forest Preserve District officials recognized ranger Esteban Gomez this week for his heroic actions pulling a child from the Des Plaines River during this year's canoe marathon. Gomez was on duty in a kayak, making sure racers traveled safely down the river, when he heard screams and spotted the boy trapped in a logjam. Gomez's own canoe capsized, but he was able to carry the boy to safety. At Tuesday's board meeting, Gomez downplayed his actions, saying he was just doing his job. We join forest officials in recognizing Gomez, for a job well done.
Live kids and dead animals
An interesting pair of expenditures book ended one another at Tuesday's DuPage County Board meeting. The board first approved spending $22,608 on the juvenile detention center's annual medical care contract. That was followed by a vote to spend $18,000 on a 14-month contract for the pickup and disposal of dead animals. Talk about a wide range of county services.
Cuts to addiction treatment hurt
Recent cuts to local substance abuse treatment providers are having a devastating effect. Those in need of help are forced to wait weeks or months for entry into programs. The consequences may be deadly. Reach out to your state lawmakers and let them know more addiction treatment dollars are needed.
This really stinks
The skunk population is on the rise. And that's a smelly situation. We'll just have to learn to live with this. Skunks can. They have no idea of the stink they raise because, ironically, they have a poor sense of smell.
Hope for treatment for gamblers
It is encouraging that a number of suburban state lawmakers say they hope to expand treatment options for those addicted to gambling. A Daily Herald analysis revealed that Illinois is far behind other states in providing treatment for gambling addicts. For example, Minnesota spends $2.5 million a year helping problem gamblers and offers a 90-day treatment program for free. In Illinois, $1.5 million set aside in 2001 for a public awareness campaign aimed at getting help to gambling addicts was cut to $960,000 in 2002. It has stayed at that level ever since. This, even as the state takes in $700 million a year from its nine casinos and another $600 million a year from the lottery. Hopefully these lawmakers who want more treatment options for gambling addicts can persuade their peers in the legislature - and the governor - to support them in this cause.