Naperville's choice for city manager inspired

Sometimes it seemed Naperville's yearlong nationwide search for a city manager would never end. But when it did, leaders made an inspired choice in Doug Krieger, who has served as the city's finance director since March 2003. In these times, it seems wise to give the reins to somebody who knows the city's budgeting system inside and out and comes with a MBA from the University of Chicago. It seems wise to pick someone with leadership skills you get from the U.S. Naval Academy and from serving as an officer in the submarine service. Better still, it seems wise to pick someone with all those talents who also has strong communication skills. Krieger fits the bill on all counts.

Unnecessary calls:

School districts have a powerful new tool to reach parents in emergencies. Automated phone calls are an excellent way to announce snow days or other weather emergencies. Unfortunately, too many public and private schools are using the recorded messages to remind parents of things that, frankly, are just not urgent. Is Family Reading Night something that warrants a call home? Do schools really need to remind parents that there's no school on the day before Thanksgiving? We're not sure if this is overuse of technology or a sad commentary on what parents forget.

Calling all faiths:

For the first time in more than two decades, a Nativity Scene will grace the state Capitol. The arrival of the crèche, which is sponsored by an independent group, is a reminder that the building can host displays representing other holidays, too. The Capitol already recognizes the season with a Christmas tree and, occasionally, a Menorah for Hanukkah. "Anybody can express their message there, and frankly there is room in that space for lots of different messages," said ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka. With Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Eid ul-Adha and Al-Hijira, the Islamic New Year, all in December, we'd love to see several displays celebrating these diverse traditions.

Suggestions for Santa:

Organizations that book Santa for corporate and community events say business is down this year. Surely, this can't mean that the Jolly Old Elf's cheerful visits aren't wanted or needed. Instead of leaving those empty red suits sitting around, maybe St. Nick might want to volunteer his time to visit a community resource center or local hospital to cheer up some kids. Better yet, with the economy the way it is, Kriss Kringle might want to stop by a local investment firm or real estate office and spread some cheer.

Shopping isn't working:

We've survived black Friday. Now comes Internet Monday, when companies expect productivity to plummet because workers will be online looking for bargains. Remember, anytime you're not working when you're on the clock, it costs your employer.

Butterflies are free to fly:

But butterflies aren't free. We love the idea of a butterfly habitat at Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. But we're trying to make sense of the numbers attached to the idea to spend a $50,000 donation to construct a $145,000 habitat that will cost $43,000 a year to operate. Where will the Wheaton Park District get that extra $95,000 in construction money and first year of operating expenses?