Saturday Soapbox
Are we ready yet?
After a week of snowstorms, let's hope everyone finally has things under control. Judging by the number of accidents and near-misses, a lot of people clearly weren't prepared last Monday. So, let's get it together: clear your car of snow, give yourself more time, and drive more defensively. It's not that hard to do.
Speaking of snow
Des Plaines is considering fining homeowners who do not clear their sidewalks of snow. Their goal is compliance, not punishment, so residents aren't forced to walk in the street. We wouldn't want to be the ones to lobby a $25 or $50 fine against a disabled person or a person who's struggling to make ends meet. Nor would we want to come home from vacation to mailboxes filled with fines. It's a good idea in theory, not in reality.
Too much of a good thing?
For those who miss the old days when the IHSA would crown only a few schools as football champions, take another look at the faces of the players and fans from Maine South of Park Ridge, Wheaton St. Francis, Aurora Christian and Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst. Their smiles and youthful exuberance say it all. Expanding the playoff system has allowed more young people to experience a special moment in their high school lives, and the IHSA continues to show it knows what it's doing. Even the outstanding teams that finished second, like Geneva, will have a wonderful memory that will last a lifetime. Congrats to all the finalists.
County owes an apology
It's nice to see DuPage County leaders replaced the 22 steel crosses they unceremoniously removed before Thanksgiving. The crosses honor members of the military from DuPage who have been killed while serving their country since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Clearly the decision to remove those crosses without telling anyone - including the families of those fallen servicemen - could not have been more wrong. County leaders owe the families a public apology.
Park board should wait
Lisle Park District officials are inviting residents to a meeting Monday to discuss their next step after voters on Nov. 4 overwhelmingly rejected a request for $21.9 million to build a recreation center to replace two aging facilities. Having that discussion is a good idea and continues to get the community involved in the process. But we hope everyone realizes it's too soon to come back to voters in April. The economic concerns that doomed the project this fall are unlikely to dissipate by then. Our advice: In this case, patience is a virtue.
A more common cut
Kudos to the Arlington Heights Library board members who reconvened this week to change their tax levy request from a nearly 4 percent increase to the same amount as last year. The move won't save homeowners much, but every penny counts these days. Now how about all our other governments following that example?
Timing is everything:
A few hours after it was reported the WNBA had lost one of its founding franchises, the four-time champion Houston Comets, the Lingerie Football League announced it would open its 2009 season at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. Does that say something about women's sports today, or say a lot more about sports fans today?