Saturday Soapbox
Generation next:
If you want to feel good about the next generation, then go to the Web and visit the "Palatine's Promise" page for Palatine High School. Students produced and recorded a video to draw attention to their efforts to reduce bullying in the high school. The site is loaded with details about their yearlong campaign, and the video will blow you away. It also pays tribute to being inspired by students at Cary-Grove High School. Visit phs.d211.org/PPromise/index.htm and you'll be impressed with their talent, insight and dedication. Simply amazing.
Beyond the playoffs:
If the Blackhawks and Bulls in the playoffs aren't enough sports excitement for you, the Kane County Cougars have added more amenities to their ballpark (a new upper deck, 14 suites and other renovations), and the Schaumburg Flyers will open next month with a hot-tub section and other new fan-friendly attractions. The Chicago Fire and local soccer legend Brian McBride have yet to be beaten this season, and the new Chicago Red Stars feature several national and international soccer stars. Toss in the unbeaten Chicago Slaughter football team, the return of the defending champion Chicago Bandits, the Chicago Machine lacrosse team, and healthy Sylvia Fowles with the Chicago Sky, and you can see that our sports landscape is bursting at the seams.
Litterbug alert:
With all the options out there for going green and saving our planet, how about a simple one: Stop littering. We were shocked to see the driver a car on the inbound I-90 near O'Hare, on Earth Day no less, open her door (while going at least 60 mph) and toss a bunch of trash on the tollway. If you don't care about the planet, at least care about yourself and other drivers who had to dodge your clumps of trash. Unfortunately, we didn't ge the license plate of the offender. We wish we had.
Where's the patience?
Sure, fans certainly have the right to boo players and teams. There's no denying that. But can't we show a little more patience, like we did when Ryne Sandberg (1-32) and Robin Ventura (0-41) had trouble at the plate to start their baseball careers? Booing Dewayne Wise of the White Sox on opening day, and showering boos on the Cubs' Milton Bradley before he's even had 50 at bats seems harsh this early in the season.
A hole lot of trouble:
Potholes are everywhere, and wherever they are, it's not good. But we must point out what has to be the worst strip of pavement we have run into (or, unfortunately, run over). Higgins Road, going both east and west at the Kennedy Expressway overpass, is so bad it's almost beyond description. If you aren't aware of this, beware of it if traveling that way any time soon. Signs say repairs will be done this summer, but we say that's not soon enough.
Good timing:
College of DuPage's new technical education building couldn't have arrived at a better time. With so many displaced workers looking to reinvent themselves, courses in new technologies are sure to fill up fast.
Pausing to think of the Engelhardts:
We know we speak for most of the community when we say our hearts go out to the Engelhardt family in Hoffman Estates. May God and friends comfort and support them in this tragic time.