Saturday Soapbox
Give kids a brake:
Students are heading back to class over the next few days, so please take extra care driving in school zones. The Illinois speed limit is 20 mph, but be aware that all school zones are no-passing zones and that anyone in the crosswalk area has the right-of-way. Also, if you see a child outside the building any time during school hours, the 20 mph rule applies.
Aging quite nicely:
A couple of suburban women certainly don't believe that you're only young once. Evie Weber, 72, of Arlington Heights, is biking with her 75-year-old sister, Norma Witherbee, from Maine to Miami this fall. And Jean Smith, 52, of Cary, has been named a finalist in the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50 contest. It's refreshing to see there are people who view age as opportunity. You go, girls!
Respect your right:
For the people in Afghanistan, voting this week was worth the risk of violence at the polls. Here, typically fewer than a third of us vote in our local primaries. So remember, as our own campaign season gears up, that we need only spend a few minutes to vote. Surely we can do better than 30 percent come Feb. 2.
Partnering with police:
Prompted by four murders within two weeks this summer, Hanover Park police are reviving their neighborhood watch program. Dozens of residents already have signed up to participate. We laud those volunteers and encourage more citizens to become extra eyes and ears for police to help keep the community safe.
Please don't do this:
You've seen it before: Traffic is narrowing from two lanes to one, and someone straddles the centerline so nobody can sneak in. Well, that's just plain selfish. It's irritating to everyone behind you and slows down the merge even more. So, to the guy who pulled that maneuver in his sticker-still -on-the-window car on Randall Road in Elgin the other day, it serves you right that you now have to get a new side-view mirror to replace the one that another car tore off while trying to merge.
Air show over O'Hare:
It was fun to head downtown and catch the Air and Water Show, but it's not so fun to catch the unintended air shows over O'Hare International Airport since the new runway opened. Planes come in so low over I-90, if we were driving semis, we'd duck. That's one driver distraction we could do without.
Dialing for savings:
As cell phones proliferate, the Vernon Hills Park District is considering taking its 10 pay phones out of service. Nine of them haven't been used in two years. "They're kind of a dying breed," parks President Jim Ballowe noted. With a lease contract that costs the district $5,400 a year, such a move would be prudent.
And speaking of cell phones . . .
When potential savings call, apparently a lot of people in Illinois aren't answering. The Citizens Utility Board says most cell phone bills average more than seven hours of unused calling time each month. If you're overpaying, there's a chance to stretch your budget without the sacrifice. And we could all enjoy a little more of that.