Soap box: Palatine's Fiore an inspiration for all of us
Inspiration for all of us:When Mauro Fiore was a kid in Palatine, who would guessed that he'd one day win an Oscar? If there is any message in the honor the "Avatar" cinematographer received last Sunday, it is simply this: Follow your dreams.Mr. It's-None-of-Your-Business:Maybe it's our imagination, but it seems like whenever there's a bill to curtail the public's access to government records, state Rep. Sid Mathias of Buffalo Grove is always eager to sign on.Speaking of secrecy: We are speaking for everyone served by the DuPage Water Commission when we say we want to see the agency's forensic audit - and we're appalled that it hasn't been released yet.For a good cause: Congratulations to Schaumburg High School students and faculty who have already raised $20,000 for a March 19 St. Baldrick's Foundation event, making them tops among 50 schools in a Fox News Chicago challenge.Punish the deed:The Elgin City Council gets its share of knocks for not being responsive to residents, but here is a case where it listened. The council had considered an overhaul of its animal control laws that targeted pit bull owners with onerous regulations. And after a few protests and revisions, it came up with something that punishes bad dog owners rather than the breeds. Bravo, council.Waiting to happen:With the nicer weather comes the money collectors, for charity or otherwise, at intersections all about our suburban roadways. Whatever your feelings on whether this should be allowed, it is, plain and simple, a danger. Be careful out there.Speaking of nice weather: We love spring, but we hate seeing all the roadkill. Again, be careful out there.Good work, guys: Kudos to Alex Reinbrecht, 14, of West Dundee, who used his Boy Scout training to give first aid to his mom and sister after an auto accident. And another tip of the hat to Myron Chorkawciw of Des Plaines, who led a group of neighbors that broke into a burning mobile home after a gas explosion and rescued the man who lived there.No way it's fair: Kane County maintenance workers agreed to a $350-per-person bonus last year instead of a raise, only to discover three managers received raises of 9, 12 and 18 percent. Nothing can justify that kind of disparity, or such hefty raises #173;- or such arrogance.Quick tip for the federal government:Want to save money? Don't send us a notice in the mail that you're sending us Census forms.Spring ahead, don't fall asleep:Studies show road accidents rise in the days following the annual switch to daylight saving time. Don't let that lost hour of sleep affect your driving.Wrong protest: Three Island Lake trustees briefly walked out of Thursday's village board meeting to protest a vote to confirm the employment of Sharon Hyde, the embattled director of the village's preschool. Hyde is charged in a ghost-payrolling scheme, and the opponents felt she should be suspended. We think a more democratic protest would have been to stay and vote "no."