Saturday Soapbox

Change in the weather:The harbingers of spring are all around. Swans are back in Schaumburg, along with the winter fish-kill cleanups at suburban ponds. Potholes have returned on cue, and so have the pelicans to Batavia. Grass is starting to grow again, but not as fast as the lawn service leaflets on our doorsteps. Some signs of the season are more pleasant than others.Make it safe for all:Warm weather means motorcycles and bicycles are returning to the streets. Remind yourself to watch for them since they have as much right to the road as cars - but are harder to see.You make the call:Which of these do you feel more confident about:bull;The Blackhawks reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, or the Cubs and Sox both winning their divisions?bull; Chick-fil-A becoming a dominating restaurant chain in the suburban market, or suffering the fate of Krispy Creme and Boston Market?bull; Evan Lysacek lasting longer on "Dancing With the Stars" than Rod Blagojevich on "Celebrity Apprentice" or Lee DeWyze on "American Idol"?Don't buy teens liquor:That seems obvious, but a McHenry woman is the latest parent arrested on accusations she threw a drinking party for her son and six of his friends, ages 15 to 17. So as we enter the season of prom and graduation, we'll say it again: Don't buy teens liquor. If our scolding isn't enough deterrent, think of the year in jail and $2,500 fine the McHenry woman could face if convicted.How long will Year One last? We have to give credit to the Year One creative team working for the Cubs and owner Tom Ricketts. It's clever, and it reminds us to focus on the future, not the past. The new regime deserves a chance. Unfortunately, the instant a reliever gives up a big homer like a Kyle Farnsworth or an outfielder loses a fly ball like Sammy Sosa, the past returns.How long will Ozzie ball last? White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has proved his patience over the years with his employees. Now Ozzie Guillen has a revolving designated hitter concept instead of a slugger such as Jim Thome. The Sox are marketing a "perfect" ad campaign this year, but if they don't score enough runs in April and May, will that be the "perfect" time to drop it?Thank you to veteran's brother:Jim Arendt of Naperville talked to us about his brother, Stanley, who was killed as a POW in the Korean War. A fellow POW who played dead and survived after a North Korean firing squad began its work shed light on how Stanley Paul Arendt died. Just harrowing. Arendt's remains were buried Monday in Palatine.Inspiring story:The living donor program at Loyola University Medical Center is a great success story thanks to people like Tim Joos of St. Charles. As health writer Bob McCoppin reported this week, donations are increasing and wait times are falling for patients under the "Pay It Forward" recruiting effort. Thanks to Joos and many others, our faith in humanity also is on the rise.Yes, that's double-dipping:Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall didn't equate Jim Barnes collecting a salary as Elgin's new professional standards officer while also collecting a pension with "double-dipping" because, he said, Barnes will be doing more work for less pay now. He was earning $118,088 a year, and now he'll be making $83,908, plus the pension. It's not illegal, but let's not pretend it's not double-dipping.Salute to the J-Cats:Coach Scott Schwerman and his Libertyville J-Cats recreational basketball team deserve a salute for efforts to connect and spend time with residents at the Winchester House nursing home. The middle school-age boys played bingo, talked basketball and even raised money to buy two large TVs for the residents. They look like winners to us.Don't play with fire:A 15-year-old stands accused of starting a brush fire that quickly jumped from a wetland area to a neighborhood in Lake in the Hills, melting vinyl siding and burning down fences and anything else in its path. If that amount of destruction doesn't make you think twice about playing with fire, consider the seven criminal charges against him.Give corner a fresh start:The eyesore at the northeast corner of Golf and Arlington Heights roads in Arlington Heights needs solid development. With the purchase of the former Kitakata Restaurant site, the village now owns two pieces of the puzzle; the last one is an unsightly gas station dormant for 15 years. The current condemnation hearings can't finish up fast enough.The people's mandate:Former governor Rod Blagojevich's admission this week that he doesn't know how to use a computer surprised many of us. It's amazing he got through law school, drafted legislation and wrote a book. Maybe our state's next unfunded mandate should be: You can't hold public office without knowing how to turn on a computer.Marking time:Can it really be 20 years since 18-year-old Ryan White lost his battle with AIDS? Thankfully, Ryan and his supporters have educated an entire generation. Rest in peace, Ryan.