The Soapbox: Appreciating trails in Cook County, sensible leadership search in Elgin, remembering an icon in Naperville and more.

All the world's a stage:

At least it is for Schaumburg native (and fan) Michael Roark, who says he loved growing up in the suburb. Roark is both a movie and television actor and a licensed attorney. "One way or another, I was going to find the stage," he says. We say bravo, Michael.

Take another bow:

Kudos to the athletic departments at Fremd and Barrington High Schools, who have repeated as winners of the Bob Frisk Paddock Trophy (Fremd's girls) and the Bob Frisk Paddock Cup (Barrington's boys). These awards are given to the top all-around sports departments in the Mid-Suburban League

Naperville District 203 contract:

Naperville Unit District 203 and its teachers union approved a three-year contract that leaves pay for the final year open depending on what happens with the state. If a property tax freeze is implemented, teacher pay will be frozen. If there is no freeze, teachers will get raises based on a formula involving the Consumer Price Index. It's an interesting approach to a ticklish situation.

Addressing trail flooding:

Earlier this year, we lamented the chronic flooding problem on Cook County's Poplar Creek Trail southwest of the corner of Barrington and Golf roads. Well now a sign has emerged saying the Cook County Forest Preserve district is beginning "trail work and flood mitigation" this summer. Excellent!

Not taking trails for granted:

We also know not to take our bike trails for granted. We are learning about several small trail projects that take a lot of time and money. A Lake County Forest Preserve planner put trail-building at $350,000 per mile. And if an underpass or overpass is required, you're talking millions of dollars. We thank the countless agencies and people involved.

Common sense rules in Elgin:

The Elgin City Council, which voted in executive session Wednesday, wants to promote Rick Kozal to the job of city manager, foregoing a national search for candidates. The city has a strong track record in promoting city managers from within, notably Femi Folarin and Sean Stegall. Now it can use the money elsewhere. Smart move.

A lesson to be learned:

Better communication seems to be the key to preventing severe overcrowding at Union Station, which created a mess Monday despite a plan intended to prevent it. Basically, back-to-back switch issues during the afternoon rush created claustrophobic conditions for Metra riders and subsequent delays affected thousands of passengers.

Not $15, but better than $8.50:

It's disappointing that Barrington Unit School District 220 didn't feel it could afford to pay its high school janitors the same as the in-house janitors at its other schools, but at least it set a minimum $10 standard for its outside contractor after last year's contractor cut pay, causing a strike. Let's hope it raises the standard in coming years.

Remembering Cliff Preston ...

Naperville likes to call its downtown Riverwalk its "crown jewel" and few would argue. Lots of people deserve credit for creating and maintaining the path, but none more so than Cliff Preston, who served on the Riverwalk Commission for 17 years, many of them as chairman.

... who oversaw crown jewel:

Preston, who died last week at age 90, oversaw extensions of the path and helped negotiate the acquisition of land that became Fredengagen Park. And, yes, the former Navy Seabee helped install benches, build a gazebo and even checked the bulbs in lights along the path. His imprint will forever be on the Riverwalk and he will be missed.