The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.
An open book
Mount Prospect library leaders are asking around the community for people who want to be considered for a board vacancy, a nice alternative to simply appointing someone they know. Residents can find out more at https//mppl.org/about-us/board-of-trustees/.
Maybe he should rejoin the Bears?
Bob Thomas, the first chief judge of the Illinois Supreme Court from DuPage County, is retiring from that court. You may recall that before he became a lawyer and a judge, he was a place-kicker for the Chicago Bears. He's returning to law practice; maybe he can return to placekicking, too? The Bears always seem to need help in that department.
Harbinger of spring
The most encouraging words of February were uttered this week "Pitchers and catchers report." Yes, spring training camps are under way in Florida and Arizona. Opening Day is some five weeks away, but those words mean spring, warmer weather and surviving another Chicago winter.
On those resolutions
Backsliding since Jan. 1? With spring almost in sight, the urge for cocooning on the wane and Valentine's sweets consumed, now's the best time to relaunch all those plans to get healthy.
Kudos to Naperville Central
Naperville Central teacher and coach Barry Baldwin says the final tally for the JKB Justin Wegner Gift Card Drive for the Ronald McDonald House was $10,253.44 worth of gift cards. The two-month drive initially was conceived by Baldwin and Wegner, the 2015 Naperville Central graduate who passed away in July 2019 from soft tissue sarcoma. Great job by all.
The Oscar goes to ...
Congrats to Chicago native and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry on his Oscars win for Best Animated Short Film for "Hair Love." Cherry told The Associated Press he created the 6-minute film about a black father who learns how to do his daughter's hair for the first time to help normalize black hair. Kudos on the win!
A start toward 'Fair Maps'
A bipartisan coalition - including suburban lawmakers Republican state Rep. Dan McConchie and Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush - announced a new drive for legislation allowing a change in the way legislative boundaries are drawn to help prevent a single party from consolidating power and taking control of government. Now, let's get it done.
It takes courage, commitment
But the truth is, nothing will happen unless all those lawmakers, Democrats especially, who bravely flout their support for Fair Maps to voters don't stand up in unison to House and Senate leaders and demand change. If nothing happens by the May deadline, blame their cowardice.
Remembering Aurora Strong
The city of Aurora, the workers at Henry Pratt Co. and the families of the five victims of the horrific shooting a year ago are all in our prayers today on the anniversary of the tragedy. And always on our minds are those the gunman killed: Russell Beyer, Vicente Juarez, Clayton Parks, Josh Pinkard and Trevor Wehner.
Remembering this, too
It felt hopeful, if not entirely reassuring, to hear state police say they're making progress on fixing the problems that allowed a man to buy a gun when he should have been blocked. If we truly want to honor the victims, we'll do more to get reasonable, enforceable gun laws and give authorities the resources to enforce them.