The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.
Big hearts for little ones
Two Jacobs High juniors late last month created a special day for youngsters in their Lake in the Hills neighborhood. Cameron Lindahl Behrendt and Olivia Orth turned Orth's yard into a carnival. Said Cameron "We were bored during quarantine and knew that other kids were probably bored, too." Social distancing, and kindness, were observed.
All the best
The food truck Harry's Cafe Friday became the latest business to close in light of COVID-19. The owners announced the closure after 42 years and cited a drop in commuters at the Naperville Metra station. We are always sad to see long-standing businesses leave the suburbs.
The long wait is over (for now)
Monday is the first day of practice for some high school fall sports teams. The Illinois High School Association has had a hectic summer trying to come to grips balancing education and sports while keeping kids' health as Job 1. The IHSA is like an umpire. Sometimes half the crowd thinks you made the wrong call. Let's just hope everyone has a good game.
Jobs you don't want
Add public school superintendent to the list of jobs you probably don't want this summer. Faced with sharply divided parents, mounting uncertainty about COVID-19 and increasingly nasty chatter on social media, they're left in a lose-lose situation as they scramble to prepare for the start of classes this fall.
Showing ingenuity
The University of Illinois has used its scientific expertise to come up with a low-cost, minimally intrusive way to test its students and staff for COVID-19 twice a week, with the hope of making a return to in-person classes a safe, viable alternative. Kudos for the effort, and best wishes for its success. Let it pave the way for others to get back to normal!
As we're using trails more ...
On Monday, our Marni Pyke will be reporting on bicycling booming in the suburbs given the pandemic. She hears that more people are on the trails, both newer cyclists and veterans. Now more than ever, with coronavirus precautions in mind, it's important to mind our manners: Give proper space, announce your passing, respect people.
License lines
COVID-19 has made waits at driver's license facilities even worse. As our Marni Pyke wrote this week, there are things you can do. Check www.cyberdriveillinois for hours and locations, keeping in mind that sites are busiest early in the week and late in the month. Late afternoons are sometimes good. Otherwise, mask up, keep your distance and stay calm.
Remembering Robert LaMantia
Over a 37-year police career, 11 of them as Lincolnwood police chief, Robert Michael LaMantia, of Wheeling, earned a reputation as a consummate professional and a compassionate leader who stayed in touch with colleagues even after his retirement in 2017. LaMantia died last week at the age of 63 after an 18-month battle with leukemia. Our condolences to his family.
Remembering William Thiel
William Thiel, who died this week at 93, started as a vaudeville entertainer before going on to serve in the Navy, write books, teach university classes and become a respected High School District 211 administrator who helped design Palatine High School. Eastern Illinois University honored him for Lifetime Achievement in 2015. We mourn his loss.