The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.

More treats than tricks

For the first time in three years, Halloween looks to be getting back to somewhat normal for trick or treaters. Two years ago, quiet because of blizzard. Last year, quiet because of COVID. Expecting to see more children out Sunday, so let's be on the lookout to keep our little ghosts and goblins safe.

This week's Clippable Quote

"The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past, the more we've come to need Halloween." - horrors fiction editor Paula Guran

Head of the class

Kudos to Fremd High School's Mike Karasch, named Engineering Teacher of the Year by the Indianapolis-based Project Lead The Way. Vince Bertram, president of the nonprofit, summed it well: "Teaching is hard ... People who stand out are pretty obvious." Congratulations, Mr. Karasch.

Leaving so soon, superintendent?

Libertyville Elementary District 70 Superintendent Matt Barbini will not seek an extension after his contract expires in June. He started in 2019 after a search that lasted more than a year. One-year search, three-year tenure, and now a new search must begin.

A surprise, or not

Barbini says he will pursue "professional opportunities" outside District 70. It wasn't clear if that surprised the school board, but we know school administrators have faced a lot of heat over return-to-school, masking and vaccination decisions. It shouldn't be surprising that some take their talents elsewhere.

Mandates and choices

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson is defying a governor's mandate requiring masks indoors in public buildings. Johnson, a vaccination supporter, says people should be allowed to choose whether to wear masks. We just have to ask, do the people who may become infected by non-mask wearers get any choice in the matter?

Why not wait?

Johnson points to encouraging local health data and asks why the government hasn't lifted the mandate yet. The governor points out that he's already had to reinstitute the mandate once and just wants to be sure. That's not an unreasonable approach. How much better off we'd be if our leaders would at least send a consistent message.

And by the way

A couple months ago we expressed our happiness that, in spite of our concerns about Elk Grove Village making masks optional for its summer festivals, the events appear to have come off safely. We can only hope we'll have a similar opportunity in a few months.

Best towns

Congrats, Elmhurst, Wheaton, Park Ridge, Glen Ellyn and Highland Park for being named among the 100 best small cities in America. Can WalletHub really rank towns objectively? We love them for their charm, so we'll take it.

Another victim is identified

The announcement that, more than four decades after he was murdered, another victim of John Gacy has been identified is a credit to modern technology, closure for the man's family and a sad reminder of the lasting pain the serial killer wrought.

The victim was more than a name

Francis Wayne Alexander, who was 21 or 22 when he was killed, would be 66 if he were alive today. Virtually all of his adulthood was stolen from him.