The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.
This week's Clippable Quote
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein
Thank you for being a friend
Animal shelters in the suburbs and across the nation received a flurry of much-appreciated donations Monday on what would have been cultural icon Betty White's 100th birthday. What a beautiful way to honor "The Golden Girls" star and animal advocate, whose death late last month saddened fans everywhere.
Good work to change creek name
Salute to what is now the Manitou Creek Drainage District for removing the creek's former name that was hurtful to Native Americans. It was really district board member Jim Denomie who led the effort to right a wrong. We don't want to even print the former name here, and we hope signage showing it can be changed quickly.
There will be baseball ... eventually
With no end in sight to the lockout in Major League Baseball, when must a deal be reached between owners and players to start the season March 31? A month of spring training is likely necessary. So, this could last a while. Expect to have expanded playoffs and a universal designated hitter once the millionaires shake hands.
Ending immigrant detention in jails
A federal court has upheld a new state law requiring an end to housing immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the McHenry and Kankakee county jails. Surely, there are better and more appropriate places to house immigration detainees than correctional facilities.
Have they ever been seen together?
Is it just us, or does Arlington Heights' chef Grace Goudie, contestant on the Food Network's "Chopped," look a lot like a younger Reese Witherspoon?
Go, Jimmy G.
Good luck to Arlington Heights native Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers today against the Green Bay Packers. Here's hoping Jimmy can do what the Bears have failed to do countless times, silence "Bears owner" Aaron Rodgers. Who knows, it could be the last time we have to see Rodgers in a Packers uniform.
Ribfest back in DuPage?
After two years of COVID-19 derailing what would be the first Ribfest in Romeoville, news broke this week that the summer tradition may move to the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. It was unfortunate for the festival to leave Naperville in 2019, but if organizers find a way to bring it back to DuPage, that will be a reason to celebrate.
Remembering two front-line heroes
The Aurora Police Department has lost two officers to COVID-19 in less than a week. Officer Brian Shields died on Jan. 11, Sgt. Ken Thurman died Wednesday. Both were just 51 years old. Their deaths are a painful blow to the department, the community and their families and friends. We wish them all strength and comfort.