The Soapbox: Brief thoughts from Daily Herald editors on suburban topics of interest
This editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
Today's clippable quote
"You may not always have a comfortable life. And you will not always be able to solve all the world's problems all at once. But don't ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own." - Michelle Obama
We're all on Team Yates
Highly regarded Fremd girls basketball coach Dave Yates recently was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. The community has rallied around him, and a fundraiser dubbed HoopsFest, which involves a 2-ball tournament, skills camps, an alumni game and raffles, is set for 1:30 Sunday at the Palatine high school. For information, visit https://yateshoopsfest.wixsite.com/my-site-1.
Chirping for cricket
Pickleball may be all the rage when it comes to trendy sports sweeping the suburbs, but let's also give some love to cricket. Vernon Township recently did, when it announced plans to build a cricket pitch this spring in Buffalo Grove. The move provides not only another recreational opportunity in the Northwest suburbs, but also a cultural one.
So much for the firehouse chili
Rolling Meadows leaders had been looking forward to the opening of a new restaurant in a former downtown firehouse, but plans were scrapped after it was determined economic conditions weren't right for the project envisioned more than a year ago. The city now is looking another year into the future for results of a Kirchoff-area study, but welcomes other proposals.
Welcoming winged royalty
The Garden Club of Lake Zurich aims to lure more endangered monarch butterlies to the suburbs with a new habitat specifically designed to attract them. The project opened this week at the Ela Area Public Library, an admirable joint effort of garden club volunteers and the library.
Al fresco season is here!
As the weather warms up, there may be nothing better than eating outside. And more and more suburban restaurants are offering patios so people can dine al fresco. Whatever the reason for the trend, al fresco dining is more popular than ever and is a great way to enjoy your favorite foods and the beautiful weather while it's here.
Concert season, too!
OK, so summer music - outdoor as well as indoor - is also terrific. In addition to large events like Lollapalooza and Pitchfork, the suburbs offer numerous opportunities for country, rock, folk and all other styles of music entertainment. For a sampling from Daily Herald music writer Brian Shamie, see https://www.dailyherald.com/entlife/20230518/hot-days-hot-mics-music-festivals-getting-set-to-fill-the-summer-with-tunes.
What the heck, find it all
It's almost here! Our Summer Fun guide listing as many festivals, fairs, outdoor concerts, movies in the park, county fairs, art shows and more as we could find happening through September prints on Sunday, May 21. This is something you'll want to keep and refer to all summer. For the latest updates on events, check dailyherald.com/entertainment.