Saturday Soapbox

The name game:

Naperville Unit District 203 asks residents to suggest names for the $11 million early childhood center under construction near Huntington Estates. This one's a no-brainer. In June, we called for it to be named after Alan Leis, the former superintendent and driving force behind the center's creation. Call it the Leis Early Childhood Center.

Dialing for dollars:

We believe schools should be cautious when businesses offer a deal, but a proposal for District 214 to allow Verizon Wireless to hide antennas inside new flagpoles looks like a win-win. The schools get $1.5 million over 25 years while the company improves service. And there are no unsightly antennas with "erector-set stuff hanging off of it," as one board member put it.

Politics and religion:

Religion and politics collided when the Mundelein village board declined to reschedule a meeting set for Yom Kippur, saying the only Jewish trustee, Terri Voss, should have brought up the conflict earlier. Perhaps - but now there's plenty of notice to avoid the problem in 2010, when Rosh Hashana begins Sept. 8 and Yom Kippur on Sept. 17.

Not the place for valuables:

Want to preserve memorabilia for an important ceremonial event? You might think about a safe-deposit box rather than a time capsule, based on recent experiences at Randhurst in Mount Prospect and Little City in Palatine. The first appears to be forever lost, while the latter's artifacts emerged damaged by foul-smelling seepage water.

Speaking of Little City:

Congratulations on five decades of providing a home and help to children and adults with disabilities. Thursday's opening of the time capsule took place exactly 50 years after the Palatine campus, founded by a group of dedicated parents, opened its doors with three buildings and 16 residents. Little City now serves about 350 clients.

Make your voice heard:

Students at Elgin Area School District U-46's alternative high school once complained to the school board about getting the same lunches as elementary kids. This week they protested a rusty water fountain that only produces a trickle. A fix was already in the works. But it's still a good example of organizing and making your voice heard.

Smoking hot:

Amid all the GPS trackers, MP3 connections and other modern gadgets, surely there must still be ashtrays in car consoles these days, right? Why then do smokers insist on flicking their still-simmering butts out of their windows? And, if you are nice enough to use the ashtray, please don't open your car door and empty it in some parking lot.

Please pay attention:

Last week, it was a driver searching for a cell phone. This week, it was a motorist who dropped a lit cigarette and ended up submerged 20 feet into a retention pond in Wheaton. Fortunately, Anson Yeganegi of Wheaton happened along and helped the driver escape. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's crack down on distracted motorists is coming not a moment too soon.

Shelter season:

Oct. 1 heralds the start of the emergency shelter season, and officials at groups like PADS expect the need will be high, especially among families. Foreclosures among homeowners and landlords will be to blame. Those of us with a roof overhead must give where we can - our empathy is needed.