Saturday Soapbox: Round Lake has a reason to celebrate
Round Lake has set a mark every village in Lake County should try to match. A recent police-controlled sting operation checking liquor establishments to see if they were selling alcohol to minors found no violations. That means each of the 15 establishments checked -- two liquor license holders were closed at the time -- carded the minor police informant attempting to buy alcohol, and none allowed the purchase. That's a big improvement from a year ago in Round Lake, when about half the liquor license holders were cited and punished. It shows businesses and police are working together to make sure alcohol doesn't fall into the hands of minors, where it can lead to addiction, legal problems and traffic fatalities. Now, we need the rest of the liquor establishments in Lake County to show a similar commitment and responsibility.
More on the cougar
This week's shooting of a cougar by Chicago police raises more even more questions about the reports of the large cats prowling around Lake County. Now we know that yes, there really was a cougar in the area. But is the one killed in Chicago the same animal seen in the North suburbs? No one is positive, but experts are reasonably sure it is, since there is no evidence of any breeding in the area. And having one cougar in the Illinois is rare; the odds of having two are infinitesimal. Experts have begun the process of examining the cougar and running DNA and other tests. This should help answer another question: Where did he come from in the first place?
Right move to not waive fees
Lake Zurich said it will not waive roughly $77,000 in fees for a building permit and other services provided to Ela Township for a new township hall project within the village. Township officials are not happy with losing this break from the village. But Lake Zurich says it can't afford to extend this courtesy, given it is facing budget cuts and a hiring freeze because of its grim financial situation. The village said it earlier waived $4,800 of a $5,000 annexation fee for the township's new offices, and still shares resources and equipment with the township. We can understand the township's unhappiness. But the bottom line is that financially-strapped government agencies need to find savings where they can. Lake Zurich rightly is thinking of its taxpayers, who are facing their own economic uncertainties.
Huskies for Hokies
United by chilling tragedy, the Huskies of Northern Illinois University reached out to the also-mourning Hokies of Virginia Tech on the one-year anniversary of their mass campus shooting with a "Huskies for Hokies" candlelight vigil. "We are here tonight to express by our physical presence an intangible bond between two broken hearts," NIU president John Peters said And, with that bond, may there be the start of healing for Huskies and Hokies alike.
Other things to do
Taxpayers have got to be wondering why the McHenry County Board chose to spend time on a purely symbolic resolution opposing any further gun-control measures by the Illinois legislature. Supporters said they jumped into this national debate vs. others because of the benefits the county gets from hunting and other gun-related sporting activities. Huh? Sounds like a load of buckshot to us. Seems this county board has plenty of other, more pressing duties to do on the taxpayer's dime, doesn't it? Like finding solutions to increasing transportation woes?