Tri-Cities soap box
High marks
It's always nice to get a compliment when you don't expect it. That's the case with Sugar Grove, which was featured as one of the nation's most affordable suburbs by Business Week magazine recently. It was selected as one of 50 such communities nationwide and the only one in Illinois. The village deserves kudos for all of its attributes, to be sure, and it can only help when the village is trying to attract more retail and other types of development to the area.
Danger not far away
We Midwesterners can talk all we want about the benefits of living in an area where natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes won't strike. But the terror of tornadoes hit home to some McHenry County residents this week, and it's a reminder to all of us to pay attention to this type of severe weather and know what to do when it hits. Even in the middle of winter.
Meet the Challenge
Gifted programs aren't always the most popular expenditures for school districts, with some questioning if kids of high aptitude really need extra attention. But such programs are essential, and it's good that key officials in the Batavia school district are recommending ways to increase the program's prominence. Let's hope the administration and board can find a way to keep the funding on a consistently strong level and build awareness among parents and teachers.
Hopefully not a futile gesture
How things have changed. This week we saw city councils in and around Batavia urge the federal government to restore the funding level for Fermilab, which is facing serious budget cuts. The facility had requested $372 million for fiscal 2008, but instead stands to get just $320 million in the federal budget. But think back to a couple of years ago, when a certain U.S. House Speaker who had an office in Batavia was able to twist the arms of Washington decision-makers to keep the tap running. Now, with no congressman in the district for the time being, the resolutions from the city councils are a noble effort, but we'll see if anyone listens.
A sports alternative
Are you a Chicago professional sports fan? Is your frustration level boiling over? Now is the time to follow your local high school or youth sports team. Nothing against the pros, per se, but with the Blackhawks and Bulls following the Bears' frustrating season with inconsistent ones of their own, and with major state-based college basketball teams having a tough year, you need a break. Cheer for kids you may or may not know who are playing for the love of the game. A game … that's what it is, right?
Expensive dreaming
St. Charles School District 303 is considering dropping class sizes in kindergarten through third grade to 13-to-17 students. Smaller class sizes do enhance learning. But we can't wait to see the reaction when beleaguered taxpayers figure out how much that will cost them in additional classrooms and teachers.
Stay alert
Aurora residents can stay on top of crime news by signing up for alerts at citizenobserver.com. The free system gives regular updates on missing people, crime trends and more. It's a simple way for police and people to stay in contact. And Chief William Powell, unlike some other police chiefs, sees the value of getting news out quickly. "Not a single crime has ever been solved without information from the public," he said. "This gives me thousands of more detectives."