More than just a riverboat

Sean Davis hopes to open the restaurant Mad Maggie's in downtown Elgin this summer. It will feature more than good eats, outdoor seats and live beats. It's another sign that downtown Elgin is coming around and it's not just the casino and Prairie Rock any more. We wish Davis luck.

This is first class?

We appreciate that to keep prices as low as possible, airlines have suspended meal service and charge you a la carte for snacks. But when did it become de rigueur on a four-hour flight from Chicago to Portland, during which the lunch hour passes, to only provide "snack" service for passengers flying first class and paying $1,840 round-trip for the privilege? Furthermore, when asked whether an 89-year-old man with a heart condition could get some assistance stowing his carry-on suitcase in an overhead bin, a member of the flight crew responded: "Flight attendants are no longer required to assist passengers." For that kind of dough and that little service, you'd think you could take your extra-wide seat home with you.

Diplomas and dilemmas

Every year, area high schools send a new crop of graduates into the world. Their accomplishments are worthy of praise, but now more than ever their future seems uncertain. It's difficult to land a job that pays a living wage without a college degree. Yet rising costs of higher education have put a degree out of the reach of many. Parents and students find themselves signing paperwork on huge loans. To complicate matters, a degree is no guarantee of a well-paying job in a shaky economy. We congratulate the class of 2008 and wish them best of luck, but something tells us they'll need more than luck.

Family members saved

Kudos to the Sugar Grove Fire Department, Kane County Sheriff's officers and a Good Samaritan who helped save several dogs, a kitten and a rabbit from a house ablaze last week. A man driving past the home on Harter Road noticed the smoke and got no answer when knocking, so he kicked in the door and rescued several animals without regard for his own safety. When the departments arrived, Kane County Sgt. Branden Gentry and Deputy Denny Wallace went into the house three times to try to save others. A dog and a ferret didn't make it out, but homeowners -- who weren't there at the time -- have these brave men to thank for saving several of their "family members."

Big bill for the boom

Suburbanites have been affected by the downturn in the economy and high gas prices as much as anyone. Here's hoping we can still support the many local festivals scheduled this summer. Maybe families can ride their bicycles or walk rather than drive to an event. Some communities are having trouble lining up sponsors to help pay for festivals, especially for fireworks. Maybe it's time to forgo these flashy and expensive displays where they are not affordable, as much as we love them. Or perhaps communities can pool resources and have joint fireworks shows.

It pays to pay attention

Carpentersville could have collected tens of thousands in much-needed revenue through a $250 fee levied for the retrieval of impounded vehicles. Instead, the law has sat on a shelf for eight months while village officials figured out how to handle the hearing process. Initially, they said they needed an administrative adjudicator before the impound law could be applied. But now, officials say a hearing officer, , easier and cheaper to institute, can take care of disputed tickets. Whichever it is, the village should have ironed out the details before adopting a law only to let it collect nothing but dust. Perhaps if the board wasn't bickering so much, the village would have that revenue.