Soapbox: Hot for teachers

Hot for teachers

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials spent nearly $10,000 on gift certificates for teachers and staff that suffered through the start of the school year at elementary schools without air conditioning. According to the Frigidaire Web site, the district could have purchased 50 window-mounted, 8,000-BTU air conditioners for the same amount. They even come with remote controls.

Overdue perk purge

Last week, Wood Dale Fire Protection District trustees voted unanimously to end a longtime and controversial perk -- providing free health insurance to elected officials. Good for them. Now if only other governing units that have the same would follow suit. Taxpayers who have to pay a good deal for their own insurance coverage would appreciate the break of not having to fund free health-care benefits for those who tax them.

Tough trough times

The old cast-iron water trough at Main Street and Crescent Boulevard in Glen Ellyn is a graceful reminder of the past where thirsty horses used to drink from it. But now village leaders are moving the trough to make room for a Christmas tree and may not put it back in January. Officials may create a replica that would be easier to move every year and save the original from wear and tear. Wouldn't it be easier just to have the tree in a different location? And if the trough's showing signs of age, spend the money on figuring how to preserve it instead of re-creating a beloved landmark?

Oh, the places they'll go:

Interest in space flight is skyrocketing for Glenbard East High School students. A 1979 alum, Dan Tani, made his second launch into outer space this week while aboard the shuttle Discovery. The 46-year-old Houston resident will spend eight weeks in space working at the orbital outpost. He also orbited Earth for nearly two weeks in late 2001. At Glenbard East, science chair Jim Carter is using the NASA mission as a way to inspire his students. Certainly, if Tani shows them anything, it's to always reach for the stars and to settle for nothing less.

Warriors in drug war

Congratulations to eight Aurora police officers for excellence in enforcement of drug laws. They have combined to make 179 drug arrests and 24 DUI arrests, and were honored for their work by the Red Ribbon Task Force as part of part of Red Ribbon Week, a national anti-drug initiative started in 1988 in memory of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique Camarena. The officers are: Karie Hill, John Lawson, Jay Ellis, Dave Brian, Doug Rashkow, Dave Sheldon, Joe Thompson and John Gibson.

A Naperville Boston Tea Party?

Naperville is looking at paying for parking garages with a higher tax on food and beverages. If this tax keeps going up, will there come a time when merchants protest by dressing up as Native Americans and dumping cheeseburgers and beers into the river at the Riverwalk?

A promise worth making

Carol Stream library officials this week took the unprecedented step of saying they're done trying to sell voters on a property tax hike. In fact, they said the library won't seek a referendum for permission to fund a new building for at least the next four years. The announcement came after voters overwhelming rejected an April ballot measure. That failed referendum attempt had been the agency's third in the past three years. It's nice to see that a taxing body can accept "no" for an answer.