The Soapbox: Fairs, pets and dragonflies

Let's break ground now:

If you were among the 14,000 people at the Elgin Sports Complex last weekend, the single entrance/exit makes leaving the parking lot feel like perpetual rush hour. The city is talking about adding a second access point off Route 31. Stop talking and start moving dirt.

Meanwhile, safety first:

As the City of Elgin contemplates expansion of the sports complex, we suggest addressing some safety issues. Now used more for fastpitch softball, the opportunity is ripe for more people to be hit by foul balls. Better backstops and netting should be considered.

Hardly kids' toys:

Before you reprimand your kids for not putting their Legos away, check out artist Sean Kenney's exhibit at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. It's called “Nature Connects: Art with Lego Bricks” and it features 13 sculptures made with the plastic bricks. It'll make you rethink the definition of “kids' toys.”

Summertime tradition:

Pie-eating contests, bucking broncos, demolition derbies, cones of sticky cotton candy — nothing beats an old-fashioned good time at the county fair. Take a break, become a kid again! DuPage County Fair ends Sunday; Lake County Fair starts Wednesday; McHenry County Fair begins Aug. 5.

Dog days of summer:

“Hot dogs are for BBQ's. Don't leave dogs in a hot car.” That municipal-board message is a good one to keep in mind during what's the hottest time of the season. In fact, it's always good to check whatever might be left behind in the baking sun.

What's the impact?

Progress is being made in the effort to better monitor and understand the recovery process after a high school athlete has suffered a concussion. What isn't yet clear is whether better awareness and treatment will be enough to stop the trend of fewer athletes competing in sports where concussions are common.

And the Emmy goes to ...

The suburbs were well-represented when Emmy nominations were announced this week, starting with former Naperville resident and best dramatic actor nominee Bob Odenkirk of AMC's “Better Call Saul.” Congrats to all — and good luck.

Traffic congestion

Sat in four lanes of crawling traffic while going through the “open tolling” on I-294 south, while a scant amount of cars zoomed through the multi-lanes of cash booths. Time to consider a change?

One person at a time:

Congratulations to the Arlington Heights Police Department for making its first heroin overdose save this week. Officers a few months ago were trained in how to administer naxolone, which is now in all squad cars. They used it Tuesday on a 19-year-old woman who was nearly dead.

Note to Sox GM Rick Hahn:

It's garage sale season. Time to sell all your unwanted junk.

Let the dragonflies fly:

The Hine's emerald dragonfly is making DuPage, Cook and Will counties home. This isn't the emerald ash borer or an annoying wasp; it is on the endangered species list, bred in controlled environments. Only 50 are being released in Illinois. Be careful what you swat at.

Remembering Marianne Scott:

We wish comfort to the family of Marianne Scott of Palatine, who died Sunday at age 95. The paper's women's editor back in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, she made her mark on our society and club coverage and on the community.