Soapbox: A new fire chief in Elgin, success in Naperville, resourcefulness in Des Plaines and more.

Kitchen combat

After weeks of competition, the final four have been announced for the Daily Herald's annual Cook of the Week Challenge. Michael Ek of Bartlett, Teresa Fiocchi of Mundelein, Martha Garmon of Palatine and John Hampson of Antioch will face off in a cooking finale Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Itasca. Congrats and good luck to all.

Considerate in the fall

Swirling leaves and damp weather are stirring up allergies and making it harder for those with asthma to breathe. Let's not make it worse with burning leaves and branches in the fall, even if you're in a town where that's legal. Please, bag them, mulch them or let nature takes its course.

Congrats to new fire chief

Elgin, noted for promoting from within, made it official by naming assistant fire chief Dave Schmidt to the top job effective Nov. 18. Schmidt, a 27-year veteran of the Elgin Fire Department, has been second in command for five years and interim chief since August. He's a solid choice to replace the retired John Fahy.

The road to success

Kudos to a parents group and Naperville's Jefferson Junior High for bringing together a panel of six black professionals to speak to 75 teens - including nearly all of the school's 69 black students - about how they can succeed in a variety of businesses despite being different. A cool program that clearly struck a chord.

Do you love L. A.?

As we see the new, wider Jane Addams Tollway taking shape with newly completed, smooth lanes, it's striking how simply ... wide it is. Four lanes wide each way, or even more if you're in a spot with exit lanes such as to the I-290? Have you seen the huge expressways in the Los Angeles area? We're starting to look like that. Hopefully our traffic won't.

U should stop this

Has anybody else noticed an increasing number of drivers in the left-turn lane making quick U-turns on a red light? Not sure what they're thinking, but it doesn't seem like such a wise thing.

Biking over the Addams

An exciting component of the ramp work on Barrington and Roselle roads over the Addams Tollway is a walled-off bike lane on each bridge. Bicyclists and pedestrians have long needed a safer way to get across these bridges, so this is good to see, even if the danger of having to cross new ramps still exists.

Fall classic(s)

There are plenty of Saturday afternoon high school football playoff games as Round 1 of the postseason continues. Even qualifying for this level of play is remarkable achievement, so feel free to support the community by showing up for a great Cubs pregame entertainment option.

Thanks, Des Plaines

Kudos to Des Plaines officials for finally finding a way around the June 2015 state failure to adopt a budget, which put promised buyouts of seven flood-prone homes in limbo. They cut a deal to tap into federal funds instead. Brickbats though to state officials who 15 months later still seem mired in the state's budget crisis.

The real human cost

As time passes, so does attention to that state budget crisis. Life continues normally for most, but not for Des Plaines resident Jim Bataille. He's had to sell the home he bought in anticipation of the flood buyout he'd accepted, cash in his life insurance and borrow from friends to stay afloat. Our thoughts are with him and thousands like him.