Saturday Soapbox

Every little bit helps:Parents in Mundelein High School District 120 got a bit of wallet-friendly news this week when the school board voted not to increase fees for student extracurricular activities, driver ed or basic registration. With the economy still weak and many families struggling, let's hope this is a trend followed by many more districts.Dear Dan Proft:You're hysterical, but we're not voting for best comedian.Simplicity may be right path:After all the contention over how ComEd has trimmed/butchered (depending on your point of view) trees along the venerable Illinois Prairie Path, could the solution be as simple as the one suggested by DuPage County Board member Jeff Redick? When trees threaten to grow into power lines, chop them down - but replace them with trees and brush that won't grow as tall as the overhead lines. We haven't heard the last of this debate, but wouldn't it be nice if something this simple could solve most of the problems?Christmas is over:Take 'em down. You know who you are and what we're talking about.It's not just about the cookies: This is the time of year when visions of Thin Mints and Samoas dance in our heads. Girl Scout cookies are yummy and benefit a great cause. But the real purpose of the sale is to teach young girls skills in marketing, money management and responsibility. We urge parents who help by selling cookies or any other goodies at work to creatively involve their kids in some way. Perhaps the youngsters could deliver the treats themselves, or write thank-you notes to their customers.Thinking of others first:To the Elgin man who heard a house across the street from him explode Tuesday night and whose first instinct was to run into the burning shell and rescue a mother and her 8-year-old: Thank you. You'll probably get an earful from some who say you weren't equipped or trained to do so, but we imagine that really wasn't on your mind at the time. Heroism comes in all shapes and forms. But laying your life on the line, as you did, is about as good as it gets.Another kind of hero:Bruce Johnson of Elgin isn't sprinting into a burning building. But he is running - more than a marathon a day, every day, for the next few months - to complete his trip from Florida to California. Why? To raise money for the Community Crisis Center, which in turn helps people who are in, well, crises of many forms. You're a hero, too, Bruce.Small and mighty:Students at Emmons School in Antioch recently collected $500 for a local veteran to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C. Other schoolwide efforts have raised funds for Toys for Tots, orphans in Africa and a young cancer patient in the area. For a school with an enrollment of only 350, that's making quite a difference.Donate, but do it carefully:Perhaps you've heard about the new way to give money to the Haitian earthquake relief effort. By texting "HAITI" to "90999," for instance, $10 will go to the Red Cross and will be charged to your cell phone bill. It's a great tool but reminds us that spongers may see the tragedy as an opportunity to scam those trying to help. Please be careful where you send your money.