Soapbox: Words hardly suffice
Adequate words truly fail in expressing condolences to longtime political fixture Jim Ryan and his wife, Marie, on the death by apparent suicide of their son Patrick. Ten years ago, the Ryans lost 12-year-old daughter Annie to a brain tumor. Jim and Marie have battled serious health issues themselves. We can only echo state Sen. John Millner, who poignantly summed up: "My heart goes out to them. They're just good, honest people who have endured well beyond what any family should have to experience."
Upset -- and disrespectful
As expected, abortion protesters packed Aurora City Council chambers this week, giving Mayor Tom Weisner a lengthy tongue-lashing for allowing Planned Parenthood to open. We know protesters are angry. But this doesn't give them cause to create the commotion that they did. Several people even yelled out comments while aldermen discussed an issue unrelated to Planned Parenthood, prompting the police chief to threaten to kick them out if disruptions continued. People can dissent while still showing respect for civility in the public forum.
Political micromanaging
We can understand objections to spending $127,000 to refurbish Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner's office. But some of the protesting seems to smack more of political grandstanding than fiscal responsibility. Aldermen opposing the expenditure include Weisner's opposition in the prior election. It has been 22 years since the area was renovated. If the price tag seems steep, perhaps aldermen should suggest adding more to the preventive maintenance budget.
Still left looking up
Nice of Edward Hospital to decide to build 60-foot wall 30 feet from a residential property line instead of a 120-foot wall, in its latest proposal to the city council regarding a future expansion to the south. We're sure residents are happy with knowing this would mean they'd just have to adjust their neck angle downward to see what's going on in the world.
Dist. 204 should talk to the Cubs
Maybe there's a way Indian Prairie Unit District 204 can extract itself from the debacle of having to spend more than double what it had budgeted for land for a new high school. Try to sell all 55 acres to the Cubs. Its sales pitch? You haven't won a World Series out of Wrigley Field for 99 years. So try a stadium in the suburbs. Or maybe a better place for a Cubs ball field is in the Elmhurst stone quarry. That would be an appropriate place for a team that always seems to hit rock bottom.
Good choice for second-in-command
Congratulations to Gregory Thomas, who has just been appointed as Aurora's new deputy police chief. Thomas is most qualified for this position. He knows the city and law enforcement -- he started as a cadet with the city's police department in 1978. And he has received awards for distinguished service. We wish him success.
Too hot to run
It wasn't just runners in the Chicago Marathon who found themselves sickened by the heat. Six high school athletes were hospitalized with heat-related illnesses and several others were treated at a cross country race last Saturday in Sugar Grove. Runners from Marmion, Naperville Central and Rosary competed in the race. And just like the marathon, this race was called off early because it was too dangerous to continue. Good decision, but also a lesson for the future -- don't run these high school cross country races when you know what the intense heat is going to do to runners who are trained to push themselves hard.