Saturday Soapbox: Patience may pay off

It's not easy for school board members to be patient about going to referendum, especially if a district faces the kind of pressing classroom space needs that hamper Barrington Area Unit District 220. All the more noteworthy, then, that District 220 board members have decided not to seek a tax increase in the early February primary. That means they may not go to voters until November 2008, more than a year from now. Board member Jeff Nordquist's explanation that "I want to set ourselves up for success, and I don't think we're ready for that" indicates a laudatory seriousness of purpose and determination to build a compelling case that should serve the board well when it does eventually turn to the voters.

Do you have a, um, Crede jersey?

What a difference less than two years makes in the world of sports merchandising. When the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 you couldn't enter a sporting goods or discount store without encountering a wall of black-and-silver Sox gear. Walk into those same stores today, and you'll see wall after wall and rack after rack of Cubs and Bears attire -- the former team battling for first place and the latter allegedly primed for another Super Bowl run. But stuff for the struggling Sox? The two or three remaining South Side jerseys must be stashed in the stores' basements. Talk about a reversal of fortunes.

He should stay to the end

Congressman Dennis Hastert has sidestepped questions about whether he's going to retire early from office. He should stay, if only to prevent a special election that will cost taxpayers extra money. Hastert is known for his loyalty, serving the public and limiting the burden on taxpayers. He would do all three by serving out the term voters elected him to, while giving everyone a chance to vote in his successor in November, not on some random day after the February primary.

From three to nine

Gov. Rod Blagojevich this week signed into law a series of new restrictions on teen drivers that should serve to make the roads safer for everyone. The most promising of the requirements? That teens hold a driver's permit, allowing them to drive under a licensed adult's supervision, for at least nine months instead of three, as now stipulated. Six additional months of adult-supervised driving should make a big difference in how well-prepared teens are when they venture out on their own.

Watch for students

Most suburban schools have opened their doors for a new year. It's a time of anticipation and excitement as students begin with a clean slate and the opportunity to excel in class and see their friends every day. It's also a time for motorists to be even more watchful than usual. Many students will be walking or riding their bikes to school or standing near the street waiting for their bus to arrive.

Closed cars and kids a bad combo

At county courthouses, sheriff's deputies have taken to riding bicycles through parking lots in an effort to locate children left alone in hot vehicles. A good idea to protect children's health and lives, for sure. But at the same time, what an exasperating use of the sheriff's resources; how can it be that not every adult knows better than to leave youngsters in a closed car on a hot day? But two such cases this summer from suburban courthouses -- one in Markham, one in Bridgeviewˆ½ -- were enough to tell sheriff's officials that they just can't assume basic common sense on the part of all courthouse visitors.