The Soapbox
Clear enough?
It ought to be at least a little embarrassing that nearly every interaction between the village of Glen Ellyn and the College of DuPage needs to be vetted by a court of law. A DuPage judge this week laid out the parameters within which the village can discuss COD expansion plans. Can we move forward now?
Crimes against canines:
Phillip Rinn’s first jail stint for killing a dog in the 1990s apparently was not a deterrent to future crimes against man’s best friend. The Aurora man was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison for breaking five teeth on a dog by beating it with a broomstick. Now if Rinn doesn’t get the message, maybe others will.
Phew:
Finally, Elgin Area School District U-46, the largest suburban school district in the state, serving 41,000 students in 11 towns, is on track to have a new three-year teacher contract. It’s been a bumpy road. Union members last month voted 2-1 against a proposed deal. On Wednesday, it swung the other way, with members voting 2-1 for a tweaked version of that plan.
Pointing fingers:
It’s easy to blame town officials of past decades for planting only ash trees throughout some neighborhoods. But how were they to know an eco-invasion years later would bring the hungry, devastating emerald ash borer? Hindsight is so very 20/20. Sure, it’s painful to lose mature trees, but let’s be fair.
City of Big Streaks:
What’s with all the big streaks from our sports teams? The Blackhawks had a nine-game winless streak snapped in February, and the Cubs lost 12 in a row before beating the San Diego Padres this week. On the plus side, the White Sox ripped off eight straight wins through Thursday. Who’s next?
Creatures great and small:
Two sports mascots are making their debuts this spring. Coop the Boomer, a prairie chicken, entertains fans at Schaumburg Boomers baseball games, and now Bruiser the Bulldog will greet young fans at Chicago Rush football games. Costumed critters, even goofy ones, we understand, but what’s up with Sky Guy at women’s basketball games?
The finishing touches:
In the just-ended legislative session, most of the attention was on the state’s financial woes (as it should be) and gambling expansion. But some also-noteworthy bills we’ve supported sit on Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk deserving his signature. He should start, as we urged last week, by ending legislative scholarships, a “dinosaur” program, as one lawmaker put it.
Others on our list:
A bill that makes it illegal to sell synthetic drugs in any form. Legislation prompted by the stabbing of an Elgin teacher that takes aim against school violence. A measure that would encourage retailers and the public to recycle plastic shopping bags. C’mon, Governor, put that pen in action.
And this one:
A bill passed by the House and Senate that we’d also like to see become law would add a surcharge at strip clubs to help fund rape crisis centers. The extra cash would help restore funding that has been dwindling in recent years.
The kindness of strangers:
We often praise those folks who will “give you the shirt off their backs.” How about a word for not one but two donors providing a kidney to Carpentersville’s Nahan Saavedra, a 3-year-old boy they never met? Worth noting: the latest donor, Kalin Koychev of Wheeling, was the best match among 50 people — yes, 50 — who offered to help.