The Soapbox
Here they come:
With the return of today’s International Festival of Racing, once again Arlington International Racecourse gets a chance to show the world what a first-class facility looks like. And they never disappoint. Whether you’re in the stands or watching on TV, it’s a grand experience.
All about the kids:
The line stretched around the rotunda and outside of Addison’s village hall. People were waiting to offer their condolences to the family of Don Layne, who died at 83. He was a teacher, football coach and principal at Addison Trail High School. After that, he served on the school board. “It was all about the kids,” son Mark Layne said.
More about the kids:
What a nice — and practical — gesture by the Wheaton Rotary Club and other groups. They stuffed 300 new backpacks with school supplies to ensure every student in Wheaton Warrenville District 200 is ready when school starts. Our applause to them and other suburban groups outfitting children for school.
Why fireworks are illegal:
Two recent incidents involving fireworks in the suburbs remind us why there are laws against possession of most fireworks. In one, Arlington Heights police are seeking two men whose explosion burned down a park’s portable bathroom. In the other, a man was injured in a Streamwood blast. It’s best to steer clear of these.
Hope for humanity:
When one of our editors fell hard on a bike path after a collision with a boy on foot last week along Biesterfield Road in Elk Grove Village, at least two people stopped their cars to help. The boy is OK, and the editor was at the hospital in no time. There are good people in the world.
Good luck, Ryno, but ...
Ryne Sandberg, we’re delighted to see your dream of becoming a Major League manager come true in Philadelphia, and we wish you all the best — that is until you bring the Phillies to Wrigley.
How about a little help?
Motorists understand that pedestrians, walkers and cyclists have the right of way. But would it really be that difficult for those of you pedaling and on foot to wear something to make it easier to spot you after dusk? We don’t intentionally just miss you at times. We can’t see you.
What’s old is new:
St. Mary of the Annunciation Church near Mundelein erected a shiny new bell tower this week that features a touch of the past. While the tower has three new bells, it’s also home to a restored bell that dates to 1867. The bells will ring for the first time Oct. 12 to mark a celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary.
Buffalo Grove gets its due:
Nice to see Buffalo Grove on Money magazine’s 2013 list of best small towns to live in. Can’t say as we’ve ever thought of BG as a small town — it seems too sophisticated for that — but at 41,000 people, it falls within Money’s guidelines. We just call it a nice, congenial suburb.
Lone voice:
If East Dundee moves forward with a $3 million plan to modernize and expand its police station, the village board surely will know all the pros and cons — thanks to Trustee Allen Skillicorn. He questions whether the tiny village could contract out space with a nearby town and focus more on saving money or hiring cops.
A scholarship pageant:
If teen beauty pageants aren’t your thing, Miss America’s Outstanding Teen is a concept you might get on board with. We wish the best to 17-year-old violinist Izzy Hanson of Glen Ellyn, who competes nationally this week for an $80,000 scholarship.
Signs summer is fading:
Which one of these makes you feel like the summer went too fast: back-to-school sales, Blackhawks tickets on sale Monday; football schedules everywhere, cooler temps, all of the above? Now where’s that rake?