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The Soapbox

Secret to a long life:

Alice Jensen of Arlington Heights and Irene Cook of Addison have been close friends for 95 of their 100 years on earth. So, what is the secret to the longevity of their relationship? “I always look for the better side of people. I don’t look for faults,” Alice told us. “That’s what we built our friendship on.” Definitely words to live by.

So many questions, so few answers:

An overflow crowd turned out with a long list of questions at an informational forum we held in Schaumburg this week on the new health care mandates. Whether you favor or oppose Obamacare, one thing is clear: The execution of it has left a lot to be desired.

Cold case:

Is it just us, or is the FBI turning over coordination of the 3-decades-old Tylenol murders case to local authorities the same as saying, “We give up”?

How we’ll remember Paulie:

When we think of the Bulls championships, we think of Michael Jordan smoking cigars and demeaning Jerry Krause. When we think of the White Sox in 2005, we think of Paul Konerko giving Jerry Reinsdorf the ball from the last out in the World Series. Sunday may be Konerko’s last game with the Sox. But it won’t be his last day as a class act.

Fair and open dialogue:

We recognize Elgin Community College’s description of colleges being institutions that encourage and foster important and controversial conversations like William Ayers’ presentation this week. But we hope that means ECC, and other institutions that support this philosophy, is equally eager to host controversial speakers from the opposite side of the political spectrum.

Alcohol crackdown:

We’re not naive enough to think a new rule is going to rid a college campus of alcohol, but we salute Benedictine University for enacting a policy ordering all students to rid their rooms of alcohol. A college vice president denied the action was spurred by a false report of two rapes in a dorm last week, but the new policy can only be a good thing.

Have you registered?

Almost one in four eligible Americans is not registered to vote. Are you one of them? Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day. There’s still plenty of time in Illinois, but before you know it the primary election will be here. A good place to start is www.elections.il.gov.

Better safe than sorry:

While school has been back in session for a month now, it’s never too late for these reminders: Slow down and leave your cellphone alone in school zones. Too many motorists ignore both of these laws. How about some safety first when it comes to our children?

Not ready to dive in:

Plans to bring Lake Michigan water to Wauconda hit a snag this week after the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency broke off talks. The reason? Wauconda wanted more time to explore all options, and agency clearly had grown weary of waiting. Residents will be anxiously watching, considering they voted in 2012 to approve the village’s $50 million plan for the project.

Suburban innovation:

There are a lot of innovators who come from the suburbs, but not many of them have the reach of Lisa Ballantine’s work. Through her nonprofit, the Elk Grove Village woman created sustainable water filters for use in Third World countries. The prestigious Energy Globe Award she received for it was well deserved.

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