The Soapbox: Community schools in West Chicago, bus-route relief in Barrington, a life of service in Lake Zurich and more
Safe riding:
By awful coincidence, three suburban residents died recently in separate ATV accidents. The off-road four-wheelers are fun, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission says 385 people died using them in 2014. You can find safety guidelines, like wearing helmets and keeping kids under 16 off the vehicles, at cpsc.gov.
West Chicago's community schools:
Congratulations to West Chicago Elementary District 33 on the kickoff of its "community schools" concept. With Currier School open to families four days a week, parents can drop in and use such services as fitness and nutrition classes, finance or career advice - all under one appropriate roof.
Women and surgery:
Here's another world women have yet to conquer: medical surgery. With women accounting for fewer than one in five surgeons, St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates held a hands-on tech event to build excitement among women for science careers. Smart move for all involved.
A thank you to District 211:
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 is emphasizing its efforts to encourage more minority and low-income students to find success through AP tests, its Excel program and college enrollment. In a thank-you letter, a recent grad credited the district's work for his admission to University of Illinois. Let's hope for hundreds more like him.
Bus-route relief:
Not only might students at Barrington District 220's middle schools see later start times next year, they can stay at their current schools in the process. It had looked like the start times might require busing changes affecting boundaries, but thanks to new software, officials found those won't be needed. Now, the students and their parents can sleep longer - and well.
Protecting our protectors:
Many of us rightly worry about the safety of our police officers. But what about their canine companions? Seven students from Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove made it their mission to see that Puma, Palatine's police dog, is as safe as his human partner. They raised $800 to buy Puma a bulletproof vest. Great work!
Lessons from a student:
Cari Cesarotti, a Naperville resident studying physics at Cornell University, was a summer intern studying dark matter at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland and France. Not only is she unraveling mysteries of the universe, she's showing students how to seize opportunities and to look for solutions to problems that seem unanswerable. Impressive.
Supporting a rival:
The Naperville North boys golf team and all the Naperville North community are supporting 2015 Naperville Central graduate Justin Wegner, who is fighting cancer. The team raised $5,000 during a recent match to help pay Justin's medical bills, with $1,500 coming from one golfer. Great to see such support from the community, regardless of the uniform.
A life of ministry:
More than 40 years after starting Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, the Rev. James Scudder and his wife, Linda, have retired. His church's mission went beyond traditional Sunday service to reach and help as many people as possible. Here's to a relaxing, well-earned retirement.