The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.
Take heed
"Stay safe" applies to more than traffic this long Labor Day weekend. The governor issued a warning Thursday, but it's really just common sense as COVID-19 infections continue to rise. Sure, we all want a great holiday weekend, but let's not turn celebrating into a setback. Wear masks. Avoid large gatherings. Social distance. Stay safe.
Not just mailing it in
You have to give a lot of credit to the "singular" rally recently in front of the Schaumburg post office. All alone, she walked the sidewalk on busy Schaumburg Road, holding her handwritten poster that read "Save The Post Office." It's a key issue thrust into these unique and trying times, and she wanted her voice to be heard.
Where the cars roam?
More people working from home. Most kids not actually back in school buildings yet. Not much visiting to do. Are the suburbs the land of the automobile anymore? Certainly we're still seeing plenty of vehicles on the road still, and of course there's still a rush hour. But we're not all quite living in our cars right now, are we?
Yet we have to keep them moving
Apparently we have to keep our vehicles moving like we have to keep our bodies moving. Anybody living on or near a road with any kind of traffic can hear it: The rubbing or grinding sound of rusty brakes. It happens if they're not being used for a time. Just a heads up: Not using your vehicles could create costly problems later.
What are they waiting for?
So far, less than a third of Cook County's 130 municipalities have filed for a share of $429 million available in coronavirus aid. The money can be used to help buy PPE, technology to help employees work remotely, office shields and more. Towns better hurry. They have until Sept. 30 to apply or the money will go elsewhere.
Saving turtles
Blanding's turtles are endangered in Illinois but got a boost this week when some nurtured at Brookfield Zoo and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum were introduced into the marshes of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. An ecologist said this is the third generation of reintroduced turtles. "They're all special, really," he said.
Big Ten politics
We were wondering why is the president worked up about Big Ten football? Why the Big Ten? Why not, say, the Pac-12? And then it hit us. Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania.
This week's Clippable Quote
"It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage that we move on to better things." - Theodore Roosevelt.
Wakanda forever
Along with fans across the globe, we were deeply saddened last week by the death of Chadwick Boseman. He was a wonderful actor who took on the roles of legends Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall before becoming Marvel's "Black Panther." What an extraordinary legacy.
Remembering Bob Rohrman
Bob Rohrman's chief accomplishment in business was satisfying thousands of auto buyers through the stable of auto dealerships that bear his name, but he also worked his way into the consciousness of everyone in the Chicago area with warm, funny and personable TV commercials that gave us that lasting auditory memory - Bob ROARRRR-man. We'll miss him and offer our condolences.