Soapbox: Not good enough
In what he apparently considers a magnanimous decision, Kane County Republican Party Chairman Dennis Wiggins has taken a leave of absence from his chairmanship until the day after the Feb. 5 primary. Why? Because he's on the payroll of state Sen. Chris Lauzen, who is running for the GOP nod in the 14th District U.S. House race. Not hard to imagine why other Republicans seeking the same nod weren't too happy. But surely Wiggins can't believe a leave of absence is good enough. Money buys loyalty and his loyalty now lies with Lauzen, not county Republicans in general. He should step down permanently.
Silly law; silly lawsuit
It takes a highly elastic imagination to fathom just how the constitutional rights of Buffalo Grove atheist Robert Sherman or his daughter might be harmed by a newly required moment of silence in Illinois public schools. Nonetheless, if those who sponsored or voted for this pointless law claim that they never envisioned legal tests, then they really should not be allowed anywhere near a statehouse voting button again. The law and the Shermans' lawsuit compel High School District 214 to waste time and money to defend a law it didn't even seek. One more bit of evidence that state lawmakers really botched matters by refusing to be satisfied with an existing law that allowed, but did not require, a moment of silence to start the school day.
They rue the day Ruh is not at school
Let's hear it for one of the real unsung heroes of any school -- the custodian. And let's hear it for Fred Ruh, who is retiring after helping open Hoover-Wood Elementary School in Batavia seven years ago. Before coming to Hoover-Wood, Ruh was at Alice Gustafson. That was after he retired as the South Elgin postmaster. As a tribute to Ruh, staff and students on Wednesday donned Ruh gear (they dressed up as Ruh, complete with blue jeans, polo shirt and beard). "He's everybody's best friend," art teacher Andrea Tyszkiewicz said. "He's got a heart of gold," secretary Cynthia Teegarden added. Truer words were never spoken.
And this time he means it!
When federal Judge Michael Mason again extended the deadline for discovery in the discrimination lawsuit filed against Elgin School District U-46, you could almost feel residents groan. The district has already spent more than $3 million to defend itself and Mason has yet to rule on whether the suit will become a class action. In June, Mason extended discovery (trading of evidence) until Nov. 1. Now it's been extended to Nov. 29, more than a year after discovery began. Mason told the parties he'd brook no extension after that date. We're pretty certain residents footing the legal bills are hoping he means it this time.
Way to go, Dustin!
There have been plenty of notable athletes to come out of the Tri-Cities. But how many can say they won a medal in an international competition? Powerlifter Dustin Dickens of Elburn won four -- a gold and three bronze -- at the Special Olympics Summer World Games in China last month. Dustin's remarkable story just got even better.
This makes sense
Longtime residents likely marvel at how far Delnor-Community Hospital has come in recent years. Another significant step was officially announced this week, when the Geneva hospital said it would ask the state for permission to conduct open-heart surgeries. The hospital has been preparing for this for quite a while, and the Tri-Cities area has grown enough over the years to merit this type of service nearby.