The Soapbox: Brief thoughts from Daily Herald editors on suburban topics of interest
This week's Clippable Quote
"To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do." - John Adams
Happy birthday, Hosea
Hosea C. Paddock, long the spiritual patriarch who coined the colorful aim that still appears daily on this page, was born 171 years ago today.
Welcome back, prep sports
Buckle up those chin straps, sports fans, prep sports kick off Monday with the start of fall practice for football, girls volleyball, boys soccer, golf, cross country, girls tennis and girls swimming. We might not be ready for school to start, but we're definitely excited about prep sports returning.
We guess it's August now
We wrote here last week how parents weren't ready yet to get their kids ready for the return of school. Now that the calendar has turned to August, we see events being held like the "Back to School Bash" in South Elgin, open to all students of any school or even home-schooling. It was basically a festival for kids. That's one way to ease the transition.
Happy Halloween?
But if you thought it was too early to get ready for school, how about Halloween? Our Steve Zalusky reported about openings, already, of Halloween specialty stores, because fans of the holiday start shopping early. They have the side benefit of filling empty storefronts throughout the suburbs. So maybe it's not such a frightening phenomenon.
Also arriving early
Apparently it's also time for ... pumpkin spice anything. The so-flavored lattes were already on offer even before we hit August (in 80-degree weather? Well, sure, we all enjoy a lovely hot beverage anytime). Not to mention baked goods and a host of other things. Is it time to just admit that some people want pumpkin spice stuff all year round?
Don't Lollagag; take Metra
If you or a loved one is heading into Chicago for Lollapalooza, find a way to leave your car at home and take the train in. It's truly the way to really fly, and it's a great way to people watch. Looking for a parking spot downtown is nothing short of nightmarish.
Leave it to the experts
Kane County officials are working to determine how they will spend at least the first $1 million of the settlement funds from various ongoing opioid lawsuits. The county committee controlling the money includes law enforcement and public health officials. Having a panel of experts make the decisions is the right approach.
Go, Cubs, go,
Just when it looked like it would be a dreary end to the baseball season on both sides of town, the Cubs have roared back into the playoff race since the All-Star break. Looks like fans on the North Side will have a pennant race to pay attention to as the calendar flips to September. For South Siders, well, there is always the Bears.