The Heart of Elmhurst

This article hits to the heart of why we live here.

Hateful Bastards!

In general, I try to be a fairly tolerant person. My basic motto is, "live and let live." If what you're doing doesn't harm me or my family, well, carry on.

However, there are those in this world - in this country - and now, in this town - who believe that they have the God-given right to decide Not only what's best for all of us, but what's right and what's wrong. And best of all (yes, I am saying that facetiously), they believe they - and only they - have a direct pipeline from God, a stamped card allowing them alone to say what He wants.

Yup, those people (I'm not going to identify them - follow the link) were in town this week, protesting and picketing the funeral of Sgt. Joe Vanek, who was killed in Iraq. Why were they standing alone south York Road with signs? Because they believe - no, they know! - that God wants out sons and daughters (and fathers and mothers) to die in Iraq due to our tolerance of homosexuality.

Their God is a hateful, spiteful, non-tolerant God - obviously, not the same Christian God that many of us acknowledge. Their God preaches hate. Preaches exclusion. Preaches ego and self-importance.

I wish they would stay in Kansas, and let Christians (and Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, etc.) who believe in peace and harmony and the innate goodness of humans live as we wish.

I'm generally tolerant. But for these people, these hateful, spiteful asshats . . .

Stay the hell out of Elmhurst. We do not want you here.

Attention High School Athletes

If you are a high school athlete intent on playing your sport for a D1 college, or have a child who wants to play a D1 sport, read this.

DO NOT sign a Letter of Intent without legal advice.

Progress?

Driving down, I think it was, Arlington Avenue the other day. Center of town - about a block north of the train tracks. See a house on the west side of the street - a really nice older house, farmhouse-style. Two 0r three stories (couldn't really tell for sure, as I wanted to pay attention to my driving), wrap-around porch, large lot - in other words, a beautiful old farmhouse. Gorgeous.

Except for the sign in front - the sign posted by the builder that's selling the house as a tear down.

A tear down??

I can see small houses, those ranches with a single-car garage, houses that have a terrible layout, houses that have a single bedroom, no room to build on, nothing really promising a future - - but this? This was a big, old, stately house in the center of town. It's a house that I would seriously consider buying as-is. It's a house that has character, style, substance, heart.

Yes, yes, I know, I've never been in it. It could be falling down, cracked walls, termites - sure, it could be a wreck.

But how many houses of that type, in the center of Elmhurst (in the area of property logged as estates) are left to fall into ruin? It might be a tired house, but is it really past the point of repair?

It's the exact type of house that Bob Villa would swoop into and restore. It's exactly the type of house that, if I had the wherewithal, I too would buy and restore.

But no. Instead, be ready for the next McMansion, the next cookie-cutter brick house that sits on 90% of the land, leaves no yard, and could be found in any city or town in the state? Be ready for a little more of the character of Elmhurst to fade away.

Be ready for more beautiful houses to be razed to make way for generic structures built by greed and myopia.

I love Elmhurst. But sometimes I hate Elmhurst.

St. Peter's Sleep Out

We're pretty lucky to live in DuPage county, and in Elmhurst in particular. That's why it's so refreshing seeing a church like St. Peter's acknowledging the fact that, yes, there are homeless people in this area. By holding a youth "Sleep Out Saturday" recently, they brought attention to the fact that among the million dollar homes and shiny BMWs there are also over 3000 homeless people in DuPage. And, of those, over 40% are children.

Homelessness is a rel issue that needs attention. It's more than people who have substance abuse problems; it's more than elderly; it can happen to anyone. both parents lose their jobs, after a few months the money runs out, the house payments can't be made - boom, suddenly people who were "living large" have nowhere to go.

There are shelters throughout DuPage County - one of the best organizations providing shelter is PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter). They operate a shelter in Villa Park throughout the autumn, winter, and spring months, but it's not enough. That's why the efforts of St. Peter's, and the teens who participated, is so important.

Help when and where you can.

York Parent-Teacher Conferences - Part 2

Okay, after the initial screw up, York had a solid "Plan B" in place.

Automated phone calls at 6:30 Sunday eveningn let parents know that the on-line system was down, and that live registration would begin at 7:00pm in the fieldhouse. My wife immediately left for the school.

She arrived to find order and assistance. And, about 200 other parents. Anyway . . . the staff at York had tables and registration materials in place; had schedules for all the students printed and available, so parents could make sure they saw the correct teachers; had people directing the parents as to where to go; and had all this done before a single person arrived.

It tells me three things.
1) York really had no faith in their on-line registration system. If they had, then Plan B would not have been put into place before Plan A failed.
2) York has plenty of parents that care about their kids. Like I said, over 200 parents were their before 7:00 to sign up for conferences. That means they all got the call, dropped what they were doing, and went to York. impressive.
3) Finally, York needs to start now in finding a stable, workable on-line registration system for next year. Don't wait. Do it now.

So kudos, York, for pulling a success out of a massive failure.

York Parent-Teacher Conferences

This is a major clusterfuck.

first, the on-line registration crapped out on Thursday, when registration was to begin. Emails went out letting us parent know that on-line registration would be rescheduled for Sunday at 6:00pm. So here we are, my wife and I, trying like hell to get in on Sunday evening. Two computers, one for each child. Here's what we get.

Girl-student - - log in, get to her teachers, click on a time, get an error message. Try to use the back button: error message. Long pause. Re-try the button. More Microsoft error. So, go back to log in again. Manage to do this, get back to the teachers' schedules - and two of the teachers are already completely filled.

So try with another teacher. Click on the time - and get an error message.

Okay, fine, the system's hosed. Call the school.

Why no, we're told, everything's working just fine. There will be a delay in the response, due to the amount of people trying to register. Please be patient, and keep trying. oh, and have a nice day, and thanks for calling (yes, she did say this).

So we try again. This time, we can't even get to the portal to get the kid's teachers. At 6:15 we give up.

Thanks, York, for making it not only difficult, but stressful, annoying, and frustrating to talk to the teachers about how the kids are doing. You've done a fine job of demonstrating how not to handle an on-line registration. You constantly talk about how it's important for the parents to work with the teachers, then make it impossible to do so.

I'll be so damned glad when they graduate. This is fucked up beyond belief.

Halloween Eve

So, what's happening . . . .

York beats Currie 35-12 last week to open the Class 8A football playoffs. Next game Friday, against Glenbard North. Question: If York is seeded 6, and GN is seeded 14, why is it at GN? I thought the higher seed was always home?

McNally's is morphing into Finn McCool's, a chain restaurant. I'll withold any comment until I see what happens. Just please, don't go generic on us.

Halloween tomorrow night. Stocked up on candy, waiting for the costumed munchkins to start ringing the bell anytime after 3:30. Has anyone else noticed over the last few years the number of big kids trick-or-treating? I mean, BIG kids - like, high school age, driving age, kids taller than me. I've always held the belief that if you can pay for your own candy, you shouldn't be out with the 4-year-olds going door-to-door.

My neighborhood is tucked away in a corner of town, so we really don't see too many kids, other than those within the two or three block radius. We do have about a dozen teenagers, and it seems as though they always show up, bag in hand, sometime around 8:00. Costume? Nothing more than a sweatshirt and wig, with maybe some dirt on the face.

No one for revisionist history, but I don't remember going trick-or-treating once I hit my teens. And when I did go in my younger years, I always had a decent costume - something that was visually descriptive and fun and easy to discern.

Aw, heck, I'm getting old.

York Underpass

So the school district and the city have decided that an underpass below St. Charles Road at York High School wouldn't be a good idea. Nope, a way for pedestrians to avoid the traffic - not good.

Favorite line, from District 205 President Marta Davy: District 205 might have fully supported the concept "if we thought it was the magic bullet that would take care of every student ever crossing St. Charles Road."

So let's review:

• Alleviate some of the problem - not good.
• Leave the issue the way it is - good.
• Another student getting hit by a car crossing St. Charles Road - we're fine with that.
• Only option the board and village would consider - a "magic bullet" that would cure all the ills.

Yeah, like that exists.

Today's lesson, courtesy of District 205: Better to sit and do nothing than do something.

7-2

York 42, Oak Park-River Forest 28

Football!

Tonight -
Oak Park at York - 7:00PM

Saturday -
Aurora Central Christian at IC - 1:00PM
Elmhurst College at Illinois Wesleyan - 1:00PM

South York

Mitoodle Noodle.
McNally's.
Gone.

What's happening to the south York area of downtown?

According to a large real estate holder in that area, not much more than business as usual. He (who shall remain unnamed) thinks all is well, that it's simply the nature of poor business for empty retail spaces to sprout along a major downtown street. Of course he's going to say that, he has space to fill. He wants to make sure the rents remain high.

I think it's crap.

Take a walk down York, south of the tracks. Stand for a while and count all the foot traffic that appears. Give it about 10 minutes and you may run out of fingers.

Where's the "destination" for people in that area? McNally's was a great place, always filled, with a relaxing outdoor area (front and back). That was a destination.

What else in that area pulls people? What causes people to go there, instead of pass there?

When the condos were built a few years back, it was supposed to be the "re-birth" of that part of downtown, a rejuvenation of people with disposable income. So where are they? And why can't we seem to find retail and/or restaurant tenants that pull people? But if the best Irish-themed bar/restaurant in the Western Suburbs can't draw people, what will?

Do we need to re-think who our shoppers and customers are? Do we need to encourage business that target teens?

What do we need? Because what we don't need is another empty storefront.

McNally's

WTF - McNally's is closed? When did this happen? What's the deal here - anyone know? They seemed to be doing okay, always busy when I was in there.

Info, . . . need info.

Huh?

Crime report from the Doings - -

"Forty brass vases from in-ground headstones were reported taken at 1 p.m. Sept. 30 at Mount Emblem Cemetery, 600 E. Grand Ave. "

WTF???

Forty brass vases from in-ground headstones????

What, is someone starting their own cemetery?

Thieves are stupid.

More Football

Saturday's results:

St. Francis 36 - IC 26

North Central spoils Elmhurst College's homecoming -
NC 41 - Elmhurst 24

Football

York 35 - Willowbrook 7

Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan has had a hell of a tough ride over the past decade.

I've never met him - never voted for him - and never met anyone who has a harsh word to say about him. He's handled far too much pain with more grace than most of us could muster.

This post at Reverse Spin says all the right things.

Our hearts and prayers are with you, Jim.

Football!

Friday Night:

York at Willowbrook - 7:00pm

Satruday Afternoon:

IC at St. Francis - 1:00pm

Homecoming at Elmhurst College!
North Central at EC - 1:00pm

Cicadas of 2007

Was this really 4 months ago?

Raves

Cool store in Elmhurst - the Happy Dog Barkery, 116 S. York (across from McNallys). With all the pets and pet owners I see walking the streets on weekend mornings, this store is a natural for the area. Great selection of cool, handmade dog foods and treats, along with plenty o' trinkets for the owners.

And best of all, the owners really know and care about dogs, which gives it a leg up on other pet stores in town.

Bring Fido - he'll think he's been called home to the mothership!

Do Something!

Passed through downtown Elmhurst this morning, and went down Third Street west of York. There stands the old Bailey's Restaurant building, now closed and vacant for the last two years. just sitting there, decaying, empty. A nice, highly visible blot in downtown.

Which reminded me of another nice, highly visible blot in town, another empty building that's been sitting vacant for over two years - the old TCBY building on York and South.

So what's the deal here? Why was there such a rush to displace these businesses if they were going to do nothing but sit and rot for years? I'm not sure I understand - is this good for the town? For the image we wish to present? Is this how the mayor and aldermen want these properties to look?

At the site of Bailey's there's been a board up in the parking lot touting a coming condo development and a bank (because God knows we need more banks in town). So, what's the deal? What's happening? Is anything going to be built?

I don't understand the desire to do away with viable businesses in the name of property development if the PROPERTY IS NEVER DEVELOPED!!

Or perhaps this was the idea - to drive the businesses away, empty the buildings, make the property available, and then figure out how to re-develop it?

Either way, we've had these eyesores sitting in town for far too long.

Do something!

Results

Marmion 33 - IC 7

Augustana 28 - Elmhurst College 7

Whew!!

York defeats Hinsdale Central 33-28.

And then shake your head that the Tribune wrote the story around a Sophomore quarterback who happens to be a Junior. That be some stellar journalism there.

Football!

Firday night:
Hinsdale Central at York - 7:00pm

Satruday afternoon:
Marmion at IC - 1:00pm

Elmhurst College at Augustana - 1:00pm

Fun With Criminals!

You just can't make this stuff up.

Elmhurst Independent, Oct 3 edition, page 25: in the Top Ten news stories of 2007, they note the arrest of "teen robber" Adam Ahern, who was nabbed after being tracked through the snow to his home after several burglaries.

Elmhurst Independent, Oct 3 edition, page 16: photo of the York High School boys soccer team in action, and, hey! Look who's there! Adam Ahern!

Moral of this story: if you possess great athletic talent, York will indeed make allowances for your behavior.

Ain't high school athletics fun? Ain't they a great place to teach sportsmanship and ethical conduct? Ain't they the very definition of hypocrasy?

Wine Tasting

Tannins held their annual Fall Wine Event this past Thursday night at the Elmhurst Art Museum. It was the first one I ever missed (work had me out of town), and I was genuinely sad to be away. But from what I hear - - uh, where was everyone? A beautiful setting, over 100 wines to sample, food, music - and only about 70 people attended? Huh?

Was it the cost? Well, I'd have a hard time believing that $30 was a steep ticket in this town.
Was it the day and time? Not sure, but it's always been on a Thursday night. Maybe that's not the best time for an event.
Was it the memories of crowds from the past?

Bingo.

Word has it that many people who've attended in the past simply didn't want to bother with the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, the long lines, the jostling for position to sample an ounce of Syrah.

So what to do? Can anyone think of a suitable alternative? A larger venue that would also provide the right evening atmosphere for a wine tasting? Two events to spread out the people? Fewer wines, thus fewer lines?

Anything?

I'd hate to see this event die. I think many of the wine lovers in town would hate to see the event die. But another tasting that sees less than 50% of the expected attendance (meaning, of course, doing it at a loss) could lead to cancellation of the event.

Ideas?

McKenna

A bit outside the city limits - but a very meaningful, worthwhile cause. Go, visit, help.

http://www.fortheloveofmckenna.org/

Homecoming Scandal 2008

First things first -
LT 32 - York 8

Now, for the real story.

Seems as though a few senior football players have been suspended for varying lengths by the school (from one game to the whole season, depending on the person involved). The suspensions are due to a violation of the code of conduct that all York athletes read, sign, and promise to follow when they agree to participate in sports at the school. One of the conditions of playing - one of the biggies - is no drinking. Period. You get caught drinking, you're suspended.

So the players were caught drinking, right? Well, kinda.

Seems as though numerous photos of players surfaced, photos that had the students in various states of "party participation." Drinking? Not sure - haven't seen the pictures. But it is certain that many of the players were seen in the pictures drinking from red Solo cups, playing beer pong ("Beer Pong: the official game of York Class of 2008"). Quite simple: fill red solo cups with beer, arrange them on both ends of a table (a ping pong table, preferably), and then two teams try to toss a ping pong ball into the cups at the opposite end of the table. You get one in, the other team has to drink the cup.

Pretty simple. And pretty basic. You can't play with cans or bottles - you have to use cups. Hence, red solo cups are ubiquitous in beer pong. In fact, Google "beer pong" and you'll find pictures of the game, complete with Solo cups. The game and the cups go hand-in-hand.

So, does that make the players guilty of playing beer pong and drinking? Well, how do we know? How can we be absolutely certain that there was beer in the cups? You see the cups, but not what's inside. Sounds like a leap of no-faith that the school administration took.

And the other hand . . . . .

How stupid are these seniors, anyway? I mean, the photos were posted to a website (doesn't matter which website: once they're on the web, they're free to go anywhere, and often do). Why would any person with a functioning brain cell take a picture of someone doing something a) against school policy, and b) hello - illegal!?!?! - - and then post them to a place where the entire world can see them, copy them, share them - in short, take photos and hand them out to anyone in the world? What were they thinking?

Sure, they want to take photos as remembrances of their years together, their parties, their events, I can understand that. Families take photos at weddings, holidays, parties - it's been done for centuries. It'll be done for years to come.

But when did people - students and teens, in particular - start thinking it was a good idea to make the pictures public? To place them in an arena where they can no longer monitor them, monitor who sees them or who copies them or where they might get posted next?

The only rule of the Internet that will never change is this: anything that's posted on the Internet can never be taken back, and cannot be controlled. It's basically a great electronic bathroom wall, where anyone can write what they want, and anyone can co-opt the images and messages for their own use, no strings attached.

So again, let's re-cap:
Photos taken - possibly incriminating (in a strictly legal sense).
Photos placed in a public forum.
Photos seen by people in a position of responsibility.
Students get pissed off. Huh?

The "lifting of the cups in protest" at the game was surely a sight to behold - a thousand teens holding up red solo cups in unison, then throwing them on the ground.

Oooooohhhhh.

They know what the solo cups are for. The school administration knows what the cups are for. Parents should know what the cups are for (if you don't please come on out of your cave and join us in the 21st century).

The students were pissed off that the administration suspended the students based on visual heresay knowledge. And that's fair. But to flaunt it, knowing full well that everyone knows what the cups are for, and all the students know (wink wink) what was really going on in those pictures . . . well, really now.

Grow up.

You fucked up. You got caught. Take it like the adults you always tell us you are.

And, oh yea - STOP POSTING PICTURE OF YOURSELVES DOING ILLEGAL THINGS ON THE INTERNET!!! Stop making it easy to get caught. You don't want to get caught? Stop assisting the school in catching you.

Duh.

Block Party

Tomorrow is the annual Elmhurst Uptown Downtown Block Party. Eleven hours of food, music, vendors, sales - - and it conflicts directly with York's homecoming. I guess that's one way of making sure York Road isn't overrun with teens. I mean, that must be why they scheduled it for that day, right? Make it family friendly, non-threatening, more room to roam - - and to do that, make sure you have it on a day when you're certain that a significant portion of the population will not attend, that portion being those who a) hang around all day long, b) spend money, and c) make anyone over the age of 50 or under the age of 10 feel uncomfortable.

Will anyone spend more than 45 minutes there? I mean, it's a noble idea, and these festivals are always good for bringing dollars into the city. But this seems like a feeble grasp.

When a typical Wednesday night "Cars Under the Stars" covers more real estate than a city festival, do we really need the festival? Or do we need to re-think it, make it larger, make it something worth attending?!

Really want to make it a "block party?" Start it at 6:00pm. Have food and music. Let some of the business remain open if they want to. Throw a bonfire in the middle of the road. Cut the live music at 10:00 (city rules), but let the people/food remain until midnight.

Hey! That's kinda what the teens do each Friday and Saturday night downtown! Well, ain't that a funny coincidence . . .

Football!

Friday night - -
York Homecoming - York vs Lyons Township @ 7:30.

Saturday Afternoon - -
Driscoll at IC - 1:00

Elmhurst College vs. Olivet College - Noon
This is their home opener, and it's Community Day.

They Took What?

Two items of note in the Doings today:

1) "A $250 section of pipe and a $350 section of pipe were reported taken from a construction site at 1:32 p.m. Sept. 13 on the 1000 Block of North County Line Road. "
And nobody noticed this? How does someone waltz away with sections of pipe? Thinking it may not fit into the trunk of your average car. That's some serious balls, along with some serious lack of security and awareness.

2) "A $5 black girls bicycle was reported taken at 9:06 a.m. Sept. 12 at Fremont and West Avenue. "
A $5 bike? $5? I can't get decent beer for $5 - how does anyone find a bike valued at $5? What, it was missing both tires, the seat, the chain, one pedal and half a handlebar?

York Homecoming

I remember homecoming. Okay, it was a long time ago, but I haven't killed that many brain cells. Anyway, I do remember it. It was the best part of the new school year.

Spirit week. TP-ing houses, trees - everything that stood still was fair game. Bonfires. loat-building for the parade.

Huh - what's that? You have no idea what float-building is? Well, hell - - you're missing a great thing.

Back in the "old days" we actually had a Homecoming Parade (full disclosure: I didn't go to York, I attended a different HS in DuPage County). The idea was that each class was given "X" amount of funds to plan and construct a float for the parade. Best float won a prize. Of course, the parade also featured the band, cheerleaders, local items, etc., but the main thing - the primary focus - was the class floats.

And the best thing about them wasn't even the parade. It was the weeks leading up to the parade, planning, buying crepe paper or other supplies, building under secret cover - and the James Bond-like attempts of each class to see what the others classes were up to, what they were building. Was it bigger than ours? Lame? Cool? What were the Juniors doing? Why so the Sophomores need three cases of gold spray paint? And so on.

It was driving around town at night with the windows open and the radio cranked, looking for any signs of activity that might be float-related. It was silently acknowledging those you passed from other classes, keeping a mistrustful eye on them to make sure they weren't sent to steal your ideas.

It was silly, fun, and for a couple of weeks each fall it meant the world.

How many friendships were struck while glueing paper to a wire head? How many times did love blossom, or fizzle, during the course of a dark, cool night under the bright moon, brown leaves, and dad's super-bright work light hanging from the garage rafters (you couldn't work in the dark)?

So what do the kids do now?

Kinda sad - they really don't know what they're missing. It's a set of memories they'll never have.

And I guess now, they'll lose the memories of TP-ing the school, too.

At least they stillplay the game, right? Right??

Late Night Fun?

Is there really a curfew in town for kids? Really?

I ask because this past Saturday night, the teen-daughter was supposed to be home at her regular midnight "witching hour," but didn't roll in until about 1:25AM. So how does a teenage female manage to be out and about at that time without being seen or noticed? Driving through town, dropping friends off - it's not like she's exactly stealth about what she's doing.

And we find it difficult to tell her, "No, you have to be home by midnight since there's a town curfew for teenagers," when the curfew is neither followed nor enforced.

Why get worked up about it? Because parents worry. Parents are concerned that the kids are making bad, spur-of-the-moment choices (mostly due to peer pressure and influence of others at the moment).

And hell, she had our car!

Dukes Win!

York 17 - DGN 0

Also -
IC 21 - St. Edward 20

Football!

Games this weekend:

Friday night -
York at Downers Grove North
IC at St. Edward

Satruday afternoon -
Elmhurst College at University of Chicago

Biggins

Dear Rep. Biggins:

How nice of you to care deeply about increasing the participation of our citizens in the democratic process. I'm sure in some places, restricting candidates does indeed result in more people participating. However, I'm not sure I can follow the reasoning you're relying upon for your rationale.

To increase participation in any undertaking, the key is to remove obstacles that would prohibit involvement. When the southern states stopped requiring "tests" of the African-American populace to vote, the participation in voting increased. When the country stopped restricting females from voting, again, more participation! And, not just more people participating as voters, but more people running for office. More people = more choices = better choices.

Kinda like in college: what gets you excited, a choice between 5 classes in your major, or 15 classes in your major? Kinda a no-brainer, huh?

Perhaps the best way to increase participation - both of people running for office, and people voting in elections - would be to remove any obstacles. No obstacles to running = more people running. More choices = more people voting (yes, that does follow - Stephen Lipscomb researches this effect in the August 2007 Economics of Educational Review and finds that increased choices lead to increased participation and increased learning).

So I'm certain that to increase citizen participation, as you say you want to do, you'll do all you can to remove any barriers to those wanting to run for office or vote - barriers such as Senate Bill 662.

Unless you're just putting one over on us. You wouldn't do that, would you?

Sincerely,
Glos

Autumn

Okay, so not technically Autumn for another eight days . . . . but boy, the temperatures the last few days says "I'm Autumn, and I'm here."

Windows are open again, and the AC has finally stopped running. I no longer sweat while sitting still. Red wine is GOOD again. Even the dog is more lively.

And I haven't had an itch mite bite in four days - whoo-hoo!

It's still nice enough out that last night I was able to walk through downtown and still see solid activity - people were out walking, easting, drinking, shopping, just enjoying the cool weather.

Over-and-under on days until the leaves start to change: 12.

Lettin' 'Em Out

Let me see if I have this straight:

Last week was the first week of school for the Disctrict 205 schools (i.e. public schools). And it was a short week at that. So, this is the first full week of school this year.

The kids were out of York early yesterday - 1:15, from what I was told by teen-daughter - and they were out early again today.

So, two of the first seven days of the school year, and they have early dismissal.

WTF?

Local News?

Elmhurst has three local papers: the Press, the Doings, and the Independent. So why is it so hard to find out what's going on in town? If you want stories about house walks and new administrators at Elmhurst College, then fine, these papers are great. But what about news?

As much as I hate to admit it, one of the first things I like to look for are the police reports. I kinda like to know if houses in my neighborhood have been hit by a rash of burglaries - or if my teenagers friends have been busted drinking at a party - or if I need to again steer people clear of the Holiday Inn due to hookers and bar fights.

But where is this information?

Not in the Press. Not in the Doings.

Oh, wait, you're still reading the printed paper? Silly me. The print editions have some info - not much, but some.

In fact, buy all three and compare the police reports. It's amazing - almost like they're covering different towns, or sections of town, of weeks. Perhaps 30% of the blurbs cross into each paper.

The on-line editions - well, forget that.

Today is September 12. The most recent police blotter in the Press is dated August 24. The Doings? August 23. (And hey, Doings? You're owned by the Sun-Times News Group - SHAPE UP!!) The Independent? Hell, they're not even on-line.

Elmhurst, the news vacuum. Unless you like housewalks.

First Things First

Why a blog about Elmhurst?

Hell, why not?

Almost 43,000 of us call Elmhurst home. We live there, love there, fight there, and die there. The town seeps into every inch of many of us - good or bad, whether we want it to or not. Spend enough time there, and it becomes a part of you.

But it's not all chanpagne and roses. Elmhurst has its thorns as well.

Too many of us read the paper, shop in town, wander around the streets on "Cool Cars" nights, and just accept what the town is, and what the town has become. We're along for the ride. We're watching the parade.

Ain't it more fun to be in the parade?

So why not write about the town - the good and bad, the things we love and the things that make us shake our heads in anger or furstration. Highlight things that deserve to be highlighted - from the good (volunteer efforts, great restaurants, spots of culture) to the not so good (how many of our teens are drinking, how many McMansions are being built on postage stamp-sized lots).

Elmhurst is home, warts and all. Let's explore it, have fun with it, celebrate it, and subject it to a harsh glare and intense cross-examination when necessary.