opinions
LTHS ‘Willy Wonka’ a sweet experience
The Lockport Township High School Theater, the Porter Players, last weekend put on the best high school performance that I’ve ever seen. The production was the musical of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka.” The musical was narrated by high school junior Stephen Hippleheuser, who played the …
OpenLine: Sad day for victims
A couple of girls were suspended for posting on Facebook that they wanted to kill another girl. They said it wasn’t fair being suspended because it was just a joke. Their parents also agreed that it was not fair and that it what they had …
Drew’s murder trial should be televised
The judge who will decide when Will County trials will begin being televised says there’s no hurry. And even if there were a perceived need for haste, Chief Circuit Court Judge Gerald Kinney says it’s too difficult to do it as quickly as many would …
OpenLine: Win-win politics at work
I applaud New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann and prominent restaurateur Dick Portillo in setting an example of how, after respectful negotiations, government and business can reach a win-win solution. Baldermann clearly sees private enterprise as the catalyst for a thriving economy and does not view …
Y’all come down for some Wild West fun
Saturday — keep the date! Holy Family School in Shorewood will have its blockbuster fundraising event of the year, “Wild West Spring Fest 2012.” This is the school’s major annual fundraiser, and all proceeds go to the school to offset the price of tuition. The …
OpenLine: Romney a chameleon
Will Mitt Romney be the Republican candidate for president because he is a chameleon? He will change his color to suit the speech or the occasion. If he is with a group who wants national health care, he is for it. If he is with …
We need to invest in teachers, education
The yearning to learn is found naturally in most children, and if the kids are lucky, the yearning is encouraged throughout the adventure we call school. To emerge as a curious and passionate adult is the best mark of a successful, but still unfinished, education. …
NATO will displace real Chicago
We have been assured repeatedly that next weekend’s NATO Summit in Chicago won’t be a catastrophe for city residents. Confusing, if not chaotic? Almost assuredly. But for every consultant and mouthpiece paid to mollify concerns about mass street closings, train re-re-routings, closed museums, traffic and …
Gay marriage should not be called a crime
In a recent interview with ABC News regarding same-sex marriage, President Barack Obama came out stating; “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able …
OpenLine: Joint responsibility?
This is in response to Tina Tomaras’ remark (April 26) about joint responsibility between a man and a woman regarding birth control. I’m sure then she would agree that it is a joint responsibility and a joint decision between a woman and the father of …
Make Joliet prison a tourist attraction
When I was about 8 and attending F. E. Marsh School on Joliet’s East Side, we took a field trip one day that I still remember. We visited the Joliet Correctional Center on Collins Street, popularly referred to as the “Old Joliet Prison.” Schools would …
State keeps trying to throw local schools under the bus
Let’s ask a fundamental question — does the Legislature really care about public education or must schools be shoved ever closer to the precipice in the name of fiscal balance? We ask because of several odious ideas emanating recently from Springfield related to the public …
OpenLine: Have you gotten a drop
The comptroller for a small Illinois town was recently arrested for embezzling $30 million, much to the detriment of that town. How ironic it is that the town is Dixon, the same small town that brought us Ronald Reagan, the “Republic-con” president, who started trickle-down …
Reform plans overburden the poor
The state budget and the Medicaid and public pension systems in Illinois must be “reformed” (i.e., receive sharp spending cuts) to achieve fiscal balance. We get that. It’s necessary. But we’re also sure that when the dust settles and the cliches recede, the poorest people …
OpenLine: Give Obama credit
Natural gas prices are about a third of what they were in January 2009, creating huge savings for those of us who heat and cook with natural gas. Naturally, we all have to attribute these savings to the excellent energy policies of President Barack Obama. …
