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To whom it may concern, I have a real issue w/ joint agreements between schools. I am now one person who is stuck in the cracks! I started ECC back in the year 2000! When my current college did not offer Graphic design. Last year, Harper College began to offer the graphic design program. I am a mother of three children who works part-time as of now so I can get my degree. The problem is Harper College will not give me a joint degree and ECC wants me now after all these years pay out of district prices. Which comes to $864.00 per class not including supplies and books needed? I have been paying out of my pocket for everything, and with three kids, and a part-time job, there is no way I can afford that kind of money. I have talked with both the schools and neither one is willing to help me! Where is the justice, I am a hard working person who just wants to better my family life by getting a college education. Up until now I thought I was doing that! Now I’m art a lost for words and stuck in the cracks because I could not finish my two year degree in two years. Because I worked a full-time job, going to school part-time and am raising 3 kids. Now that I dropped to part-time so I can finish my class and start looking for a better job in graphic design, my degree has come to a halt thanks to joint agreements w/schools. The new graphic design classes at Harper do not offer the old classes for my degree. I think both districts should be ashamed of themselves, for being so greedy over money. While a struggle mother of three is just trying to make her families life better. Sincerely, Jennifer Bernico 1.19.04 You aimed at the wrong target! An editorial in a neighborhood newspaper recently compared the meetings of our trustees as a circus and suggested that we find a mediator or a therapist to resolve the difficulties.If that writer had been at all sensitive to what is going on at Richmond Trustees' meetings, he or she would never have written such a letter criticizing our Board members. If anyone has created a "circus" atmosphere, it is clearly Kevin Brusek, Board president. When he looks at the faces of the four new Board members, he no longer sees the faces of "Yes men and women" who would never challenge his authority. Now, he sees democracy in action as the new trustees challenge his well-honed skill in monopolizing both the agenda and the debate, This is a totally new situation for him and all indications are that he cannot handle democracy and will do everything he can to subvert the expression of their responsibilities as elected officials. No, we do not need a therapist or a mediator, We desperately need a Board President who believes in the freedom of democratic participation. Someday soon, we will have such a President. Bruce Young 5704 South St. Richmond Il 815-678-4170 Eww, that Smell: When it Comes to the District 2 Mess, We All Stink a Little Like the pungent aroma of fresh fertilizer on a warm day, something stinks in Nippersink District 2. Every year, folks can count on flattened corn stalks and snowfall to bury that familiar, fertile smell. However, district officials will find no such cover this winter as they tackle a rotten referendum decision and contemplate for the second year in a rowhuge program and staff reductions . Last year it was $600,000 in cuts and the loss of Spanish instruction, sports teams, and teachers. This February it will be another $1 million in cuts, and “everything’s on the table.” As kindergartners on a farm field trip would say, “P.U!” Whatever causes the stench, it floats through the district on the winds of apathy, SUV exhaust, and our frenzied, overscheduled lives. Every spring, when that seasonal stink is enough to make our eyes water, we roll up our windows and zoom by the freshly fertilized fields, counting the days ‘ til sweet corn. Every month, when important district decisions are made, we zoom by freshly typed meeting notices, counting the minutes ‘til our next errand. Like ripe Limburger cheese or the barn at a busy farm, the stinky stew in which the district finds itself has many aromatic layers. 1.) Start with the bitter blood simmering in the veins of taxpayers who foot most of the schools’ bill but have (until recently) lacked accessible information about district finances. 2.) Add a hint of smokiness from the scorched backsides of our beleaguered (and unpaid) board members as the thermostat on their hot seats cranks up a few notches. 3.) Mix in the smell of rotting corpse, a byproduct of last year’s bitter contract negotiations and of the “put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is” attitude toward those picketing teacher supporters. 4.) Pour in some ghastly emissions from our active, mostly well meaning but sometimes misguided, rumor mill. This machinery burps out juicy toxic clouds that pollute the atmosphere, especially when we accept rumors as fact and fail to consider their second- or third-hand sources. 5.) Toss in the freezer-burned frustration of teachers facing another round of March Pink-Slip-and Program-Gutting Madness while at the same time being told by the feds to leave “No Child Left Behind.” Don’t forget the acid panic of our art, music, band, and gym teachers as the budget axe swings inevitably toward their programs. 6.) Drizzle into the stew the increasingly perceptible whiff of flop sweat coming off our smooth-talking superintendent as he struggles to keep the lid on this festering brew through staff directives, platitudes, and vaguely worded reassurances. 7.) For the foul final touch in our festering concoction, stir in everyone’ s fishy misperceptions about the district. Whether these beliefs are based on cynicism, oversimplification, or “ conventional wisdom,” they gunk up working relationships and make us say stupid things. In my efforts to report on complicated district matters, I’m probably guilty of spreading some too. But let’s take a whiff of some of the stinkers that have been floating around. Is District 2 truly top-heavy with overpaid administrators? A popular question, but what would the answer be if the complainers could shadow these administrators for a week? In addition, many folks have grumbled that our Lake Geneva-residing superintendent thinks of us as bumpkins who need to be told what’s best. Or does experience and the title “Dr.” earn him the right to spare us “misinformed” folks from our own ignorance? And another thing: do teachers technically work part-time, as at least one board member is presumed to believe? Or do they struggle to cram 12 months of hard work into a nine-month school year? What about that so-called “vast silent majority” of shining happy residents who’ ll drown out the pesky questions of the “small disgruntled minority” if given the right forum? If they really exist, they had better speak up soon! I’ve also heard board members whine that community meetings showered with reams of documentation are pointless when it’s only the same handful of die-hards who ever shows up. They do have a point there...In any case, if we don’t clear the air of these destructive attitudes our kids are in deep doo-doo. Want to get informed? Check out the district’s web site, call or e-mail a board member. Board members work for you, so ask them what’s going on. Don’t know how to get involved? Ask somebody who already is. Getting informed is the first step. Then your opinions will truly matter. Want to know what’s on the budget hit list? Show up at a board meeting. Study a budget summary. Read meeting minutes on the district’ s web site. Ask knowledgeable people non-judgmental questions. Turned off by formal board meetings and teacher mumbo- jumbo? Attend a relatively unstructured Communication Council meeting. Ask questions. Demand explanations. Afraid of feeling stupid? When it comes to educating your own kids, common sense trumps a PhD. Refuse to be patronized. Did it feel right to support teacher raises last fall? Then climb back out on that limb to help balance the impact such raises have had on the budget against the latest foul financial realities. Does the idea of a referendum make you want to spit nails? Do you prefer schools with no arts, enrichment, or sports programs? Consider all sides of the issue. Then push state politicians to reform Illinois' unfair tax structure. Angry about what’s going on in our schools? Stick around for a couple of years, stay informed, and consider running for a board seat in 2005. Actions really do speak louder than words. Everyone agrees that the school situation stinks. Let’s hope it’s a temporary problem, however, like spring manure or mystery meat in the fridge. Over the next critical months, people involved need to plug their noses, air out all their “issues,” and work together. With luck, this odious matter will turn out to be the messy but potent fertilizer for our children’s success. Michelle Parsons is a freelance education writer and parent who has lived in Spring Grove since 1996 and has been covering District 2 for The Richmond Report.
October 15, 2003 I have truly been inspired!!!! I've have
talked to Administrators, principals, teachers,
newspapers all day to find out if rumours of
Dist.#46 cutting out kindergarten is a possibility
should the next referendum fail. I have grown to
hate the unfettered residential growth in and around
Grayslake( I live in Hainesville). It is the enemy.
I agree with these folks--something stinks real bad
here in lake county, too. I want to know about any
conflict of interest relating to residential
builders, trustees, mayors, bankers, ...anything. If
these people are going to raise a stink in my town
by building us into the grave, then I intend on
raising a little hell. Someone help me follow the
money.
Once again Richmond Village residents have been
recipients of a mailing from
anonymous concerned individuals who presume to speak
out for the community
by
enumerating the various issues they feel the Village
Board needs to focus
on. I'm not a
betting woman, but I'm willing to lay odds that in
subsequent mailings these
anonymous
folks will present their easy and obvious solution
to what they perceive to
be our
problems.
July 29, 2003 Put me in the "no growth" camp please by George Ryan After much thought and some trepidation I am hereby announce that I am in
the "no growth" camp for Richmond. Frankly, I would like to see Richmond
stay as it is. Ten years from now the people who live here will be
scratching their heads. "How could we have been so stupid?" they will be
asking themselves when they see the ocean of rooftops surrounding the
downtown area. Take a drive down to Lake in the Hills to see what I mean.
The shock value alone makes this a worthwhile trip.
February 6, 2003 Dear Editor: There is a pivotal Village of Richmond election coming up on April 1st. Four of the six trustee spots are up for re-election, and there is a hot race brewing between incumbent trustees and new candidates. The reason to elect fresh faces is to change the dynamic of the Board. Stronger personalities are needed in order to say “no” to the Kevin Brusek / Charlie Eldredge regime that has been responsible for changing the character of Richmond through huge giveaways to developers. In Richmond, “follow the money” is a central theme. Charlie Eldredge recently resigned as Zoning Chairman and is now on real estate mogul Peter Bell’s (Tamarack Farms aka Comdisco) payroll. If that was a conflict of interest, why do current Trustees allow Eldredge to continue chairing a sub-committee that is rewriting the zoning, subdivision, and other real estate-oriented ordinances? Make no mistake, hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake in Richmond. Peter Bell and Bob May spent $20 million in one year amassing real estate, over and above that which they already owned (ie Fountainhead industrial park). Add up the future value of the commercial, industrial, and residential development that Brusek and Eldredge approved in a flash and “hundreds of millions” becomes accurate. In 1990, there were 800 acres within Richmond. Bell now owns 60% of the nearly 3,000 acres that today are within Richmond’s borders. Believe us, these fellas are not happy if anyone stands in their way. It was no surprise that someone last week challenged the nominating petitions filed for Village of Richmond Trustee by two of the most outspoken critics of Brusek’s “annex and rezone first, plan later” mentality: Roy Wulffen and Chuck Schultz. It turns out that the challenge was a sham. Diane Pearson withdrew her petition after it was discovered that she wasn’t registered to vote by that name at 10515 Main Street (a building owned and managed by the Eldredge family). Her complaint was dopey: the candidates didn’t write “four year term” at the top of each petition. No law says they should have. Pearson didn’t bother to show up at the hearings in Woodstock, although the candidates, their wives and neighbors, and their attorneys had to be there, twice. Brusek’s staff didn’t post the first hearing 48 hours in advance, a violation of the Open Meetings Act, so the hearing had to be postponed. Another colossal waste of time and money for the candidates and for taxpayers. And guess what? Brusek was one of the three “judges” in the case. While Illinois law stipulates that the Village President should sit on the panel, Brusek should have immediately recused himself and had a substitute appointed by the Court (a fairly common occurrence). Interestingly, Brusek stated that Village attorney John Roth had a “conflict of interest” in advising the judges, so instead, at taxpayer’s expense, Brusek hired Kevin McBride, an attorney who (ironically) brought a similarly frivolous lawsuit in Johnsburg a few years ago. Back to Diane Pearson. How did Eldredge-tenant Pearson come to retain Militello, Zanck, and Coen, a high-falutin’ Crystal Lake firm? What was her motivation? Why did that firm agree to take the case? Don’t they both bear some responsibility for reimbursing the candidates and the Village of Richmond for their costs? Clearly, this complaint was simply designed to thwart the election efforts of independent-minded candidates who have a demonstrated commitment to improving Richmond. It’s hard enough to get people to run for public office nowadays—shenanigans like this should be outlawed. Seem like a tangled web? You bet. Which is precisely why taxpayers need to elect some new faces to the Village Board. “Follow the Money”! It’s not over yet. Stay tuned, ask questions, read the fine print, and watch your wallets! John Drummond 2/5/03 What's going on in Richmond with the person who filed the objection to the petitions of three candidates for the village board? According to the paper her name is Diane Pearson. She is not a registered voter, nor is anyone by that name living at the address she gave in the objection! I hear she lives in a house owned by Charlie Eldredge, the former zoning chairman and a guy who does work for Peter Bell, the developer of Comdisco. Something really smells fishy here, folks. Smiley Fergueson Hi, I am upset about Metra wanting to come
through my town. I live in McHenry, right by the
tracks. I have lived here for a short time ,but I
love where I live. I have Petersen Park close to my
house, which I love. I do not want to move again.
When me and my family were looking for a place to
live, I fell in love with this area. I just can not
stand the thought of a Metra train speeding through
this nice big park, where children play, where the
town has nice gatherings, fireworks, etc.... I like
my town just the way it is. If I want to catch a
train, there are other Metra trains close by. (Fox
Lake,Crystal Lake) So Metra leave my town alone and
find some other town to pick on. WE DON'T WANT YOU
HERE!!! I've lived in the Historic Woodstock District for 8 years. In the last 2-3 years the slumlords seem to have taken over the City. They cram as many people as possible into homes that have been chopped into numerous apartments. They don't allow enough parking spaces, thus forcing tenants to park illegally. Many of the buildings have deteriorated to the point they are eyesores. Some owners even refuse to pay for garbage pick-up or to do landscape maintenance such as cut the grass or shovel snow. Are there no standards for rental properties? Many single family homeowners have put their houses up for sale rather than remain to see their neighborhoods become blighted. What a shame. The Square and the town in general used to be so charming and attracted visitors, costumers and potential home buyers. Now people who haven't visited for a few years tell me they thought they were lost because Woodstock looks so different. Take a drive around the 4 blocks or so surrounding the Square and you will see what they mean. I think the City Council should address this important issue before our once lovely City is completely ruined. L. Hughes This is not a protest about any ethnic class of people but my pet peeve is that if you are a citizen of the United States, then you should be able to read, write and speak the English language. If this is one the requirements before becoming a nationalized citizen, then why are we seeing more and more articles going to Spanish? For instance:
the GED. Why is it written both in English and
Spanish? Why are ballots going to be written in
English and Spanish? This is so wrong not because I
speak English, but other groups, like Russians,
Koreans, etc. come to this country speaking little
or no English, yet they learn this language. So why
not the Hispanic population? Why are we treating them
to more services in their native language when we do
not do that with other ethnic groups? Why should we
as tax paying citizens pay for non citizens who only
read and write in Spanish give them the ability to
take the GED in their native tongue? There is
nothing wrong with a family who speaks their native
language at home and teach their young ones that
language as well, but when you are in the every day
world, they should be able to read, write and speak
English like every one else. PBrink 10/2/02 Dear
Editor:
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