PeoriaStory

PEORIA -- Those who have not taken Colleen Callahan's candidacy for the 18th District Congressional seat seriously might rethink that stance.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer will campaign with Callahan from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2 at the UAW Hall, 3025 Springfield Road in East Peoria.

The rally is significant for showing that the national Democratic Party is behind Callahan's candidacy against  state Rep. Aaron Schock, a Republican. 

According to news reports, the two candidates currently have an equal amount of money on hand, since Schock spent his funds raised earlier to win a three-way primary. He is fairly well known in the district, but so is Callahan, a long time agricultural broadcaster.

The 20-county 18th District covers a wide area of central Illinois including Peoria and parts of Springfield. It typically leans Republican by a small margin.

No Democrat has held the seat since 1917.  Incumbent Republican Ray LaHood is not seeking reelection.

Banner mine hearings begin

UPDATE, June 24-25, 2008:  Here are stories from the Peoria Journal Star detailing coverage of the hearing in Springfield. The hearing continues on July 23.

PEORIA -- Activists opposing a strip mine near Banner, west of Peoria, will be testifying at a hearing on the mine permit that begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 23 in Springfield.

At issue:  whether the Illinois Department of Natural Resources erred in approving a mine permit for 643 acres filled with wetlands and threatened species.

The site lies between Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area, and Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, along Illinois Route 24, which is a federally designated Scenic Byway. Both state conservation areas are listed as Globally Important Migrating Bird Habitat.

Osprey and eagle nests are close to the permitted mine, and other endangered and threatened species are in the vicinity.

Given Harper, Bloomington, will be testifying regarding concerns for mine impacts on bird species.  Harper has authored numerous articles on bald eagles and other birds.  Terrance Ingram, Eagle Nature Foundation, will speak to the history of eagle activity in the area, along with other habitat concerns, according to a news release about the hearing from the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club.

Citizens from Banner,  Illinois Sierra Club members, and others, including individuals representing the Citizens Organizing Project, headquartered in Knox County, and the Eagle Nature Foundation, Apple River, Illinois, will also testify at the hearing.

Charles Norris, Geo-Hydro, Inc., hydrologist and supervising author of the study, “Surface and Subsurface Hydrology of Banner Basin,” will testify.  His testimony against the expansion of the PDC hazardous waste landfill west of Peoria helped convince the Peoria County Board to reject that application.

According to the news release, Norris will present key findings regarding the impacts of the strip mine on the surrounding area. "Conclusions in the study include that the proposed strip mine will drain water from Banner Marsh into the new mine, and that reclamation cannot guarantee that there will not be a permanent loss of water from Banner Marsh.

"The study conclusions state that water flow to Rice Lake will also be affected. In parts of the proposed mine site the coal is 50 to 70 feet below ground surface. The water table in approximately the same sections is two to three feet below ground. Most of the area is in the federal flood plain.

"Much of the proposed mine land is currently flooded from the recent June Illinois River rise. This is the fourth time parts of the site have been flooded this year."

Also testifying will be Banner Village Mayor Ken Fuller, on concerns for his village and local water wells. "The Geo-Hydro study showed that the mine will progressively draw down the limited pool of ground water under Banner. This draw down will degrade the remaining water supply with trace and toxic metals. Banner has no public water system, and individuals rely on private water wells," according to the release.

In addition, eight other Banner residents "wish to speak to speak about issues ranging from errors in the permit application, to the proposed destruction of the lower portion of Baker Hollow Creek, which the mine will remove. This creek drains a watershed above the bluffs along Route 24 south of Banner."

The Illinois Attorney General's office, represented by Tom Davis, Chief, Environmental Division, has filed numerous concerns regarding the mine. He will be the lead counsel along with those contending that the Illinois Department of Conservation made numerous errors in approving the permit.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn also has spoken out against the mine in this location, but it has powerful corporations and allies promoting it. (See other posts under 'environment.')

          The hearings, expected to last two days, take place in Springfield at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources building, located on the corner of the Illinois State Fair Grounds at One Natural Resources Way.  They are open to the public. More information is available from the Peoria area Sierra Club at 309/ 688-0950.

    

         

Schools design flawed? Not really green?

PEORIA -- Civic activist Beth Akeson, a member of the Heart of Peoria Commission, has many questions about Peoreia School District 150's plan to demolish two sturdy older schools to be replaced with new schools. 

The next School Board Meeting at 6 p.m. on June 24 will be a committee of the whole meeting to receive designs for the two new schools, Harrison and Glen Oak.

Akeson has questioned these designs. Here is an e-mail she has sent to city officials and others on Glen Oak:

"I have three major concerns about the plans for Glen Oak and Harrison
School; they are as follows:

1. Sustainability: The schools have been scheduled for demolition
without adequate evidence it is necessary and cost effective to start
from scratch.

2. Urban Planning: The site plans are suburban in character.

Process: There has been no public input in the siting and exterior
design decisions

The schematic drawings are complete for Glen Oak School and we know
the community was not asked to contribute ideas for the design of the
building envelope or the siting of the building. Years ago some
members of the community were hand picked to participate
on "programming" needs; however, District 150 did not allow questions
or comments (participation) from anyone who was not a member of the
committee. Remember also that at the time of these programming
conversations, District 150 presumed the site would be in Glen Oak
Park and the building would be new.

District 150 decided prior to December 2005 they would be closing and
razing Glen Oak and Harrison Schools. I have a copy of the
PowerPoint District 150 presented to Rotary which shows they decided
to raze the existing structures and build new schools sometime before
12-15-05. I would attach the Power Point for your review but it is
26MB, too large to send. They made these decisions without a
public process. They handpicked a group of people to go to the
schools, take a look around and come back and report. This group had
a matrix to fill out, yet when I interviewed a few of the committee
members and asked for how the values were determined no one was able
to give me an answer or provide me with the written guidelines. Only
the final report is available to view. The committee had two
architects, but neither has/had school building renovation experience
and I wonder about possible conflicts of interests.

If Peoria wants to embrace sustainable practices then District 150
needs to be a partner. Building for sustainability requires more
than installing geo thermal, improved day lighting, or using recycled
materials. District 150 needs to address other concerns regarding
renovation and the building's site. In today's market, demolition,
material removal, and site preparation require significant energy and
expense. Demolition will not send a message of conservation and it
may waste tax payer money.

The decision to build new and the application to the state saying
such was based on the opinions of just a handful of people, and
without adequate due diligence. We need an opportunity to hear from
an expert in the field of school restoration and have them evaluate
whether Glen Oak School and Harrison School can be successfully
brought into the 21st century without starting from scratch. Wouldn't
it be better to get it right- than to worry about whomever saving
face?

The school's siting and footprint will dictate the direction of the
neighborhood. The drawings I have seen are suburban in character.
District 150's building committee needs to be educated about the
importance of building placement, exterior design, and feasibility of
renovation. I have observed District 150 representatives talking
primarily about the learning environment and not about what happens
when the building meets the street. Walk-ability was not discussed
during the architect's presentations at last weeks building committee
meetings. The renderings show plenty of on site parking and bus
queuing- that tells me they are planning for most students and
visitors to arrive by car. The buildings could be designed in away
to encourage less auto travel not more.

I have to question the benefit of the proposed survey if the most
important element of the neighborhood has already been decided. The
architects said they were told by some that the school should sit as
far away as possible from some of the undesirable commercial
enterprises currently operating on Wisconsin Avenue. This type of
comment tells me some people have a hard time envisioning the future
and are likely to think and comment only in terms of what they see
today. We will not create a better neighborhood if people are not
given an opportunity to describe their vision of the future and
encouraged to set their expectations high.

As you know I care very much about the outcome of both school zones
and I want to support this endeavor, but at this point I am
discouraged by what I have witnessed to date. I realize you are not
in control of Distric150 and they are their own taxing body. I also
know that the city and the school district have made a concerted
effort to work together, but the foundation of the planning process
to date is riddled with information errors, too many assumptions, and
influenced by individual agendas and egos. There has to be a way to
slow this process down and re-examine the problem. I am not sure all
parties even know what problem they are trying to solve."

Well said!

A similar theme, in praise of urban neighborhoods, appears in a column today by Garrison Keilor in the Chicago Tribune.

Beth's comments on the Harrison School plans are noted in a post below.

My take:  these schools should be a "green" as possible, models of their type, as well as sustainable.

I would prefer to see the old schools renovated, which may be cheaper and more aesthetically pleasing for their neighborhoods. As Beth says, has preservation/renovation been studied thoroughly? 

Peoria's main advantage over much of downstate Illinois is its historic heritage, which should be preserved whenever possible, including schools.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Coming to a school near you: Wacky Wednesdays

PEORIA -- On a 4-3 vote the Peoria District 150 School Board on June 16 voted to cut 90 minutes from the school day for elementary pupils every Wednesday beginning next fall. They will get out of school at 1:45 p.m. instead of 3:15 p.m.

The cutback in teaching time will allow teachers to meet together for common planning and training sessions, to create a "professional learning community" for teachers to improve student instruction.

Voting against the proposal were Jim Stowall, Linda Butler and Rachel Parker.

Stowall said, "at the end of the day we're not saving any money and taking time away from the children," to applause from an audience with many opposed to the cutback.

Butler expressed concern about pupils left adrift from the early dismissal.

Superintendent Ken Hinton admitted that his initial plan, to cut 45-minutes out of each day for these students was to save money as well as to provide more planning time for teachers. But when that idea generated public opposition, Hinton turned to the Wednesday plan.

He told the board he would like to expand the Wednesday plan to the middle schools and high schools, and that new schools on the drawing board will be set up for year around schooling.  "We can't do what we've been doing," he said. "We need better results. This will improve teachers and administrators."

Opposition leader Diane Vespa presented the school board with petitions signed by more than 1,300 people. "We didn't have any trouble getting signatures," she said.

Opponents hoped to persuade the board to defeat the idea outright or table it for a year to allow for more planning.

Of nine people who spoke on the Wednesday plan, only one, Liz Allen, a parent, was in favor of it. Afterward she said the district is so bad that something needs to be done now, and this plan might improve it. She's willing to take a chance on it, she said.  She cannot afford to move, she added.

The board also approved 7-0 using eminent domain to take properties near Glen Oak School if owners refuse to sell at a reasonable price.

It also approved 7-0 a 2-year contract extension for Hinton at no increase in pay. He has not had a raise in four years, Board chairman Dr. David Gorenz said.

A contract renewal for controller/treasurer Guy Cahill was withdrawn from the agenda.

Below is a statement I presented to the Board in opposition to the plan, which I dubbed 'Wacky Wednesdays:'

"Good evening. My name is Elaine Hopkins, I live with my husband, George, at 1825 Maple Ridge, Peoria.

I am speaking only for myself and my husband, an educator for 40 plus years, and not for any group. 

We recently paid the first installment of our property taxes, including  more than $1,700 in taxes this year solely for District 150. 

What do we expect for our money?

1. Not a school district that dismisses school for a half day every Wednesday!

Call them Wacky Wednesdays – where the kids are free to watch soap operas, roam the streets or do heaven knows what until their parents get home from work. Teen pregnancy? STD increases? Apply Wacky Wednesdays to the middle schools and high schools and watch the rates climb in Peoria.

What else do we expect?

2. Not a school district where way too many children fail to meet state academic standards – a situation that certainly won’t be improved by Wacky Wednesdays or 45-minute cutbacks.

What else?

3. Not a school district where middle class parents are moving out, not in, because of Wacky Wednesdays or cutbacks.

Out son graduated from Woodruff High School in 1988. He’s now an airline pilot. Thank goodness that we didn’t have to contend with Wacky Wednesdays when he was in school, as we both worked full time. It would have been a nightmare.

Had Wacky Wednesdays been in effect when he was in school we likely would have bought our home in another school district.

And what else do we expect?

4.  Not a school district whose officials expel bloggers from press conferences. That’s what happened last week when parent activist and blogger Diane Vespa was kicked out of the Friday news conference called to introduce Wacky Wednesdays.

What can possibly be the motive for that action? Don’t you want to disseminate your news as widely as possible? Are you afraid of the questions she might have asked? Why?

 Bloggers play an important role in journalism today, as every progressive person knows. They cover everything, including the president of the U.S. nd the national political conventions. I am a blogger. Had I known you would not admit bloggers I would have rearranged my schedule to attend that press conference, just to see whether you would have kicked me out.

I’m hoping that never happens again. I would like to see an official school district policy admitting anyone to a news conference, which is basically a public event, like this meeting.

I wish I were at home doing something else tonight. But this is a serious emergency affecting 6,000 or more pupils in District 150.

Tonight I’m asking you to vote down the Wacky Wednesdays scheme, which is unworkable, and apparently has been proposed only as a way to save face for an administration that screwed up in attempting to cut 45 minutes from the school day.

Then as a citizen and taxpayer I’m asking you to vote to rescind the 45-minute per day cutback approved on May 5.

The teachers say they have plenty of prep time. In fact many of the days scheduled for preparation or training are unused for those purposes, teachers say. They tell of being sent to their classrooms to do catch up work. 

I believe this can be documented. A board member should ask for the documentation, and I will be filing a Freedom of Information request to find out how much time is already scheduled for preparation and training, versus how many special programs have been scheduled, or not.

Finally, the question has arisen as to what citizens and taxpayers can do if the board refuses to listen to the public and blindly rubber stamps what the administration has proposed. There are several things, and none will be pleasant.

1. We can and will challenge at the polls every board member who votes to cut back the amount of time children spend in school. That will be the issue in every school board election until the cutbackers have been replaced.

2. We can raise a continuing ruckus: yard signs, bumper stickers, a web site with information that school officials want to keep hidden. The Title I Audit information is just the first round in this strategy.

3. In addition, some are researching ways to use a referendum to restructure District 150, and we can follow through on that idea.

Our goal is to make District 150 as good a school district as those in the Chicago suburbs, including the one where my grandchildren attend school, instead of the laughing stock of the state with its Wacky Wednesdays or 45-minute cutback schemes.

Peoria has the resources to be an outstanding district once again if it has proper leadership and dedication to children instead of to personal enrichment.

You can start tonight by rejecting Wacky Wednesdays and the 45-minute cutback."

UPDATE 6/18/08:  A quick glance at the District 150 calendar, on the website, shows six half-day school days for "School Improvement Day" and two teacher institute days, both this year and next year. Teachers say the school improvement day is a waste of time. So more time for planning is better?  Yeah, right.

-- Elaine Hopkins  

Peoria District 150 officials back down, sort of

UPDATE, June 14, 2008:  See Peoria Pundit for disturbing information on the District 150 news conference on June 13, where blogger and leader of the citizens group Diane Vespa was barred entry!  Outrageous!

PEORIA -- Peoria School District 150 officials today announced a half hearted rescission of their grand scheme to cut 45 minutes from the school day for children in primary schools.

Instead of cutting back every day, they're dismissing early on Wednesdays, no doubt generating a child care nightmare for working parents. And they're still depriving children of valuable in-school time, in favor of more planning for the teachers.

Here's the link to the board agenda for the June 16 meeting: :

http://www.psd150.org/BOE/Agendas/06%2016%2008%20BOE%20agenda.pdf

(If that doesn't come through -- it's a PDF file -- go to the D150 website and click on 'board of education,' then 'agenda.' )

The agenda item states that the "school day for primary students will be 8:45 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. with the exception of Wednesday when the schedule will be 8:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m."

That raises some questions: what do they mean by 'primary students?' All primary students including the 5th graders in middle schools? Or who?

Also on the agenda: eminent domain approval to buy property near Glen Oak School, where the board wants to build a new school instead of rehabbing the historic school.

In addition the agenda includes contract renewals for  Supt. Ken Hinton and controller Guy Cahill.

Moral:  screw up and get rewarded. Never mind the bad Title I Audit or the furor over the badly planned 45-minute cutback.  On to the next fiasco, I suppose.

The press packet should contain details on these contracts, but details are not on the agenda.

Anyone want to bet their pay won't go up?

-- Elaine Hopkins

Peoria District 150's building plans: apparently awful

PEORIA -- Earlier this week, civic activist Beth Akeson attended a Peoria District 150 School Board committee meeting, the district's building committee, where plans for a new Harrison School were discussed.

Akeson was so shocked by what she saw she posted a report on the Peoria Chronicle blog.

She writes: "The proposed Harrison Birth through Eight Grade Learning Center is a one story building, set back from the street with on-site parking.... The price of gas is now over $4.00 per gallon and it will climb higher. Childhood obesity and limited auto ownership are prevalent in poor neighborhoods and yet there was no discussion about creating a walkable environment; the plans are totally auto centric. There was no mention of sustainability and LEED certification."

That means it won't be a "green" building, in a time when most other school districts are setting good examples with environmentally friendly construction.

She comments: "The plan for the new Harrison school is definitely suburban in concept. After the meeting I talked with the local LZT architect, David Henebry, and I asked why the suburban design? He said the area is not urban and never will be. Funny, that is not how it appears if you base urban versus suburban on whether there is a grid pattern of streets. Did they ask the PHA what they are planning or have they read the Heart of Peoria Plan? We need to be building for the future with less dependence on automobiles."

Further, it is undistinguished architecturally.

She writes: "District 150 is planning an unremarkable, factory type school building and the only guiding principle given to the architects seems to be building as inexpensively as possible. The building is suburban and uninspiring. As the presentation went on Ken Hinton asked the architect about a tower depicted in the rendering and the architect responded:

…it represents a feature to give some importance to the entrance, since this is a single story and economical building…

Could it be he was trying to say in a diplomatic way that the building’s envelope is just run of the mill?"

Akeson wonders why existing buildings cannot be renovated. "If the building committee had consulted an architect familiar with school restoration or renovation, as I have, they would have been told that as much as twenty-five percent of the cost of building a new building lies in preparing the site, laying the building’s foundation, and installing utilities. Another twenty-five percent goes toward the building structure—its framing, walls, and roof. With an historic building, you already have those components in place. Wouldn’t that translate into cost savings and conservation?"

Further, Akeson wrote in an e-mail that construction may consist of pre-fab concrete slabs instead of masonry, not a wise choice for a building of any distinction.

In addition, she writes: "The real kicker came when the board was told the budget would not provide for interior furniture, technology, phone system, community garden, water playground, and outdoor amphitheater. The budget only covers the hard costs of construction and soft costs of design."

She added a list of valuable resources for further reading, on the Chronicle website.

In a comment on the Chronicle website, board member Jim Stowell who attended the meeting said Akeson got it wrong, but he didn't have time to say in what way. We'll be waiting to hear a fuller response.

The last time I was at Harrison School, a few years ago, the temperature outside was 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  A meeting had been scheduled for the gym, which was not air conditioned.

No matter. It was cool inside the heavy stone walls of the building, likely built to withstand not only high temperatures but tornadoes. Wonder if any new building will ever measure up to those standards?  Not likely.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

The 45-minute cutback, chapter 2

PEORIA -- The grassroots group working to get the Peoria District 150 School Board to rescind its 45-minute per day cutback of teaching in most elementary schools will be back in force at the June 16 board meeting, this time with a petiiton that now has more than 1,000 signatures.

Here's the news release:

"Parents, teachers and concerned citizens unhappy over the shortening
of the school day for most District 150 primary schools have just
secured their 1001th signature on a petition requesting the District
150 Board of Education rescind their vote of May 5th. That vote
shortened the primary school Day for most District 150 Schools as
well as cut specialty teachers in Art Music Science and PE.

The petition Drive continues and the group feels that given time they
will easily secure thousands more.

Sharon Crews, a retired Manual teacher, and one of the many that
worked on the petition drive had this to say about the experience:

"Our experience today proved one thing--this group's
efforts have definitely made an impact on the public. Almost everyone
who signed the petitions today already knew about the 45 minute cut in
time for primary schools. Certainly, they didn't find out from any
communications from District #150. The public was aware and very
ready and willing to sign against the action. This should give us all
encouragement for future efforts to make the district accountable to the public.
So many thanked us for putting forth this effort to fight the shortened day."

Chris Summers, A District 150 Parent, had this to say:

" I only spent about an hour on it, and I didn't have any trouble
getting people to sign. Most of them were already aware of what was
going on in D150 and were not only willing, but eager to sign the
petition. I heard a lot of positive comments for what we're trying
to do; it's been a very encouraging experience. More signatures
tomorrow! '

All of the signatures are hard copy, with actual signatures. Copies
of the petition and signatures will be provided to the media upon
request. The group plans to present the petition to the Board of
Education at their next board meeting on June 16. The 45 minute issue
is expected to be on their agenda as a discussion item.

The Petition is entitled "Petition to Rescind Shortened School Day"
and reads "We the undersigned support a full rescission of the
shortened school day/specialty teacher reduction plan that the Peoria
Public Schools Board of Education approved May 5, 2008" "

District 150 administrators have meet with various groups, and a face-saving compromise is rumored. The watchdog group won't accept that. Stay tuned.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Liberal/progressive talk group

PEORIA -- If you're a progressive or liberal and feeling isolated in conservative Peoria, here's a new group that wants you.

About six months ago, writer and media producer Bill Poorman organized a Peoria chapter of a national group called Drinking Liberally. 

It's a social group for like-minded people, and meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Kelleher's Irish Pub, 619 SW Water Street. 

There's a national website with more information. 

Poorman says the group is for both married and single people of both sexes and all ages. Its aim, he says: "to provide an informal place for liberals of all interests and parties to gather together to get to know one another
better and provide some camaraderie and support." 

PEORIA -- As demonstrations go, the event organized for June 2 to protest Peoria School District 150's cutback of 45 minutes from the school day in most primary schools was a good one -- perhaps the biggest since the District fired its first black, female superintendent a few years ago.

About 100 people of all ages, including children, showed up to don especially created tee-shirts and carry hand made signs, which they could craft themselves on the spot if they wanted to.

People brought water, hot dogs to feed hungry kids, and hung out around the front of the administration building from 5 - 6:30 p.m., until the board meeting began. Passing vehicles honked their support.

Police lurked in several cars a block away, but there were no arrests or any reason for an arrest.

Several speakers used the public time at the meeting to urge the board to change its policy. One promised 2,000 signatures on petitions opposing the cutback, by the time the board meets again. But no one on the board moved to revoke the cutback.

Superintendent Ken Hinton responded enigmatically, saying he now plans to present additional material to the board at its June 16 meeting.  Will a motion to rescind be on the agenda? Hinton said only "I will come back to the board," several times.

"I realize that to make a recommendation and decision and come back...it puts us all in a difficult situation," he said.

Hummm. Those opposed to the cutbacks better keep up the pressure.

 -- Elaine Hopkins