Dave,
I am responding to your November 8, 2004 editorial " Help Fund Extracurricular Activities at Fieldcrest", as a parent and 1 member of the school board. These are my views and DO NOT reflect the views of the entire board.
I have some views and suggestions for you and your readers that I would like to offer in response to your comments. While I agree with some of your points, and disagree with some of your points, I truly appreciate your forum and respect your right to voice your opinions.
" If one of the messages the voters of this school district are sending by their vote on the recent referendum is to the state government, PLEASE make sure they understand that message was directed at them!! Call them, send them a fax, (emails are not as well received), or go see them and tell them this what you feel and how you think things should be done.
o
Dan Rutherford
State Senator
District Office
320 N. Plum Street
Pontiac, IL 61764
(815) 842-3632
(815) 842-2875 Fax
Springfield Office
105B Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-6597
(217) 782-0116 Fax
Email: danrutherford@danrutherford.com
(For e-mail correspondence, we ask that you include your mail address and phone number. To ensure a reply, we MUST have this information.)
o
Representative Keith P. Sommer (R)
106th District
216-N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL. 62706
217-782-0221
217-782-1275 (fax)
District Office:
121 W Jefferson
Morton, IL 61550
309-263-9242
309-263-8187 (fax)
We all hope that farmland values increase which will help with local funding of the school
district, however you forgot to remind your readers that Fieldcrest has a history of NOT
taxing at the maximum allowable rate unless it was truly needed as in the last few years in
order to attempt to balance the budget without borrowing.
Let me preface this by saying, I am 100% in support of what the CAC is doing. I will continue to support them not only monetarily, but also in person by working at and attending fundraisers and paying the fees required for my children to participate in activities
Your comment regarding donations to the CAC quote "Lastly, we as a community are telling the school district what we will support." Disappoints me. On June 16, 2003 your wrote an editorial on this very website encouraging the school board to eliminate extracurricular activities and develop an intramural program to cut costs and eliminate transportation expenses. You also commented on how too much emphasis was put on athletics and competition our schools and how extracurricular activities have nothing to do with education (this is copied directly from your website)" The second reason for eliminating organized sports is because it has nothing to do with education and has more to do with a source of entertainment for the community."
What's the deal? We can't win can we Dave? We are cursed if we don't make the "right" decision, and the we are second guessed if we make any decision. I have not agreed with every decision we as a board have made, but at least we are looking at alternatives, talking about them as a board and gathering input from the communities, arguing about them at times and making decisions.
I appreciate your forum and the service it provides to the communities, but if I had "flip-flopped" on an issue like I feel you have done, I am sure you would make your feelings known to me.
I am going to continue to work for what I think is in the best interest of all of FIELDCREST, not any one community regardless of what the current popular opinion.
I hope that come the spring election there are as least as many votes for candidates for the school board as there are for and against the referendum, because we need people to run for the board who want to make decisions and not worry about getting re-elected.
After all, based on what I perceive as your current position, don't depend on your supporters to be there if what you have done becomes unpopular.
Joe Kirkpatrick
Fieldcrest CUSD #6 School Board Member
Links to both editorials
http://www.minonktalk.com/editor.htm
http://www.minonktalk.com/ed061603.htm
Editors reply:Joe, I still maintain that sports should be an intramural program as stated in
my earlier editorial. The fact that I am donating to the current extracurricular program doesn't mean that
I have changed my opinion on that. The current fund drive was not my idea but came from suggestions from
alumni. I decided to contribute to the fund because I feel sorry for the families who have
to pony up a lot of money to keep their children involved in extracurriculars. In addition, the
extracurricular fund supports nonsport activities as well. If sports were
an intramural program, I think the cost to support it would be less and more students would
have a chance to participate. I do appreciate your feedback and your efforts as a school board member.
The blistering-hot summer is over and fall is finally here! For some of us, the kids are back in class and its time to break out the sweaters and winter coats. Have a great school year!
For the 85 men deployed in Iraq, October brought combat operations in Samarra and Ad Duluiyah, long days training the Iraqi National Guard and escorting a bomb disposal team across our sector, and a change of command ceremony from Chris Simpson to Chad Ramskugler. We all wish Captain Simpson the very best as he moves on to Engineer Brigade - he has led this company for 20 months and we thank him and his family for all the dedication and sacrifices they have made. I took command on October 19th - this is an incredible privilege and honor. Not many people know that I have two younger sisters in the Army. They deserve outstanding leadership and I expect a lot from their commanders. Likewise, the soldiers of Bravo Company deserve outstanding leadership from me and I will always give my best to each of you.
To our loved ones back in Germany and the United States, thank you for the care packages, words of encouragement, and frequent emails that keep us going. We really couldn't do this without you. I look forward to meeting everyone and taking some hard-earned leave next spring.
Rock Steady! Captain Ramskugler
Editor's note: Captain Ramskugler is a grandson of former Minonk resident Mary Paloumpis Hallick. We encourage
other soldiers overseas to send us letters so that people back home can get a first hand account of
life as a soldier.