The Herald-News • Sunday, August 2, 2015
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JJC chairman Jeff May resigns Advised by his doctors to reduce stress after minor stroke By BOB OKON bokon@shawmedia.com JOLIET – Joliet Junior College Board Chairman Jeff May has resigned for health reasons. May said Friday he had had a minor stroke July 25 and was advised by his doctor to resign from the board Jeff May to reduce his stress.
“I made the decision based on my doctor’s recommendation,” May said. “I explained the responsibilities I had as chairman. She recommended that I resign.” May has been on the board since 1999. He became chairman this year and previously was vice chairman. “I loved being on the board for the last 15 years,” May said. “I formed great relationships with trustees across the state.” He had been active on community college issues both
statewide and nationally, having been a past president of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and currently a board member with the national Association of Community College Trustees. “We’ll miss him,” JJC spokeswoman Kelly Rohder said. “He’s just been a wonderful asset to the board, especially on key legislative issues.” Rohder noted that May had traveled to Springfield and Washington, D.C., with JJC
President Debra Daniels to advocate on behalf of JJC and community colleges. She said college officials heard from May late Thursday that he was resigning. A replacement board member will be appointed, Rohder said. May was last elected in 2011 for a term that was to end in 2017. May said he had the stroke at a Cubs game and went to the hospital. He was released the following afternoon. He said he would make re-
turn visits to the college. But for now, he was focused on his health and what he needed to do to adjust his diet and get more exercise. Finding ways to reduce stress also was important, he said. “Obviously, stress is a big factor in this kind of case,” he said. Daniels issued a campuswide memo Friday saying in part that May “provided critical leadership through his legislative advocacy work at the state and national levels. I know without hesitation he will remain committed to supporting JJC.”
Lincoln-Way board takes on Info sought on more questions about closings paintball shooter By FELIX SARVER
fsarver@shawmedia.com FRANKFORT – Lincoln-Way board members assured the public throughout a special meeting Saturday that the education quality of the schools will stay the same as they decide which one to close. Lincoln-Way High School District 210 board members are considering closing one of the four academic buildings to reduce their budget deficit, which was about $5.4 million at the close of fiscal 2015. After District 202 ended up on the state financial watch list this year, the Illinois State Board of Education directed school leaders to submit a deficit reduction plan by September. Four out of seven board members – Kevin Molloy, Christopher Kosel, Christopher McFadden and Ronald Lullo – were present at Saturday’s nearly two-hour meeting to respond to more comments and questions from the public. The board members stressed the education quality of the school district would not suffer with a school closing, although some were nervous about how certain state legislation could impact their deficit reduction plan. They also said
the rumors that the board has already decided which school to close were false. Board President Molloy said he was confident Lincoln-Way will fix its financial problems. “I have every confidence that we will have the three schools moving forward. I would be devastated if it was less than that,” he said. However, McFadden wasn’t hopeful about a future with even three high schools. “I really do think it is more likely in five years that we will have two high schools than three, given how things are in the state of Illinois,” he said, referring to the state’s own budget deficit. “… I have no inside knowledge as to what’s happening in Springfield but over the years it has not been good and I just don’t see that trend changing.” When the board makes its decision on which school to close, it will base its criteria on either boundary lines or keeping the junior high schools together. It also will consider building and district capacity, transportation and geographic location. It doesn’t foresee dramatic changes to class sizes. In response to one question, school officials said there were no health or safety concerns at any of the high schools as all
four pass annual life safety inspections and are approved for occupancy by the Will County Regional Office of Education. Ronald Sawin, assistant superintendent of business, said the biggest notification Lincoln-Way received from the regional office was on items stored too close to the ceiling. School officials also gave a breakdown of operating costs of each building and savings if one of them closed. According to Saturday’s presentation, the total operating cost of Lincoln-Way Central is $2.7 million; East is $2.6 million; North is $1.9 million; and West is $1.8 million. The savings if Central were closed would be $1.4 million; for East, $1.5 million; North would be $1 million; and for West $971,141. Superintendent Scott Tingley said the savings for closing a building would be about $4.2 million no matter which building. Additional savings from building operations would also be made depending on the school, he said. Kosel said even if one of the schools close, they will be community assets. Molloy said he doesn’t think it would be fiscally responsible to sell a school and “there could come a day when that school will be necessary.”
By VIKAAS SHANKER vshanker@shawmedia.com JOLIET – Police are seeking information connected with incidents in which two people were shot by paintballs on the west side of Joliet in recent days. The first incident occurred when a 64-year-old man was cutting the grass in the 1100 block of North Raynor Avenue, Deputy Police Chief Ed Gregory said. The Joliet resident said he was first struck with an orange paintball on his left forearm by an offender who was driving in a gray four-door vehicle. The paintball bruised his forearm and drew blood. The offender shot at the man a second time, resulting in a hit and bruise to the upper left area of his chest, near the collarbone. The resident told police the driver then fled south on Raynor. The resident refused hospital transport, but was looked at by medics. Gregory said a couple minutes later, an officer around the 600 block of Ruby Street was flagged down by a 67-year-old resident who also was hit by a paintball while walking into the Sunshine
“We can’t tell what type of vehicle it is. It’s a four-door, gray vehicle ... probably 2000 to 2006. It’s been described as a Buick or Hyundai.” Ed Gregory Joliet deputy police chief
Food Mart at 806 Wilcox St. The victim reported feeling a stinging pain in his right rear thigh. When he looked down, he found orange paint and realized he had been shot by a paintball gun. Witnesses in the food mart parking lot reported the shots came from a four-door vehicle. An investigation of surveillance cameras in the area showed the vehicle. “We can’t tell what type of vehicle it is,” Gregory said. “It’s a four-door, gray vehicle ... probably 2000 to 2006. It’s been described as a Buick or Hyundai.” Gregory said anyone who saw or has information on the incidents can call Joliet police investigators at 815724-3020.