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Volume 6 Issue 41
OCTOBER 6, 2016
Pleasant Valley Soiree
ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTOS McHenry County News
Above: A veritable canyon of prairie grasses surround the guests on this tour through Please Valley. Left: Guide Andy Talley identifies various plants, grasses and flowers on the twilight stroll through the Pleasant Valley Conservation Area.
By Anne Eickstadt, CORRESPONDENT
‘You are invited to an intimate dinner at a scenic out-of-the-way place. Dinner will be followed by a stroll through the woods with the ever-changing colors of fall and by musical entertainment by a campfire.’ Is how the invitation to this event could have been written. The location for the Friday, September 23, event is the Pleasant Valley Conservation Area on Pleasant Valley Road in Woodstock. The host is the McHenry County Conservation District in the persons of Guides Andy Talley and Sam Shaw. Sam checked in the pre-registered guests at the shelter at the end of a short path from
the parking area. A dozen people are here for the Sunset Soiree and BBQ. Dinner is from BBQ King Smokehouse in Woodstock. Then Andy leads us on a twilight stroll through a canyon of prairie grasses. He identifies several of the plants such as Turkey Foot and Blue Stem grasses, Side Oat Grama [Old English word for ‘grass’], Bottle Gentian and Coneflowers. A Great Horned Owl can be heard nearby. “I’ve been with the McHenry County Conservation District for 18 years,” he says. “This is one of my favorite sites. IN our efforts at prairie restoration, we have planted prairie grasses and flowers even along short paths and in the parking lot islands.” As the evening stroll continues, the prairie
ecosystem with its open areas and tall grasses gives way to a savanna ecosystem with mature trees providing shady areas without much undergrowth. “This is where woods and prairie come together.” The stroll ends at a meadow containing a bonfire. A pair of musicians with guitars await the guests to continue the evening with melody and song in the great outdoors. The Pleasant Valley Conservation Area has had a varied history. In the 1800s, Irish immigrants settled the area. In 1952, the land was purchased by the Chicago Congregational Union and turned into a summer camp for inner-city youth. Thousands of children enjoyed the ‘wilds’ of McHenry County over the course of 46
years. The McHenry County Conservation District acquired the land and, in 1997, began restoration efforts. “The buildings originally on the site were in very poor condition. Vandals destroyed them before the Conservation District made a decision as to whether of not to keep them,” Andy says. Today the site contains not only an oak savanna and prairie ecosystems, it also holds a Grade A stream and pond stocked with bluegill and a virgin wetlands area. It is home to many species of animals and birds. More information about the site, the McHenry County Conservation District and upcoming events can be found online at www.mccdistrict.org.
District 154 hallway policy being reviewed
By Samantha Fetzner REPORTER
After causing an uproar with parents and students alike, the Marengo High School hallway escort arrangement is already expected to disappear by the second half of the school year. After struggling with students taking advantage of the prior ‘emergency pass’ system that the school used to use, the new school year began with students being required to have a member of the staff escort them outside the classroom in the event they needed to leave while that class was in session. During the 2015-2016 school year the students accumulated over 1,150 tardies. The enrollment at the school was less than 750 students during the course of the year. The school has reacted to the dissatisfaction regarding the policy by
having a student advisory committee review it and determine alternative options for the policy. The immediate reaction from the community caused a petition to circulate that exceeded 600 signatures before being brought to the school Board meeting on Sept 12. Parents, children, and concerned community members took to websites like Facebook to display their feelings toward the policy, citing that they felt it was unreasonable. The school has not taken those concerns lightly. Since the policy began, the school superintendent has noted that there have been less class absences during academic courses. Students are more often requesting to leave class during study hall than anything else. In the course of their day, Marengo High School students have five minutes in between each of their classes
that the school feels is adequate for both the travel between classrooms as well as bathroom stops or locker visits if necessary. The student advisory committee’s suggestions will be given to the school board for their review. The
two groups will collaborate to bring a more agreeable solution to the table. At this time, the school believes the ultimate change come second semester will be the use of a hallway monitor or monitor(s) to keep things in order while classes are in session.
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29th ANNUAL
Autumn Drive
2016
Rural Woodstock and Marengo, Illinois
By giving the advisory committee a chance to provide input, it gives the student body a better voice in their daily school lives. When the advisory committee and school board will discuss the alternative options has not yet been determined.
Antiques, Produce, Arts & Crafts
October 14, 15 & 16 Fri., Sat. & Sun. 9 am to 5 pm
For maps and more details go to
www.autumndrive.net