Crime

D209 board resumes livestream

Contentious ve-hour meeting Nov. 9 was broadcast online, one month a er board chair opted to discontinue practice

By ANDY VIANO

Editor

Proviso District 209 School Board President Rodney Alexander reversed an earlier decision and announced school board meetings would once again be livestreamed, beginning with a raucous five-hour meeting on Nov. 9 at Proviso East High School.

Alexander’s controversial decision not to livestream the Oct. 12 regular board meeting prompted an outcry from district parents and staff and prompted two board members — Amanda Grant and Claudia Medina — to hold their own community listening sessions in the weeks afterward.

Alexander, addressing the decision to resume the video broadcasts near the end of the lengthy board meeting Nov. 9, said the livestream was back because the board wanted it back.

“It’s a privilege, though,” he said. “It has nothing to do with transparency … livestreaming is not a requirement.”

In an interview after he abruptly cut the practice Oct. 12, eliminating something that had been in place since 2017, Alexander told the Review that the behavior of community members who had participated in recent board meetings led to the decision.

“We don’t by law have to record at all,” Alexander said at the time. “The superintendent and I are responsible for setting up the meetings. We knew the crowd was coming. We knew that the teachers union was putting together these theatrics or whatever.”

On Oct. 13, one day after last month’s meeting, Alexander vowed not to livestream or record regular board meetings and board committee meetings again as part of an effort to get them under control.

His recent change-of-heart did not accompany a more tranquil environment.

The Nov. 9 board meeting was attended by upwards of 100 people, including a bloc of district teachers who have been vocally critical of some board members and district Supt. James Henderson in the midst of negotiations with the teachers union over a new contract.

Those in attendance in Maywood had to wait several hours to hear their voices heard, as the board opted to move public comment later in the planned agenda. The public comment period was later pushed back up the agenda after Medina moved to do so around 9:30 p.m., two hours after the meeting began, saying some in attendance needed to get home on a school night.

During the public comment period, a string of emotional speakers unleashed a barrage of criticisms toward the board and administration, ranging from concerns about security in school buildings, a backlog of IT issues, and out-of-control student behavior and fights — something Henderson addressed in a video to the district earlier this month.

Alexander, too, addressed the atmosphere in D209’s three high schools, citing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on students’ home and school lives, and saying the violent environment described by some parents at the board meeting was overblown.

“I push back vehemently on the notion that our scholars are out of control,” he said.

Alexander was combative throughout the meeting, clashing with Medina in particular over everything from the superintendent’s credit card expenditures to the hiring of additional security personnel to staffing and facilities concerns.

When it finally came time to vote on a number of items presented during the meeting, it was after midnight on Nov. 10. The board split on most votes, with Medina and Grant in the minority.

The contested issues included the purchase of a curriculum enhancement program called Educational Epiphany at a price tag of $533,660 for “professional development, workshops and services, literacy kits, resource guides, video library, school license and consumables.” That purchase was approved by a 5-2 vote.

Medina, who voted against the purchase, called the cost “absolutely exorbitant,” something challenged by several other board members who countered that the dollar sign, while offering a bit of sticker shock, broke down to less than $200 per student.

“I don’t think this amount is too much to invest in our children,” board member Theresa Kelly said.

The program was presented early in the evening by Dr. Donyall Dickey, who touted its effectiveness in teaching literacy and improving students’ overall competence by pivoting away from a practice of teaching in order to improve test scores. That drew applause from some in the audience, including teachers, but when the price was revealed, one audience member derided the program as a half-million dollars for “flash cards.”

Grant, who also voted no on the purchase, cautioned that the move was made too hastily, as the board had not been presented with studies on its efficacy in other districts or received widespread buy-in from teachers.

Dickey is a former school administrator in Atlanta who was briefly picked to be the school superintendent in Portland, Oregon in 2017. Dickey withdrew his interest in the position, however, after school board members said he displayed a “lack of candor” about his background, including a minor criminal history, the Oregonian newspaper reported at the time.

LO CAL R OUNDUP

Village leaf collection ends Dec. 1

The Forest Park Public Works Department’s free leaf collection program will wrap up on Wednesday, Dec. 1, giving residents just two more weeks to gather up their fallen leaves and rake them to the curb.

Leaf collection began on Oct. 1.

Residents are asked to rake their leaves into the street gutters where they will be picked up by a public works street sweeper on a rotating schedule that can be found on the village’s website, forestpark.net. Leaves should be raked to the curb only a day before they are scheduled to be picked up.

No grass clippings, bags or tree limbs will be collected. Contractors dumping leaves illegally from other locations will be cited, according to the village.

Scarecrow winners announced

The Historical Society of Forest Park and the Forest Park Arts Alliance have announced the winners of their first-ever Invasion of the Scarecrows fundraiser that encouraged locals to display a scarecrow in front of their home during the fall season.

According to an historical society press release, all 100 scarecrow kits created for the fundraiser were sold and scarecrows were on display both in and out of Forest Park, with a scarecrow map published on the historical society website.

Award voting was conducted online. All four winners received merchandise and/ or gift certificates from local businesses.

The winners include: ■ People’s Choice: Ricky Poonsa, “The Golden Girls” ■ Forest Park Pride: Tanya Friese, “Firefighter” ■ Most Artistic: Kitty Wanicek, “Scarecrow with Watering Can” ■ Most Historic: Jessica Voogd, “Adolph Luetgert, the Sausage King”

The Invasion of the Scarecrows is slated to return in 2022, with an expected 200 kits available for purchase beginning in July.

Empowering Gardens opens winter shop

tunities to people with disabilities, has opened its winter store at 7736 Madison St. in Forest Park, one door down from the permanent garden center.

The store will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Use of the building was donated by Jack Strand, according to Ana Solares, Empowering Gardens’ director of operations.

“We are grateful to Jack Strand for allowing us to use his building,” Solares said. “Last year we worked from trailers and it was difficult for our staff and the houseplants. Thanks to Jack this year, we have a large, warm and safe place for our employees, customers and plants.”

The winter shop will sell employee-created items, houseplants, winter decorations and gardening supplies. Customers who prefer non- contact shipping can purchase online at empoweringgardensinc. org. Delivery is available.

Historical society presents annual award

Anthony Crawford, the general manager of O’Sullivan’s Public House in Forest Park, has been named this year’s recipient of the Dr. Frank Orland Award, as presented by the Historical Society of Forest Park.

A pillar of Forest Park, Dr. Frank Orland, founder and first president of the historical society had a mission of sharing the history of his town. He collected stories, treasures and moments, and researched with a passion and eccentricity that was beloved.

Every year, the HSFP honors an individual or group who has shown the same devotion, unique energy and talent.

Crawford has devoted his bartending skills and curious nature to build an annual prohibition fundraiser to mark the Volstead Act period. Crawford not only has added his own charm and creativity in crafting the drinks, he has also partnered with several local businesses to build the event.

Using ice from Nadeau’s, furniture from Studio 8, glassware and record player from the Forest Park Emporium, he created an experience even when the world turned virtual. He even created mixology videos with special historical notes with every signature drink.

Crawford grew up in Forest Park.