Thursday March 26, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 5
The Weekly Post
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School board races main intrigue of local election By JEFF LAMPE
When discussion turns to Washington, D.C., you’ll sometimes hear disgruntled constituents comment, “We need to vote them all out.” Obviously, the same sentiment does not exist in most of our local elections. Aside from occasional heated races, local politics often plays out in a quiet, nonconfrontational manner. Often the biggest problem on the local level is merely finding enough candidates to fill out the ballot. That’s certainly the case Weekly Post Staff Writer
No soccer yet for Brimfield By TERRY BIBO
BRIMFIELD – Soccer, maybe. School calendar may be later, even June 13. Then there is the annual process of rehiring or not hiring school teachers, which may be the reason for a nearly three-and-a-half-hour executive session at the March 18 regular meeting of the Brimfield Board of Education. First, parent Dawn Davidson discussed having soccer made available in Brimfield. She said many parents have indicated interest in starting a team. She would be happy to get information from the Peoria Park District and school districts which might be “friendlys.” Board members were skeptical there would be enough participation or enough teams to play within a reasonable driving distance. “If we could co-op with Elmwood, we’d definitely For The Weekly Post
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for the upcoming April 7 election, for which contested races are at a real premium. With the exception of the school board elections for Farmington and Elmwood, most races are clear-cut. If you run, you will win – even as a write-in candidate, in some cases. But a big part of what we do here at The Weekly Post is to cover local politics. This election is no different. With that in mind, we are providing a detailed look at the contested school board races.
Election 2015 • Learn more about the candidates running for the Elmwood and Farmington school boards, Pages 8-9. • School board members leaving office look back at their time tenure, Page 16.
It is encouraging to note that the crowd at last week’s Meet the Candidates Night in Elmwood was well-attended. The same was true Tuesday in Farmington. That tells us that, contested or not, local politics still matters to some people.
Elmwood, Farmington board bios By BILL KNIGHT
The following are answers to two general questions from candidates for contested school board seats in the Elmwood and Farmington school districts. ELMWOOD CUSD 322 DEAN CANTU, Professor and Chair, Department of Teacher Education, Bradley University No. 1 education issue: As a former classroom teacher I recognize that K-12 education is always subject to change, often due to revisions in state and/or national For The Weekly Post
SOME PIG
Commitment to raise livestock paying off for Caldwell clan
ELMWOOD – While many families spend their summers attending baseball or soccer tournaments, the Caldwell family is on the road showing livestock at over 40 events each season. “It’s a commitment that the entire family takes very seriously,” says Kim Caldwell, wife of Todd and mother of Maddie, Olivia and Cole. By their own choice, all three Caldwell kids are very involved in the dayto-day operation of their livestock business. Daily responsibilities include cleaning pens, walking, washing and grooming the livestock. Often, chores aren’t completed before dinner, so they head back to the barn to spend their evenings tending to their hogs and cattle. “Raising show livestock has given all three children skills that will last a lifetime,” said Kim. She cites the discipline required to
government standards, code/rules, and mandates. In my role as Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Bradley University and as a member of two Illinois State Board of Education governing bodies – the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board and the Illinois Social Studies Standards Revision Committee – I have witnessed first-hand the impact, over the past few years, new K-12 standards (i.e., CCSS in English language arts and mathematics; Continued on Page 8
Williamsfield disputes: 1 down, 1 to go By BILL KNIGHT
WILLIAMSFIELD – One local dispute is settled, but another continues. The State of Illinois last week signed off on a tentative agreement with the Williamsfield Fire Protection District, which trustees signed on March 14, even as a labor dispute at the school is going to a third party for a ruling. The Illinois Department of Public Health director, Dr. Nirav D. Inside Shah, signed the Peoria County is Final Order con- considering cutcerning the ting mowing this Williamsfield summer. Page 7. Fire Protection District (WFPD). Under the order, the district pays a fine of $21,000, surrenders its ambulance license for the time being and concedes that it used tanks of room air rather than Medical Grade Oxygen for a few years. The district must also institute a Plan of Correction to use only Medical Oxygen tanks and undergo additional training. Meanwhile, The Weekly Post has learned from parties close to the situation that the Williamsfield Education Association teachers union recently For The Weekly Post
Maddie Caldwell, left, and sister Olivia (center) enjoyed a recent trip to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. Also pictured is Darren Markey, director of sales and marketing at Keystone Steel & Wire, which purchased Maddie Caldwell’s hog at the show.
prepare for competition, passion for success, and the life-long friendships developed through participating in the show circuit.
The family business focuses primarily on show cattle but as a youngster, Maddie didn’t follow in the Continued on Page 2
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