Thursday April 20, 2017 Vol. 5, No. 8
The Weekly Post
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Farmington OKs facade renovation extension
A CHANCE TO HELP OTHERS
Volunteers play key role at Big Sky
By BILL KNIGHT By JEFF LAMPE
FARMINGTON – Owners of property in the Downtown Historic Preservation District interested in redeveloping the fronts of their buildings may soon be able to get assistance, as the City Council on Monday voted 5-1 to Inside approve an ordinance extending the Com• Yates City ormercial Façade Renodering new vation Program lights for its restored gazebo. through April 30, Page 6 2018, or until its $40,000 budget is spent. The Council on April 3 had discussed the Community and Economic Development Commission’s recommendation to continue the program, which in two previous years has offered eligible property owners up to $7,500 per façade. That means the City’s matching grant pays 75 percent of the total cost, with owners payFor The Weekly Post
MIDDLEGROVE – The busy season is just around the corner for Camp Big Sky. Fishing, hiking, kite flying and more will soon attract children and adults with disabilities from all over Illinois to this unique strip mine property located southwest of Middlegrove. And that means Camp Big Sky is once again in need of volunteers to help during its 14th season of providing free outdoor opportunities for children and adults with disabilities and their families. “We promise our volunteers that we will value their commitment by providing a meaningful and positive experience that is well organized, makes good use of your time, creates memorable results and is fun,” said Brad Weekly Post Staff Writer
Volunteers from the Elmwood United Methodist Church spent time at Camp Big Sky on April 8 repairing a wheelchair-accessible trail around one of the camp’s lakes. Camp director Brad Guidi said 60 volunteers have spent 250 hours of time on 24 different projects to get the camp ready for its 14th season, which opens the first week of May.
Guidi, the founder and Mission Director for the camp. Guidi said volunteers can decide how often and when they wish to volunteer. “We try to have them come to the camp and do what they love to do, such as fishing, arts and crafts, boating, etc.,” Guidi said.
As the camp has grown from its humble start, Guidi said so has the need for more volunteers to provide camper support services, help with maintenance, construction and repair duties and to drive the special event fundraisers that contribute a signifiContinued on Page 2
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Bill in DC could topple public schooling, area critics say By BILL KNIGHT
Decisions in Washington percolate down to local communities, of course; few more so than public education, and a measure on Capitol Hill could change how schools are supported. Add to that the fact that the bill – House Resolution 610, “The Choices In Education Act 2017,” comes at a time when the White House seeks a 13.5-percent cut in Education – or an approximate total of $9.2 billion. Apart from funding issues in For The Weekly Post
Springfield, H.R. 610 would repeal the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and limit the authority of the Department of Education to award block grants to qualified states. The bill would establish a voucher program through which each state would distribute block-grant funds among local educational agencies based on the number of eligible children there. From these amounts, each agency shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who
elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses. H.R. 610 also repeals the rule that set nutrition standards for school lunch and breakfast programs. Sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and co-sponsored by two other Republican Congressmen, the measure was introduced in January and referred to the Education and the Work-
force Committee. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) is the only Congressman from Illinois that sits on that committee. “The object is to put parents back in control of their children’s education and curriculum and put it in a position where the public schools compete with the parochial schools,” King has said. Public school officials are understandably nervous about the legislation. By starting a national school voucher system for chil-
dren ages 5-17, the bill could essentially start de-funding public schools. And eliminating the comprehensive ESEA law, the bill could abolish programs for struggling learners, AdvancedPlacement classes, English as a Second Language classes and programs for Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety and special-needs learners. “H.R. 610 would change the landscape of public education, drive public funds to private Continued on Page 10