Thursday July 16, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 19
The Weekly Post
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Billtown board OKs teachers’ contract
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CORN GROWERS VISIT CUBA
By BILL KNIGHT
WILLIAMSFIELD – A recent survey of District 210 staff and students show room for improvement, but the teachers and Board of Education took a step in that direction with a tentative agreement to a new contract a month early. The Board of Education on Monday approved the new collective bargaining agreement, pending its ratification by the Williamsfield Education Association union, which represents about 28 certified staff. The WEA will vote on the proposed settlement next Friday (July 24), according to Kent Riggs, president of the Local. Neither the union nor the District disclosed details except one contentious issue that apparently was resolved. “We have changed our evaluation tool,” Riggs said. Some teachers had complained about unfair performance evaluations, and the union filed grievances to address the dispute. Meanwhile, results from Illinois’ 5Essentials Survey were mixed, according to a presentation by educator Tom Ryan. Conducted Jan. 12 -March 13 by the State Board of Education, the third annual survey tries to measure schools’ learning conditions based on: effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environments, and ambitious instruction. According to Ryan’s assessment of the survey’s results, students say classes are challenging and engaging and are optimistic about the school’s future, and For The Weekly Post
Continued on Page 7
Mottaz: It’s time to trade with Cuba There, their goal was simple: open up communications and discuss, ELMWOOD – On the morning people-to-people, ways to improve relations and trade. President Barack Obama an“It’s time to let bygones be bynounced his plan to open a U.S. gones,” said Mottaz, who’s also embassy in Cuba, Ted Mottaz been active with Farm Bureau and talked about restoring diplomatic relations and opening up trade with Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District. “They’re ready.” the Caribbean nation. A U.S. It was embassy is 19,902 days “They have very little – planned to since the open July 20, United States except 1950s cars. But after a surprise severed ties to cars still share the road announcement the island in December country of with horses. A lot of the U.S. 11.4 million things are just run down.” that would start repeople. – Ted Mottaz, on Cuba establishing re“It’s over 50 lations with years,” said Cuba and lift Mottaz, a District Director with the Illinois Corn trade and travel restrictions. Last Saturday marked 20 years Growers Association who was part since the United States normalized of a Cuba Trade Mission June 8relations with Vietnam after a 1012. year war where thousands of Mottaz joined a delegation of Americans were killed or about 10 people from the Illinois wounded. Corn Marketing Board and other “We lost 50,000-some lives in state groups that flew to Cancun, Mexico, to continue on to Havana. Continued on Page 2 By BILL KNIGHT For The Weekly Post
Ted Mottaz found everyday Cubans very forthcoming.This farmer recalled the Cuban government confiscating his land after the revolution.
Elmwood 2014 property values up 3.1 percent By BILL KNIGHT
ELMWOOD – Property values in the City of Elmwood are up dramatically for 2014, more than doubling projections for real estate county-wide. The 2014 Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) for all property in Elmwood is $22,306,954, according to documents provided to the City by its attorney, Robert Potts. That figure – which excludes the two Tax-Increment Financing district factors – For The Weekly Post
is a 3.1 percent increase from 2013. Peoria County this year forecast a county-wide growth in EAV of 1.5 percent. EAV is a third of the full market value, which in turn is estimated at a figure that the property would bring at a sale where an owner is ready, willing and able to sell but isn’t compelled to do so, and a buyer would be ready, willing and able to purchase, but is not forced to do so. “Buyers and sellers are the ones who determine the value of real estate,” says
Dave Ryan, Peoria County Supervisor of Assessment. Maybe more significant than the 3.1 percent improvement is that the increase follows two years of falling EAV, and is above its level from four years ago: • 2011 - $22,206,295 • 2012 - $21,838,666 (a 1.66 percent decline from 2011) • 2013 - $21,635,850 (a 0.92 percent drop from 2012) • 2114 - $22,306,954 (+3.1 percent)