Letters to the EditorLetters to the Editor should be legible and limited to 500 words. They should discuss issues and/or events. If you are critical of an issue, you should present constructive criticism, rather than defamatory statements about an individual or organization. All letters must be signed by the author, including an address and phone number for verification or they will not be published. Deadline for submissions is 3:00 p.m. on Mondays prior to that week's issue. (On weeks containing a holiday, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, the deadline may be earlier. Call 309-329-2151 for more information.) To e-mail a letter to the editor, send it to argus@kkspc.com and put LETTER in the subject line. You can also snail-mail a Letter to the Editor to:
The Argus reserves the right to edit or reject any letter, and to limit the number of letters on any one topic. January 4, 2012Dear Editor:What a difference a day makes … We have all heard the saying and not really thought much about it, but I got to put it to the test. In one day my well thought-out plans were changed forever. I went from plodding through everyday life to fighting for my life; from 31 years of marriage to thinking I was going to leave my wife a widow. I went from thinking I had a pretty great family, to knowing the true meaning of the word family; from thinking I had a couple of friends, to realizing I have more friends than I could ever imagine. Then just as we were beginning to return to normal, it all fell apart again. My wife, who had just nursed me back to health, the one who hardly left my hospital bedside, who was literally there through sickness and in health, was diagnosed with the dreaded "C" word. I went from returning to work for the first day, to being told my wife of 31 years will probably not grow old with me or see the faces of our grandchildren. What a difference a day makes. My world was turned upside down; my faith in God, in everything, was tested. I was angry, bitter and completely devastated. But then while I was wallowing in self pity, I saw the calm strength and heard the wisdom of my wife. She told me it could always be worse and we will get through it. Well, she was right, a new day came and things started happening. After a surgical procedure, we recognized the post-op nurse, who just happened to be familiar with this rare type of cancer and directed us to University of Iowa Cancer centers, where we found Dr. Halfdanarson, a specialist and Dr. Howe, a surgeon. Then the caring people of this amazing community heard of our difficulties. So many of you offered words of encouragement and lifted us up in prayer, that helped get us through the tough times. Then some friends put together a benefit for us. Through the unbelievable support and selfless giving of all who attended and others, I was able to remain at my wife's bedside after major surgery for a week without worrying. You will never know how much this meant to us. It's been a humbling experience, nobody wants to ask for help, but sometimes help just finds you. I have purposefully left out names because there were so many people involved and I would surely forget one. So from the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate you all. Please, I urge any of you who are "not feeling quite right" to go get checked out, even if it proves a false alarm, because a day can make all the difference. Like my daughter has said, be your own health advocate. Jeff & Tina Althiser & Family December 28, 2011Dear Editor:As Congress considers legislation to reform the business model of the Postal Service, it must confront a basic choice: to permit the Postal Service to function more as a business does or constrain it from doing so. With greater business model flexibility, the Postal Service can return the profitability and financial stability. A flexible business model would speed product and pricing decisions, enable a five-day per week delivery schedule and permit the realignment of mail processing, delivery and retail networks to meet lower mail volumes. It also would allow the Postal Service to effectively manage its healthcare and retirement systems and better leverage its workforce. For an organization that generates all of its revenue from the sale of its postage, products and services — and is contending with declining use of First Class Mail for bill payment — having the flexibility to quickly adapt and react to the marketplace is vital. Our goal is to reduce our annual costs by $20 billion by 2015, that would put the Postal Service in the black and ahead of the long-term cost curve. The alternative is a business model that prohibits or delays cost reduction, perpetuates an inflexible structure and constrains the Postal Service from being more responsive to the marketplace. Under this scenario, and in the absence of meaningful and immediate business model reform, the Postal Service could incur long-term deficits in the range of $10 to 15 billion annually. Within the limits of our current legal framework, we have responded aggressively to a changing marketplace — reducing the size of our workforce by 128,000 career employees and reducing annual operating costs by $12.5 billion dollars in just the past four years. To return to profitability, we must move at a faster pace. To do so requires changes in the law. If provided with the flexibility and speed to act, the Postal Service can avoid being a financial burden to the taxpayer. A financially stable Postal Service that can operate more like a business can readily adapt to America's changing mailing and shipping needs. For example, we are expanding our network of 70,000 retail partner locations and online offerings so our customers will be able to purchase stamps and conduct other mailing and shipping transactions outside of the traditional Post Office. Customers will increasingly be able to visit gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies — that are part of regular shopping patterns, open longer hours and weekends and conveniently located — to conduct their postal business. The traditional Post Office will always exist, but a changing world demands rethinking the status-quo and adapting to the needs of our customers. In a digital world, businesses and individuals have choices in the way they communicate. Although the Postal Service facilitates trillions in commerce annually and supports a $900 billion mailing industry that employs almost eight million people, it must have the tools and the motivations to compete for customers. In the current debate about its future, some have argued the Postal Service should not operate like a business and be allowed to regress back into an unchanging, taxpayer-subsidized agency and some have urged it be privatized and separated from the government. The former is undesirable and the latter is unrealistic. The answer resides in the middle — an organization that performs a vital national function, and operates with the discipline and motivations of a business that competes for customers. If it is to endure as a great American institution, provide the nation with a secure, reliable and affordable delivery platform and serve as an engine of commerce, Congress should provide it with the speed and flexibility it needs to compete in an evolving marketplace. The Postal Service is far too integral to the economic health of the nation to be handcuffed to the past and to an inflexible business model. To best serve taxpayers and postal customers, it's time to remove the constraints. David Martin December 14, 2011Dear Editor:While in attendance at the South Fulton Rebels boys basketball game on Saturday night, I had the unfortunate opportunity to watch a "fan" heckle my cheerleaders as they performed a floor cheer. When they yelled "purple and white", she shook her head and yelled back at them, "it's green, purple and green". This continued each time they performed any cheer in which they said "purple and white". Each time the cheerleaders yelled "white", she yelled "green". I don't think this is cute or funny or no big deal. We are small in numbers this year, but this group has worked very hard to be ready to cheer at each game. I have never seen a person do this or yell out plays to athletes to do instead of what their coach has instructed them. I do think it's immature and in very poor taste. You can believe purple and green are the South Fulton co-op colors. They are not. They are purple and white. Green has been added somewhere along the way as an accent. Fine with me. That is not my issue with this person. The issue is an adult should know not every thought that goes through your head should come out of your mouth. Whether a person has any respect for a team and what they do is their own business I guess, but if they don't have anything supportive to say, they should say nothing. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:Despite recent job gains nationally that helped reduce the national unemployment rate to 8.6 percent, Illinois' unemployment rate remains mired in double digits meaning hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans are not working. While government does not create jobs, it can help foster an economic climate that encourages job creation and investment by the private sector across the entire state. As we approach the holiday season, it is vital lawmakers return to the State Capitol to finish the important first step in reforming the tax system so job creators feel confident to hire and put people back to work. The current tax relief package under consideration at the Capitol provides nearly $250 million in tax relief for businesses and individuals. Importantly, the legislation seeks to reinstate the Net Operating Loss provision allowing struggling companies to offset their losses that have occurred during the worst economic time in a generation. It stimulates manufacturing and innovation by extending the Research and Development tax credit in Illinois vital to many sectors including heavy equipment, pharmaceutical, foods, communications, high tech and green jobs. Family farmers and other family-owned businesses will be able to take advantage of an increase in the Estate Tax deduction. Without this change, hundreds of small businesses could be forced to shutter their doors upon an owner's death when the family cannot afford to pay the tax collector. Our tax code will be updated to reflect the changing economy and help Illinois remain competitive for firms such as the CME Group. Targeted tax relief will be provided to Sears in exchange for keeping thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in Illinois. Modernizing the state's tax system will allow these companies to grow and invest in Illinois. However, as with previous economic development agreements, if a company fails to live up to their contract with the taxpayers, it will be forced to repay the money to Illinois and local taxing districts. The package contains tens of millions of dollars in tax relief for thousands of Illinoisans who will see an increase in the personal exemption and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Finally, this package mandates any surplus money in the State Treasury at the end of the fiscal year will be used exclusively to pay down the state's debt owed to its vendors. As the clock winds down on the close of 2011 and more than 630,000 Illinoisans remain out of work, we cannot let the perfect get in the way of the possible at the State Capitol. We strongly encourage the Governor and lawmakers to reach consensus on a tax relief package for Illinois employers and residents. — Mark Denzler — Rob Karr — Bill Ward — John Carpenter — Don Schaefer — J. Thomas Johnson November 30, 2011Dear Editor:Ken Peterson, minister of Summum Christian Church would like to share a letter of thanks his congregation received from College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, Mo., for the donation the youth of the church raised at Cruise Night in Astoria this past summer: The book of Proverbs says speaking the right word brings life and healing. From College Heights Christian Church, we also want to tell you your gift brings the same. There is life and healing in your kindness. The storm still dominates the lives of most families in this community … and yet, most every family also knows something about the mercy that has come to them because of individuals like you, and gifts like yours. You did not have to care, and you did not have to give, but we are grateful you have. We realize in some cases this thank you is well overdue. Please know it is not due to ingratitude, but simply the pace of life still being lived as we continue the recovery effort. As I write this, there is a distribution center operating on our parking lot. There are families that have been qualified and are having checks cut for them as we help with unmet needs. There will be counselors spending the afternoon with individuals working through the debris they still carry in their mind and their emotions, and there are work crews on job sites all over town. Your giving is part of all of this. Thank you. Please know we will do our best to treat your gift with the integrity and dignity it deserves. As stewards of the gifts God's people give, we take very seriously the faithful responsibility we have. The need will continue for quite some time. I just came from a meeting where a preliminary survey of only a small portion of the affected families indicated unmet needs of almost five million dollars. The Lord willing, CHCC is in for the long haul. We are committed to helping this community to recover in all the things that matter most. May the light of His glory and His name be made known in every home. God bless, November 23, 2011Dear Editor:It is the season of Thanksgiving. Those of us involved in the Health and Wellness Clinic of Fulton County are thankful. In a little more than a year, we have grown from providing healthcare for two patients to serving more than 400 patients. We have moved from our South Fifth Avenue location to the old Coleman Clinic building at 175 South Main in the lower level. We now have five exam rooms instead of three. We have added two medical providers — Dr. Jaime Cercone and Becky Gorham, physician's assistant. Our medical providers include nine physicians, one nurse practitioner and one physician's assistant. We continue to be staffed by dedicated volunteers: 12 nurses, one counselor, 18 receptionists, two cleaning people and one handyman to keep the clinic operating efficiently. Fulton County organizations continue to support us with office supplies, paper products, cleaning products and monetary donations. The H & W Clinic provides free primary medical care to residents of Fulton County between the ages of 19 and 64 who do not have any kind of medical insurance and meet our financial guidelines. The clinic is not funded by any Federal or State grants. We operate solely on donations, mostly from Fulton County residents, churches and organizations. Although we are in a recession, the people of Fulton County continue to be generous in their support of a free medical clinic. We appreciate those of you who have thought of us during this past year. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend gratitude to all of you who have volunteered or donated in any way to help us provide healthcare for people in these trying times. If you would like to volunteer or donate to the clinic, call 309-649-0048 Monday through Friday, from 1-5 p.m. Dee Zaborac, clinic director * * * Dear Editor:Recycle, recycle, recycle … yes, the recycle bins are back. Same place, ready to use, but let's use them wisely. Only put recyclable items in them. Recycling does not replace Monday trash pick-up. Stop and read — we want newspapers, plastic bottles and cans (clean), flattened cardboard boxes (boxes take up too much space if not broken down). Thank you for recycling. Wally Danner November 9, 2011Dear Editor:Our children live in the country and our five-year-old grandson wanted to pass out treats, so they came to our home in Astoria. We would like to commend the children and parents who came for being so polite and mannerly. It is a nice thing to see, and Macon enjoyed giving out treats. Larry and Marge Derry * * * Dear Editor:Just over eight weeks ago my mom Tina Althiser was diagnosed with metastatic Carcinoid cancer. I want to take a few minutes to bring some awareness to this rare form of cancer that has affected my family. Carcinoid cancer is a type of Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) that is the umbrella term for a group of unusual, often slow-growing cancers, that develop from cells in the diffuse endocrine system. When explaining to others about this cancer I usually put it into these terms: Carcinoid cancer is an in-between cancer; it's not a highly-aggressive malignant form that ravages the body in a matter of weeks nor is it a benign cancer that lacks the ability to spread. Oftentimes the tumors are discovered by accident during unrelated surgeries. In my mom's case, she developed symptoms of Carcinoid syndrome and was lucky enough to have a doctor that entertained the idea of Carcinoid cancer. The problem with the symptoms of this syndrome (i.e. diarrhea, flushing, wheezing) is they often resemble other more common problems. People can be misdiagnosed for years with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, menopause and asthma that delays treatment. Timing of treatment is vital in all cancers, but especially with Carcinoid. Catching it early can result in complete removal of the affected areas that prolongs life indefinitely. Misdiagnosis can lead to metastasis (spreading) of the cancer that makes complete removal more difficult, if not impossible. If complete removal is not an option there are a few treatments available that can help prolong life after diagnosis but none so far that can eradicate the disease. Most treat the syndrome symptoms and strive to slow the growth of the tumors further. People can live for years with this type of cancer, the average life expectancy for stage 4 metastatic Carcinoid cancers is five to eight years, but every year advances are made that may increase those time frames. "When you hear hoof beats, think horses not zebras" is a common saying medical students sometimes hear regarding the diagnosis of symptoms. The awareness colors for NETs/Carcinoid Cancer are black and white zebra stripes because sometimes those hoof beats really are zebras, and the most common diagnosis is not the best answer for those symptoms. Please be your own medical advocate. If you don't agree with your doctor, see another; you never know when they are listening only for horses. Nov. 10, is Worldwide NET Cancer Awareness Day. Support the cause by making yourself aware of this rare form of cancer. If you see someone sporting the awareness colors let them know you support them and their fight. My family appreciates everyone who has thought about us during this difficult time — every thought, prayer and kind word — they mean the world to us. Brittney Althiser October 26, 2011Dear Editor:Illinois Governor Pat Quinn vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 1652 — the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act. This legislation would allow Ameren Illinois to make necessary investments to make our electric distribution system safer and more reliable. SB 1652 will create jobs and expand opportunities for our suppliers and contractors — resulting in tangible economic growth. We urge voters to contact their legislators and ask them to override the Governor's veto in the upcoming veto session. SB 1652 would require Ameren Illinois to:
The typical electric residential customer will pay, on average, about $3.40 more per year (not $3.40 per month as has been reported). Customer savings will more than offset this cost. The time for SB 1652 is now. We cannot afford to let this opportunity slip away. Contact your legislators and ask them to vote YEA for SB 1652. To find your legislators, visit www.elections.il.gov. Thank you, * * * Dear Editor:For years now, a small but wealthy group, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, has been railing against public pensions. Last spring, they tried to pass a plan that would cut the pension benefits for teachers, firefighters and other public employees on the promise the plan would save taxpayer dollars. The math of the Civic Committee's plan is flawed and the committee knows it. SB512 would have cost taxpayers more than $34 billion in additional money over the next 15 years. It would have killed the state's pension systems, leaving hundreds of thousands of teachers and retired teachers in a lurch. Teachers don't earn social security. Their pension is their life savings. They've paid for it — 9.4 percent of every one of their paychecks has gone toward their retirement plan, a plan they believe is guaranteed by the state's constitution. As much as Civic Committee, a group of Chicago-area millionaires, wants to blame the problems the pension systems are facing on public employees, the committee is wrong. No, it wasn't the employees who siphoned money from the pension system. It was lawmakers. In their zeal to end the pension system, has Civic Committee thought about the future? If the pension system is killed off, what will happen to the hundreds of thousands of teachers who do now or will rely on it for retirement income? They have no social security to fall back on. Then what? Then what will Civic Committee do? They act as if public employees are the enemy of this state. We are not. We are representatives of the majority of working people in Illinois. We are the middle class. We are in every community working diligently to improve our schools and to help our students. We care about the future of our students and their families and taking away our earned retirement security sets a wrong example. We should all be working to build up the economic status of families not tear it down. We are not the enemy. We are Illinois. Cinda Klickna, president * * * Dear Editor:I am pleased to see the press devote coverage to the issue of the State's unpaid bills and the effect it is having on our communities. In March, I sent a letter to over 300 unpaid vendors in my district, asking to hear the stories of how the State's late payments impacted their businesses. These stories, gathered through an online petition, can be read at my website, www.senatorjohnsullivan.com. I'm glad the seriousness of this problem has been given the scrutiny and coverage it deserves. Moving forward, we need to make sure and give equal consideration to proposed solutions. In May, and in response to the burden the State's unpaid bills have placed on their members, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce announced a proposal to wipeout the backlog through the sale of $6.1 billion in bonds to be paid back over four years. I appreciated the Chamber taking action to fix this problem and immediately began working with them on a plan. I also contacted Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka to understand the size and makeup of the backlog of bills, and worked with bond market experts at Office of Management and Budget to ascertain a repayment structure. The more I learned about the backlog of bills, the more I saw how vital it is we, as a State, fix this problem. Beyond the more obvious reasons — that we owe it to our own citizens to be good business partners and paying our bills is the responsible thing to do — there are other, perhaps less apparent but equally significant reasons to pay our bills. News articles have pointed out several of these reasons. First, when small businesses know they have to wait months to be paid by the State, many don't bid on State contracts, that means less competition, and as a result, higher costs. Those who do bid for contracts increase the cost to cover the additional time while they wait for payment. Secondly, the State is paying 12 percent interest right now on a portion of these unpaid bills, but we would pay approximately 3 percent interest on the bonds. Third, imagine the positive impact on Illinois' economy if we put $6 billion in the hands of businesses right now. We would prevent further job cuts, create opportunities for new job growth and give companies the financial stability they need to expand and grow. Another important reason to restructure this existing debt, and one that has not been mentioned to date, is the positive impact such a move would have on the State's finances. Paying off the backlog of bills through the sale of bonds will help stabilize the State's budget and force greater fiscal discipline. Note current law requires bond debt payments to be paid up front. We make our loan payments first before other funds are appropriated. Payments cannot be missed or pushed off into later years. For these reasons — positive economic impact, greater fiscal discipline, cost-savings for the State — on May 25, I introduced a plan to wipe out the backlog of bills through the sale of bonds and inject $6 billion into Illinois economy. So why has the plan not garnered the support it needs? The answer is politics. Some of my colleagues have said this proposal is more borrowing and new debt. Setting aside the usual Springfield political rhetoric and scare tactics about "new debt," the real-life stories you reported this past week and the stories I've been hearing in my district reiterate what I've been saying since March — this is not new debt. This debt already exists — vendors across this state have provided services but haven't been paid. For these vendors, who never intended to loan us the money, this debt is real. While my proposal has met stiff opposition, I'm hopeful my colleagues can be persuaded. There are signs of progress. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford — the same man who once held a press conference to express his adamant opposition — told Illinois Chamber of Commerce in an interview, "… As the state Treasurer, I am open to looking at a proposal that would refinance current debt, hopefully and possibly lower interest rates, but yet have it within a scope of payment cycle that is proper for the treasury to sustain." I'm glad to hear he's willing to have a look, because a close look at my proposal reveals a responsible way to meet a moral and economic need in our State. It is not kicking the can down the road, it is not an irresponsible quick fix, nor is it taking on "new debt" without regard for the future. To the contrary, my plan would take existing debt and responsibly restructure it not only at a low-interest rate, but in a way that helps stabilize the state's overall finances as well. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:A true story I would like to share. Several months ago, our grandson was in critical care at OSF Children's Hospital in Peoria. We were not sure for a while if he would even pull through. While we were there, a young lady that worked there came around in a wheelchair and asked us, "What can I do to make your life better today?" That really made me think. If this lady in a wheelchair, wanted to make my life "better today", I needed to start the same philosophy. I have always tried to do good and help people, but maybe not everyday. I made a decision after that to make a conscience effort every day to do a good deed for someone. It did not have to be big, maybe buy someone a meal or take a grocery cart back to the store for them, anything that was a good deed. I did not do this for any glory or payback of any kind. I shared this story many times hoping it would perhaps become "contagious". Think about it, in this tough economy, how much better would the world be if everyone would do just one good deed a day for someone else? Little did I know months later I would be in an auto accident and need help myself. The little things I have done to help people have been returned a million times. It is so hard being on the receiving end when you are used to being the one giving. Just having the opportunity to help someone else has always given me the greatest feeling anyone could have. That is until now. There are no words to express how touched I am there have been so many amazing people that have shown their support through prayers, friendship, contributions and planning benefits to help us. In these hard times, it is impossible to plan for a crisis like this that can devastate you. Without your support, there may not have been a Slaw Dawgs Diner to go back to. It looks like it may be towards the end of November or so, but I will be back to work as soon as the doctors say I can be. We are so blessed to live in a community that pulls together when it is needed like no other. Someone said to me the other day, "If you're going to have a crisis, Astoria is the place to have it!" How very true. Unfortunately, we sometimes take this for granted, myself included; however, I never will again. We love and thank God for each and every one of you! Jerry and Denis Barnes October 19, 2011Dear Editor:I am reaching out to other business owners and employees of the surrounding Astoria businesses. Due to the road construction on Main Street in Astoria, parking is limited. I am asking anyone who works at the surrounding businesses to please leave the east side of the square and parking spots west of the medical clinic open for customer parking. I, and many others, have elderly and disabled customers who have a hard time walking very far. I urge other business owners to also ask this of their employees. Join me in an effort to help all of our customers maintain the availability in continuing to do their business without hesitation. Your courtesy to others is greatly appreciated. Thank you, October 12, 2011Dear Editor:A big "thank you" to Rosemary Perdew for her letter to you in the Sept. 28 issue. She, myself, and I am sure many other out-of-towners, were glad to have the privilege of a place as close as Astoria to take our recyclable items. Needless to say, I am saddened the service is no longer available. I too would be willing to contribute monetarily to help offset the cost to the town for this service. Surely something can be worked out in some way to restore the service to the area. We all need to do better to keep our world "green". Sincerely, September 28, 2011Dear Editor:It was most disappointing to read last week the recycling dumpster will soon be removed. While I don't live in Astoria, I brought in all my items to be recycled every time I came in to town for laundry, groceries, the library, etc. It has been convenient for me rather than taking it all to Macomb as I had been. I don't know if any other out-of-towners such as myself utilized the dumpster, but I would have been willing to pay a fee for that privilege — weekly or monthly. The recycling dumpster has been in Astoria for less than one year. That doesn't seem like an adequate test. It was full so often, it proved so far, to be successful. The curb-side pickups must have been decreasing in weight and bulk and I thought that would complement or compensate for the number of times the recycling dumpster had to be picked up. Obviously, a great number of people were ready and willing to collect and transport their recyclables to the dumpster. Perhaps some people put the wrong things in, I don't know. They could care less, I guess. The concept and practice of reusing and recycling should continue, be supported and made convenient. I hope someone will study this situation again and find a workable solution. Rosemary Perdew September 14, 2011Dear Editor:Astoria Cub Scouts Pack 3115 is setting up to do fundraising for Homecoming. We also are looking for "gently-used" Cub Scout shirts. With the price of registration, shirts and books, some boys can't join because of it. So, if you have anything to help, we would appreciate it. In October, the scouts are going to Canton to the Humane Society as one of the go-to activities. They will earn a belt loop and a pin for this activity. We are wanting to collect donations at Homecoming to take when we go, such as dog food, dog treats, cat food, cat treats, collars, leashes, old blankets and toys. You can contact any one of our scouts or leaders if you have donations to be picked up. Thank you, August 3, 2011Dear Astoria Gardens Staff:You did the impossible. Placing 35 residents in less than nine days. That must be a record. Mrs. Howard moved into her new home on Friday morning. I hope some of you were able to avail yourself of the food stuffs we made available the other day. I am touched and very moved so many of you decided to stay despite the lack of pay. I am thinking of Vickie, Rita, Lisa, Trish, Eric, Ruth, Nicole, Juanita and Sharon. Amazing, people knowing they were not going to get paid and they chipped in anyhow. You are an inspiration. I am writing to let you know you will be receiving your final pay check as well as your due vacation pay. I am, however, sorry to say it will take some time to collect the funds from the various payer sources. It may take up to two months, may be less. I am sorry. I know it will be a stretch and I ask God to give you the strength and resources to pull it through. I wish you all the best in your future lives. Perhaps our paths will cross again. Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. You're the best. Steve Axelbaum * * * Dear Astoria Gardens staff, friends, families, residents, lenders, vendors and community members at large:I am sorry for letting so many of you down. It is a week after the shock. If I would have seen it coming earlier, as I should have, I would have been able to give you more time. The rush was not right. It is, however, a testimony to your goodwill and understanding nature every one of the 35 residents had identified and moved into a new residence by July 29. A remarkable feat when you realize we first notified people on Wednesday, July 20. No heated words were exchanged, no bitter recriminations, no law suits, no threats, no feigned illness or accidents. Everyone did a double take and then swung into motion. What a testament to your strength. One resident summed it up the best, when she said: "The good Lord put us here for a reason, we had a good run of it and now, I reckon, He figures its time for us to move on. I don't know why, but He knows." Everyone knows, when I first bought the Gardens almost a decade ago, the reputation was strained. I certainly had my share of management snafus. Yet, we moved beyond that and I think the general consensus of opinion was we had near the best place in the region for your mom and dad. In addition, you realize for over a decade we provided employment, steady and decent pay to well over 40 families. Through salaries, taxes, vendor payments and overall activity we pumped over one million dollars into the Astoria community. Young women moved from housekeepers to aids all the way to registered nurses. We held a high standard in every respect and people strove toward it. Your kids and grandkids ran it. The unsung hero in the entire enterprise was the unassuming Paula Taylor. She always insisted: If you really care about the residents, people will know. She lived by that standard. No one more than her mother, Rose, pumped her heart, soul and money into the home. Rose so believed in the mission she went out on every limb to support the business. Her enthusiasm was contagious and she put us on the map. She brought us residents and she brought us badly needed funds. The State's financial woes ultimately played a role in our demise, yet, Rose did everything she could to halt the day the river went dry. A number of people invested a good deal of money. I never anticipated such a startling loss. I am truly sorry it turned out to be such a disappointment. The staff will all get paid. The bank has agreed. It may take us some time to collect the funds. In the meantime, most are searching for jobs. They will all find because they are the best in the business. Some local vendors and many lenders will, unfortunately lose money. The bank will lose even more and I will lose the most. That's the nature of business. I am humbled and sorry my actions have caused such pain. With great contribution, July 27, 2011Dear Editor:As part of negotiations for an increase in the debt ceiling, some in Congress have advocated cutting $14 billion in Medicare that supports rural hospitals. Such cuts would decimate the rural healthcare system and harm rural seniors' ability to access care. Our U.S. senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk and House Member Aaron Schock must not support these cuts. Rural hospitals are vital access points for rural residents and seniors to get timely and quality care. Devastating cuts like those proposed will force rural hospitals to limit services, or worse, close their doors. If a rural hospital closes, patients suffer and so does the rural economy. The average Critical Access Hospital (the title given to a small rural hospital determined to be a critical point of access for patients) employs 107 people in direct and ancillary jobs and adds millions of dollars to the local rural economy. Rural seniors, per capita, are older, poorer and sicker, with a higher incidence of chronic disease than senior citizens in urban areas. Twenty percent of Americans live in rural communities, yet only five percent of federal Medicare spending goes to support Critical Access Hospitals. I call that a sound taxpayer investment. Lynn Stambaugh * * * Dear Editor:Thank you to all of the staff at Astoria Gardens and Rehab Center for your devoted and loving care of mom and the other residents. It is with great sadness our "nursing home family" has been disbanded and displaced. The support and help all of you have given us the past week will not be forgotten. We wish you the best as you seek new employment opportunities. We wish the best to all of the residents as they adjust to new surroundings and new faces. God will continue to see us through this difficult transition and journey. Again, we thank you. Deb Park and family July 20, 2011Dear Editor:On May 22, the city of Joplin, Mo., was hit by the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947 and the seventh deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It is likely to be the costliest; the cost to rebuild Joplin could reach $3 billion. The devastated part of Joplin is over one mile wide and six miles long in the southwest portion of the city. However bad it looked on television news, it looked far worse in person. The affected area looked like a war zone shortly after a major battle. Blocks of houses and businesses were destroyed and 159 people were killed. This portion is surrounded by the other city, the rest of Joplin, the city still standing and functioning, the city that goes about normal business. There is one exception to this normality — the many agencies that have come to assist Joplin in its time of trouble. In addition to the people killed, approximately 1,390 animals were displaced. I was privileged to be a small part of this relief effort. Right after the tornado, the Disaster Response Team from American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals came to Joplin to assist the Joplin Humane Society in recovering, housing, treating and finding homes for the 1,390 animals left behind by the storm. Assisting them were volunteers from 89 animal agencies from across the country, including The Humane Society of Fulton County. The ASPCA fed and housed us during the time we were there. The degree of working cooperation among the various agencies was outstanding even with new volunteers coming in every day and others leaving. I met volunteers who helped with the Katrina hurricane disaster and the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster. I was in Joplin for a week, working wherever assigned. I spent three days assigned to the "dogs". Dogs were walked and kennels cleaned twice a day. As dogs were leaving we broke down the wire kennels, washed, disinfected and stacked them for transport out. I spent one day taking down the temporary fencing used for outdoor runs and to separate out various sections in the dog and cat warehouses, and for kennels for the larger dogs. These fencing sections were then disinfected and stacked for transport out. I spent one day washing and sanitizing food bowls and other equipment and crates and loading fencing pieces aboard a semi-truck. All of this equipment is stored in ASPCA warehouses in different parts of the country. Throughout these days I watched as owner or new adopters came to pick up pets. As animals were found, they were brought to the Disaster Response Center located in formerly empty warehouse buildings located adjacent to Joplin Humane Society. The animals were medically checked, vaccinated and treated, fed and cleaned daily and transferred to owners or new adopters. Over 500 dogs and cats were returned to their owners; many of whom were boarded and cared for by ASPCA volunteers while families looked for new homes. More than 500 dogs and cats were altered by ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinic team, Joplin Humane Society or local volunteer vets who gave of their time to help. In the effort, 745 animals were adopted in one weekend, June 25-26. Over 5,700 people from 24 states showed up at this event. There were 1,500 people waiting on Saturday morning when the gates opened to begin the adoption. I have never heard of an adoption event of this magnitude. My hat is off to the ASPCA for their professionalism and organizational skills in coordinating the animal rescue efforts for the Joplin disaster. Seventy-nine staff members representing over 20 ASPCA departments rotated in and out of Joplin from the time of the tornado until the end of the first week of July. They are caring people. I got to know them and am a witness to their dedication. I became a member of ASPCA when I arrived home. One thing reinforced is how critical it is to have a form of identification on your pet, whether it is the required county registration tag, a microchip or an ID tag. A disaster can occur at any time, in any place. Families become separated and pets become separated. The way to help get pets re-united to you in case of separation is to have identification on them. Very few pets that come into The Humane Society of Fulton County Shelter have a form of identification. Because of this, our return rate to owners is only 13 percent. We would like to raise that percentage. Pets get off of their property everyday. We would like to return more of them to owners. I want to encourage each of you that has a pet/pets in your family to make sure they can be identified if they become lost. The last thing I want to comment on is the dedication of volunteers from the county willing to give of their time and effort to help when a disaster occurs. They left an impression on me of how much they cared for the animals. I am sure I will be on other relief efforts in the future. I want to say "thank you" to any of you reading this who have helped others in their time of need. Ron Wroblewski * * * Dear Editor:On Aug. 12, I attended the hearing on Larry O'Hern's proposed CAFO. The meeting had curious effect Mr. O'Hern did not anticipate and likely would not wish to see repeated on a large scale, but I must thank him nonetheless. Let me begin by saying, I am not now, nor ever have been, a vegetarian. However, as a result of Mr. O'Hern's testimony and the slide show produced by the gentleman from Big Pork, I am no longer, nor ever will be again, a pork eater. The Illinois pork market shrank by one that night. What changed my mind? The photos of the sows, the piglets, the gilts, the crazy talk about the sow's "comfort", the queasy-making talk about increasing the animals' productivity, the overuse of the euphemistic phrase "nutrient management", the bizarre defense of feeding the sows a diet of antibiotics, the let's all be grown ups here and face facts about what it means to eat cheap meat, e.g. the necessity of cramming 18,000 pigs of various ages into the confinement facility and processing them. I am a grown up. I did face the facts. I decided this grown up's decision after facing said facts was to no longer eat pork. I realize my no longer lingering over pork in the meat aisle at HyVee is not going to cause Mr. O'Hern to rethink his plans. But it is the one thing I can do. Finally, I would ask my fellow McDonough County residents to face another fact: until we have zoning throughout the county, we are going to be an inviting target for more CAFOS of the kind Mr. O'Hern wants to create. Sincerely, July 13, 2011Dear Editor:We are writing in response to the letter written from "The People of Summum". First, let us state the letter was not from the entire village, but rather one individual apparently too afraid to state their name. It matters to no one here who the mystery author is, we are all entitled to our own opinion, but please do not include the rest of us in what you believe. Second, our little town has a great amount of history and stories to tell. It may not look like much to you now, but Summum is still a great place to raise your children. Sure, we have our run down areas, but what town doesn't? When you look at a burned home, did you ask yourself what the cost would be to tear it down? When you see a yard that needs mowed, did you wonder if the owner has a medical condition and cannot do it themself? Yes, these areas are eyesores, but if you truly lived by the "Do unto others" code, a helping hand means a lot more than a complaint. Third, and final, take a look around our little town sometime. It will amaze you the number of homes being redone, inside and out, and vacant properties being bought and cleaned. All done by the hard working residents of this community. For the author of the previous letter, your complaint could not have come at a worse time. Maybe if you had taken the time to see all the good happening in our little town, you might have felt differently. The "Real" People of Summum July 6, 2011Dear Editor:Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me? Wrong. Words can hurt. They hurt more than sticks and stones. It's called gossip and is a type of bullying. A local Girl Scout challenges her community not to gossip for a whole week. But why am I doing this? I'm doing this because I've heard gossip and have seen how it hurts people. I'm asking members of the community to pledge not to gossip for an entire week. To make the pledge, come to Vermont Library, sign the pledge and be entered in the drawing for a prize. Pledge forms will be available at Vermont Library until July 13. Let's see if we can make a difference by pledging not to gossip. Caroline Dobbs * * * Dear Editor:This is an open letter to your elected representatives, IDOT and Illinois State Police District 14 in Macomb. At the present time and for over a year now, US Highway 24 east of Astoria has been under reconstruction and now reconstruction has started west of Astoria. I believe I have a valid complaint in regards to the signage being used east of Astoria. This area literally has become a "speed trap" for ISP as the speed limit signs state 45 mph in the construction zone. Many out-of-staters and local people do not see anyone working in this area at all, occasionally there might be some in the dips near Summum and numerous people are being ticketed for speeding. Why can't the construction zone signs say 'when workers are present' as many other states do this and it would allow traffic to flow much easier. (But then again, the state "coffers" would not be filled by ticket payments.) Also, when you travel west of Astoria in the current construction zones, there are not any signs stating what the speed limit is for this particular area and they do have workers all along the highway. It also has been reported milling of the pavement is not scheduled until this coming September even though the patching of the road appears to have been completed. When you travel this road, as many people do each day, if you drive over 40 mph your car will get beat to pieces on this rough road. (Maybe this is why no signage is present.) There seems to be no reason why people of Astoria have to wait so long a time to get this road milled. Some people may ask why I have any interest in this as my home is now in Arizona. Well, I come back to Astoria every summer and stay for four or five months and buy gas, groceries, clothes, etc., and pay taxes for the gas I use. One of the reasons I moved to Arizona was to escape high property taxes and the Chicago "machine", who seems to control downstate. Also, when I moved to Arizona, I gave away my snow shovel and lawn mower. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor,When I read the letter to the editor last week about yards, I wondered which of my neighbors wrote it, but then I saw it was from Summum and thought "oh, they have that problem too?" I have two houses that need torn down within approximately three blocks of my home. We personally do not do much with yard cleanup. So when I read "just mow and leave the weeds to grow up around fences and trees" that could be said about my yard also. I have driven through several other towns in Illinois and other states in similar situations. With high gas prices, it is expensive to mow and more expensive to hire someone to mow. I have paid $45 a week to have my mother's yard mowed, so if someone couldn't mow their own yard and were on a fixed income, how do they make ends meet? I have personally talked to people who have had houses torn down and that is very expensive, running from $8,000 to $20,000. If someone couldn't afford to fix up the home, then I don't see how they could afford to tear it down. When someone does tear down a home, you hear how much mud they are putting into the streets and the noise they make. If you say anything about burning, people go up in arms. So it's a lose-lose situation. I agree we have great people in our town, too. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Be tolerant of your neighbor and if your yard is next to theirs, do like my wonderful neighbor does — mow a strip of our ground our riding lawnmower cannot reach — to help our yard look better for him and us. An Astoria Citizen June 29, 2011Dear Editor:Four years ago, I witnessed this great country for the first time. I remember stepping off the plane from Ireland and thinking to myself in disbelief, "I'm in America." We got into the car in Chicago to head to downstate Illinois. After an hour or so, we started to see the flat, lush and beautiful countryside of Illinois. I was thinking how beautiful everything was when suddenly a smell hit me. "What is that?" I muttered to my wife. "That's a hog confinement," she replied. I turned frantically to get a look at this thing that smelt so bad and was so far out of sight I couldn't see it. Suddenly over a slowly sloping hill, I spotted the white tin roofs. I couldn't believe that sheds of that size could smell so bad. Then, like a flash, it was gone again behind the hill. Being from the west coast of Ireland, the closest thing to a confinement I had ever smelt in my life was when I witnessed 14 donkeys locked in a quarter-of-an-acre stone walled field for a week while waiting to be sent to a donkey sanctuary. Well, there aren't any donkey sanctuaries in this area that I know of. But the distant tin sheds, are threatening a place I love like my home in Ireland. I consider my wife's family to be my own, and my family is fighting to keep the place I fell in love with four years ago from becoming one of those places where you hold your breath and step on the gas a little faster to get away from. It's not just the smell that bothers me anymore. Like the 14 donkeys in the quarter-of-an-acre field, these confinements are part of a very flawed system. It is a system that has a way of back firing after very few years on the few people who sign on the dotted line. More importantly, it destroys the way of life for so many people that are located in the area. These people face harsh consequences, with no protection beforehand, nor any help afterwards. Yet what I take particular issue with is one reserved for the Irish. It just so happens the hog confinement we are trying to keep out in McDonough County is to be named "Shamrock Acres". The shamrock, a symbol of freedom and hope when no freedom and hope was to be had for the Irish, is to be used as a symbol for this 18,000 hog confinement. As an Irishman, I take this as a great insult. Not only is it an insult to Ireland, but it is an insult to the many Americans who have Irish heritage. And nothing compares to the link between Ireland and America. Professional Swine Management, the corporation that wants to build this facility, do not try to hide your filth with the Irish. Personally, "Horse Weed Acres" would be a more suitable heading on the door. Anybody got some round-up herbicide handy? Jason Prendergast * * * Dear Editor:When people drive through our town to go to the cemetery, they notice our homes and lawns. They ask, "What's happened to Summum? It used to be a nice place to come home to. People used to keep their places looking so nice." Some of us try to keep our lawns mowed and the weeds cut. Some just mow and leave the weeds to grow up around fences and trees. Some of us also keep our homes looking nice, but some don't seem to care. Do you not care how your home looks? We have some burned homes in our little village that need to be torn down, but they are just left there, making the town look run-down and depressed. Think of the neighbors that have to look at those burned and weedy places everyday. Not a pretty sight. Would you like to live next to one of these? We have great people living in this wonderful little town, let's keep it that way. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Say hello to your neighbor. Take pride in yourself, your home and your lawn. It says something about you and this town. The People of Summum June 22, 2011Dear Editor:I am a business owner in Crown Point, Ind., who owns two recreational properties totalling 240 acres in Oakland Township, Schuyler County, near the site of the proposed Shamrock Acres hog confinement. I also own deer hunting property in Fulton County, near Astoria. This area has a superb national reputation for hunting whitetail deer. The beauty and tranquility of its heavily-wooded areas is rare and unique. That is why I came here, purchased land and built a barn containing a weekend residence for hunting deer with my friends and relatives. I also am an international wild game hunter and am featured on cable hunting channels. I have expertise in hunting wild game throughout the world. That is why I am so concerned about the effects of the proposed hog confinement within one and one-half miles from my two properties. The smells, noise, flies and increased traffic around the site will interfere with my hunting and with the filming of my activities on my property for television shows. If this facility goes in, it will ruin a rare and unique wilderness, and I will be selling my properties and leaving the county. Please do not let that happen. Sincerely, * * * Dear Dalton:I read your letter in the Astoria Argus. Your parents may someday have to explain to you how a giant factory hog facility was allowed to be built in your neighborhood. You know when there is a bully at school that goes around doing things that hurt people? Your parents have told you to stand up for the person that is being hurt. Dalton, if you do not stand up for that person being hurt, then you are a bully too. Well, the people in Eldorado Township are being bullied. They are trying to protect their property, health and well-being, but this bully seems to have legal loop holes and protection by using the pretense they are farmers. True farmers are stewards of the land and would never hurt their neighbors. Dalton, please don't grow up thinking bad of farmers. Dalton, there are people that can make a difference and stand up to this bully. These people are our Representative Norine Hammond and Senator John Sullivan. The McDonough County board members can stand up to this bully too by passing an ordinance to protect the people they represent. Some other states already have these kinds of ordinances. It will be up to our board to decide to either ignore this bully or try to stand up to the bully. Dalton, if these people do not try to stand up to this bully, then this bully will continue to hurt McDonough County. Where will they bully next? Sincerely, June 15, 2011Dear Editor:Playground Pals is a new fundraising group with a goal to add more play equipment at Hughes Park. We feel a variety of playground equipment would enhance child playtime, especially the younger crowd. We will have several fundraisers in the future, starting with a bake sale and 50/50 drawing on Saturday, June 18, during the Rib Cook-Off and Cruise In. We welcome any assistance — baked goods, donations or time and effort. Baked goods may be brought to Astoria Public Library on Thursday, June 16, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., or Friday, June 17, from 2-6 p.m. Also, contact one of us if you would like to enter the 50/50 drawing. We invite everyone to come to our next meeting at 7 p.m. June 21 at the library. We can be found on facebook under Playground Pals or contact Carinne, 217-502-6727; or Christina, 309-333-2531. Thank you, * * * Dear Editor:I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone how lucky we are to live in a small town. We have had the opportunity to help with two benefits, including the one for Jessica Belville this past Saturday. Although everyone gets frustrated sometimes in our way "too busy" lives, there are some amazing people and businesses in this town. While there are so many small towns it seems just fading away, we are truly blessed to have the great community that we live in. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:Hi. My name is Dalton Phillips. My dad and mom are Travis and Crystal Phillips. I have a little brother Derrick. I'm age 12. There has been a lot of talk at my house about a pig factory being built near my home. I have lots of questions my dad and mom have tried answering. My big question is "why"? Why did the people who build pig factories pick my neighborhood? My little brother and I love being outdoors. We play baseball in our backyard, ride our four wheelers on our farm and hunt in the woods. Are we going to be able to do this if the pig factory is built? What is the air going to smell like? What is the traffic going to be like? Mom said there will be semis. My dog Sassy got hit by a car this spring. Will my other dogs Peaches and Molly get hit by a semi? Are we going to be able to ride our bikes up and down the road and not get run over by trucks and cars going to the factory? I ride my bike everyday from my day care to my home to feed and water my dogs. Will I still get to do this? I have heard my dad talking about farmers putting manure on their fields to help their crops, but what about the water? If a farmer puts manure on his field, will the pond I swim in, or the creek we play and ride our four wheelers in, be dirty? I hope my little brother and I don't get sick. I have heard my dad and mom talk about the trouble it causes with children's health. Do the people building the factory have children? Would they want them to get sick? I know my dad and mom belong to the group Rural Residents for Responsible Agriculture and are trying to stop people from ruining our neighborhood with the smell and pollution — I hope it works. Our family has been reading about pig factories on the internet. We drive by pig factories, too. When we drive by some of these places, the smell is real bad even with our car windows up. If the smell is really bad in our neighborhood, I will miss playing outside. Dalton Phillips * * * Dear Editor:My thirteen-year-old son attended his promotion ceremony at VIT Junior/Senior High School wearing a well-done spiked mohawk. He was called into the office by administration. He was told graduation was not about him and it was not his right to walk with his classmates. He was pressured into wetting his hair, tying it back into a mess on top of his head. By the time my wife and I arrived at the school, our son was upset, though remaining calm and respectful to authority, as is his way, thought it best he did not walk or participate in the graduation. My son is a quiet child, respectful, an average student. He has no disciplinary record of any kind. He is gifted artistically, having won numerous awards and plays saxophone in the school band. I believe this administrator overstepped and infringed upon my child's right to free expression. Many people in the surrounding communities feel the same way. I personally have seen many colors and styles of hair at school functions in the past. I also have seen some disturbing prom dresses. To my knowledge, nothing in the school dress code prohibited my child from wearing his hair the way he chooses. He has always kept his hair well groomed, as was the rule when he asked permission to grow it. He spent at least three days convincing us to allow him to cut it all off to wear the hairstyle of his choice to his promotion ceremony. There has never been a problem with his hair grown to the middle of his back and if he had worn it that way to the promotion ceremony, nothing would have been said. As an administator in a public school, this individual is paid with my tax dollars. He is not allowed to implement school policy at his discretion without the approval of VIT School Board. As far as I know, he has never dissapproved, or dissallowed short, very short skirts, revealing clothing on girls, every possible color of hair or even other boys wearing different hairstyles, including mohawks. I do not want to waste the district's money defending this person in a court of law. I believe VIT School Board should ask for the resignation of this administrator, and not just because of this particular incident. Bloated egos and bloated paychecks make for people who overstep the boundaries of their job descriptions. This individual spoiled what should have been William's day, with no other thought than to do just that. He took a notion and ran with it. Shame on him and shame on anyone who agrees with what he did. Curtis Baldwin, June 8, 2011Dear Editor:Professional Swine Management LLC is a corporation that operates large confined animal feeding operations. This corporation proposed the construction of a CAFO in southwestern McDonough County that will house approximately 18,220 hogs. In a WGEM radio interview, Bill Hollis, a local veterinarian and representative for PSM, implored his audience to better understand the "strong positive" effects of these facilities. This "strong positive" appears to be the opportunity for a few investors — mostly out-of-state — to profit from an industrialized animal factory. Hollis failed to address the devastating economic and health effects of CAFOS for the public: Hollis asserted PSM facilities are a "well managed, safe, clean environment". Why then has PSM, along with the other operators of its facilities, been sued by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Adams, Fulton, McDonough, Schuyler and Hancock counties for pollution? Hollis said it's "important that the hog farms manage odor, manage things like pigs that die at the facility." In fact, one of PSM's facilities in McDonough County was sued by Attorney General Lisa Madigan for openly burning hog carcasses. Is that good management? According to Hollis, technology now alleviates the odor of manure. One only needs to drive past one of these facilities with their windows down to know otherwise. CAFOs stink. It's not only the smell that is troubling. Studies have shown that CAFO emissions result in increased cases of asthma, headaches, nausea and eye irritation, especially for children. This is deeply concerning to Rural Residents for Responsible Agriculture. There is a DCFS state licensed day-care facility close to the proposed site. A few of the children that attend this day care already have respiratory problems. What will be the cost to their health? What will be the cost to the day care owner's small business? These concerns are significant ones, yet when asked about them, Hollis sidestepped the issues and answered, "What we have to realize as well is that we're in a rural area. We're in an area that we do have to foster agricultural development and crop land development." Agricultural development is not achieved by driving out rural property owners and small businesses. If this CAFO is built, the people living near it will see their property values plummet. In a recent Missouri study, the residential value property loss near a CAFO is estimated at 88.3 percent. The equipment that constructs the CAFO and the semis that will truck the pigs also will damage the township roads. This expense will fall on taxpayers, not PSM. Hollis claimed to "absolutely" know how the manure from this facility will be managed. No one else seems to. As of now, there are several local farmers who have not signed manure easements for the corporation, and there is no documented manure management plan available to the public. We won't find out what happens to all that waste until 60 days after the facility is operating. Hollis said his industry is "highly regulated". Illinois has some of the most lax regulations in the country. This facility does not even have to have a water permit once it's operating even though it will produce more waste than all the residents in the surrounding two counties. This is hardly "highly regulated". Small municipalities have to have water permits. Why doesn't Professional Swine Management? Barbara Ashwood-Gegas, * * * Dear Editor:Eldorado Township, in the southwest corner of McDonough County, is the proposed site of another hog confinement, the latest attempt to erode our local environment by Professional Swine Management of Carthage. The landowner working with PSM, Larry Joe O'Hern, also has property in Schuyler County and Oakland Township, both are my neighborhood. Veterinarians Hollis and Connor of PSM have made statements to sell this operation to the public. The proposed site application at Department of Agriculture indicates 18,220 hogs will be maintained at the site, with 8,200 sows. Through a system of rotation, 8,200 sows will deliver 2.5 litters per year, approximately 10-12 piglets per litter. Doing the math, 8,200 sows x 2.5 litters = 20,500 litters x 10 piglets per litter = 205,000 piglets per year. This leaves the surrounding townships to absorb the cost of road maintenance for the transportation of 205,000 pigs, transportation of manure, feed trucks coming and going, let alone employees, management and vendors. The erosion is not limited to the property site and operation. Many studies document the pollution and burden to taxpayers following the construction of confinements. "Illinois EPA finds 87 percent of farm odor complaints — mostly hog operations — are "valid concerns". Susan Schiffman of Duke University Medical School stated "Typical complaints are headaches, drowsiness, and ear, nose and throat irritation." She stated in Brain Research Bulletin in 1995, "people exposed to swine odors suffer from significantly more tension, more depression, more anger, less vigor, more fatigue and more confusion than control subjects." They are springing up at an alarming rate. Surrounding property is devalued and revenue threatened. They own feed milling and packing plants or purchase feed, supplies and services from farther away, depriving local merchants. Manure applied too heavily to fields, or in the wrong way, or at the wrong time, smell, run off into watersheds contaminating groundwater. I found a young man collecting water samples nearby. He is a technician from University of Illinois/Illinois State Water Survey, contracted by the Illinois EPA, for a two-year project monitoring Sugar Creek Watershed. He confirmed there is feces contamination in Sugar Creek Watershed. If approved, there would be three confinements east of Route 67 between Industry and the Littleton junction. It is the latest form of corporate incursions, "a hostile entrance into or invasion of a place or territory. A speaker from Illinois Department of Agriculture, finds this pattern of opposition disturbing stating, "Livestock producers have been considered guilty until proven innocent, that's not fair." Guilty of what? Illinois Department of Agriculture is in charge of the application. When you take the family out of the family farm, all you have left is greed. There is a difference between a family-run confinement and a "factory farm", a confinement is several hundred sows. A project this size, maintaining 18,220 hogs, with 8,200 sows farrowing 205,000 pigs each year is a "factory farm". They solicit favorable political treatment while we as neighboring towns and counties have no voice in prospective facilities. We need your help changing the laws, keeping them out of our neighborhoods. Mary Wilson, * * * Dear Editor:I would like to correct the letter to the editor printed in last week's Argus. You may not have heard about how the vice president of PSM, William Hollis, swore in an affidavit to the Schuyler County Circuit Court in April that he is aware of PSM's financial condition and that using its own money to defend itself in Ward vs. PSM "will likely force PSM out of business." Ramona Cook June 1, 2011Dear Editor:You may have heard of the huge hog confinement Professional Swine Management wants to build just 1/2 mile west of the farm I live on in McDonough County. You may not have heard about how the Vice President of PSM William Hollis swore to the Schuyler County Circuit Court in April the company is in such weak financial health it will have to go out of business if it has to use its own money to defend itself in Ward vs. PSM. (Note: PSM's insurer, Country Mutual, wants out because it claims PSM failed to disclose all of its prior pollution violations when it applied for coverage.) That lawsuit was filed by seven of PSM's Hilltop View Confinement's neighbors for the horrible odors and other nuisances that come from the confinement. Yet PSM also claims it has enough money to build an 18,000- hog confinement next to me. What's wrong with this picture? It is not fair for the Department of Agriculture to allow a company to operate so close to my neighbors and me when it claims it does not have the money to defend a simple civil lawsuit, let alone pay damages to its neighbors if it is found guilty. If the facility goes in and my neighbors and I have to file suit against PSM over lost property value, adverse health effects and horrible nuisances like flies and odor, will they be too poor to pay us, too? Or will they simply go belly up? I ask you to help protect us from a financially weak company that has repeatedly violated the state's pollution laws, yet continues to build more huge, poorly managed, offensive nuisances called hog confinements. Please write Department of Agriculture, your state senator or representative or McDonough County Board. You could be next! Thank you, May 18, 2011Dear Editor:Stop Factory Hog Farm in McDonough CountyOur country was founded on individual rights: the right to free speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom of religion and the pursuit of happiness. The right to own land and do as you see fit also is a fundamental component of the history of this great nation. Today, this right is being challenged, not by protestors against hog factories, but by individuals hiding under the guise of production agriculture. These entities want to destroy individual rights of property ownership by forcing their agenda on poor rural areas through intimidation and lax regulations of questionable intent. The greed and power of these corporate owned animals factories strip rural property owners of their God given rights — clean air and water — and force a horrific toxic environment upon their homes and property for the monetary gain of a few investors. This must stop before corporate agriculture takes away all property rights of the masses and controls the most basic American rights and freedoms. Is this the future you want for your children and grandchildren? Steve Ashwood, farmer, * * * Dear Editor:Almost everyone has been touched by cancer, either through their own personal battle or through someone they love. Every day, the American Cancer Society is helping us stay well by preventing cancer or finding it at its earliest, treatable stages. They assist families in finding the best resources to help their friend or loved one deal with a diagnosis and their journey to get well. The American Cancer Society also is rallying communities (like ours) through events like Relay For Life, to fight back and find cures for this disease. We are making a difference by teaming up to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Fulton County. The event will be held June 3 at Canton High School beginning at 6 p.m. There will be activities open to the public, including raffles, music, games, food and watching the opening ceremony, the cancer survivor's victory lap and the luminaria ceremony. At the event, our team (Marching with Mac) will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Saving lives from cancer starts one team, one participant and one dollar at a time. Our team is doing our part to make sure cancer never steals another year of anyone's life. To make a donation to our team, Marching with Mac, send donations to Deb Park, Box 282, Astoria, IL 61501. Make checks payable to American Cancer Society. The impact we can make together is greater than what any of us could do alone. One important aspect of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life is the opportunity for people to come together to remember loved ones lost to cancer and honor those who have won their battle. One of the most moving parts of the event is the Luminaria Ceremony held at 9:30 p.m. As the sun sets over campsites and darkness falls, the night is brightened by the glow of illuminated bags called luminaria, each bearing the name of someone who has battled cancer. Some celebrate cancer survivors, while others help us honor and remember those gone too soon. All represent someone special who has been affected by cancer and the family and friends who continue to fight back in her honor. Would you like to honor or remember someone with a luminaria during the Relay For Life Luminaria Ceremony? If so, stop by Astoria Office of the Fulton County Health Department to pick up a form (cost of each Luminaria is $10) or contact Deb Park, 309-333-2518. Luminaria Ceremony forms are due to Kim Markland by May 27. We appreciate our supporters in Astoria and the surrounding area who are helping to be a community that takes up a fight. Deb Park, Jon McCombs and Marching with Mac team members April 27, 2011Dear Editor:How ironic! One of your memories of the past (80 to 100 years ago) told of a Glen Bader traveling to Florida. He said the worst roads on the trip were between Springfield and Astoria. Not to worry, things have not changed as a former resident of Vermont, I have been in Florida 50 years. Whether coming from north, east, south, west or in between, the roads are the worst on the whole trip. I have made trips 35 to 40 times, getting on four-lane highway a half mile from house which continues until west-central Illinois. I still love the area and people even though the coal mine tore down all the houses I had lived in south of Vermont by the old CB and Q. My country school is gone, as well. Love the paper and good to see the years-ago news back. Keep up the good work. Lowell Worsdell March 30, 2011Dear Editor:I regret I was unable to participate in the March 23 Canton Area Chamber of Commerce candidates forum. The monthly Spoon River College Board of Trustee meeting was at the same time and my obligation as a trustee requires I be at the board meeting in Havana. I have had the pleasure of serving the SRC community as a member of the Board of Trustees for the past three terms. As a businessman who has lived in the community all my life and who has served on numerous civic boards and councils, I have a breadth of successful experience I have brought to the SRC Board. Providing affordable quality education, while at the same time being mindful of the financial resources of the citizens to fund those programs, is an essential responsibility of the board and one I have taken seriously during my past service. We have been successful and have a college of which we can be proud. The next several years, the college will continue to face more challenges as we will be asked to provide additional services to the community while looking at ways to reduce the cost of providing those services. Above all else, the college must continue to provide open accessible and affordable education for all citizens. That is the philosophy of the community college and one I am committed to maintaining. We must continue to provide vocational, technology and work- force preparation programs to assist citizens to access employment opportunities. Our relationships with Cook Industries and Pella Manufacturing are examples of the outreach programs we have fostered for the benefit of the community. As dollars become tighter, we have to look at ways to partner with the high schools in our district to give our students advanced access to post secondary education at a time, place and cost that helps the students obtain the education they need. We must be committed to providing the best possible transfer programs as over half of our students will be going on to complete a four-year degree. At the same time, we also must meet the needs for our students in areas ranging from agriculture, computers, gerontology, to healthcare and life-long learning to name a few. In our ever-changing world, it is essential we provide an environment of innovation that enables our college to provide learning at the time, place and method that meets the requirements of our students. Our challenge will be to provide all of this with limited funds. The Board has been working to meet this need by setting a vision for our college, laying out steps to accomplish this, and implementing these plans. With good leadership, like we have had these past few years, the college will continue to meet the needs of all citizens in the district. As I said, the challenges we face are sizable, but we have the opportunity to provide programs and a learning environment that we can be proud of. I want to thank the community for their past support and with your assistance in the upcoming election, I will continue to move our college forward. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:Again this year, Fulton County Sheriff Jeff Standard and Coroner Steve Hines raced through Lewistown's County Market — not to solve a crime — but to load up carts of good, healthy foods for the Lewistown/South Fulton Food Pantry to serve hungry families. Fulton County Farm Bureau paid the bill during "Food Checkout Week". We appreciate all involved. We also are grateful for those who donated foods along with items brought in by Jolly Workers 4-H Club and Rodney Yurkovich as he campaigned for Lewistown School Board. Friends throughout Lewistown, VIT and Astoria School districts, remember to support the Lewistown/South Fulton Food Pantry however you are able with canned foods, paper products or monetary donations. This pantry is open to those in need on Mondays (except legal holidays) from 10 a.m. to noon at Lewistown United Methodist Church, sponsored by Lewistown Association of Churches. All churches in the south half of Fulton County have been invited to participate in this effort. Sincerely thanks, February 2, 2011Dear Editor:Given the serious nature of accusations by law enforcement against some local residents of Astoria and Table Grove (and possibly other areas) over the last few weeks, I am left wandering why there is no coverage of these events in the local newspaper. I feel the activities that allegedly took place deserve mention in the paper to serve as a wake-up call to area residents of the type of crimes that are occurring in our midst. We do not live in Mayberry with Sheriff Taylor and Barney Fife as our guardians of wellbeing. That was a romanticized version of rural America that only existed in our imagination. We have to face the facts of the society that we live in. That means confronting the sometimes sordid and unsavory aspects as they may be. To ignore these facets of modern small town America does not serve in the best interest of our communities. I can understand a desire to not risk offending or embarrassing family and friends of accused persons. The fact remains they do stand accused of serious wrong doing. To not report it in the paper does nothing to change that. The argument can be made it would reduce the amount of hearsay and innuendo that is the inevitable result of situations such as this. Fact trumps rumor. I do not mean this to be a harangue against the policy of this paper, but I do believe it is something that does need to be revisited in the best interests of our community. I believe you would be among the first to agree an informed citizenry is one that can be well on its way to correcting the problems confronting it. Crime in our area is not the most pleasant thing to read in the paper. Ignoring it will not make it go away. Awareness is vital in the effort to combat it. Awareness comes from the media and this includes small town papers everywhere. Again, I urge you to reconsider the policy regarding reporting area crimes and perpetrators in an effort to put an end to this blight. To stop something you need to know about it first. This is where our local newspaper comes in. To paraphrase a banner that used to appear on the Argus, yours is the only paper that gives a “hoot” about Astoria and the surrounding area. Thank you, January 19, 2011To the voters of Astoria Township:As the newly appointed Supervisor of Astoria Township, I would like to bring something to the attention of the voters of Astoria Township. Although most of the funds of Astoria Township are sound and stable, the Cemetery Fund is in financial trouble. Over the past few years, the trustees have had to raise the salaries of the sextant and his assistant. Before this raise, they were working for minimal wages. When you add in IMRF contributions and gas and oil for the equipment, the total expenditures comes to almost $50,000 a year. We receive about $36,000 a year from taxes. As you can see, this does not balance out. Historically, there were donations to the Cemetery Fund that alleviated the shortcomings of the fund, but over the past few years, these donations have diminished. There are things that can be done to remedy this problem — some good, some not so good. First of all, one thing that would help would be an increase in the number of donations to the Cemetery Fund. Second, and probably the most painful, would be to ask for an increase in taxes on the ballot at a general election. We do not want to do this, but we may have no choice. Third, would be a reduction in force of the cemetery employees. We all want our cemeteries (there are five of them we are responsible for) and a reduction in force could mean a decline in the appearance of our cemeteries. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I may not have the answers, but I will try to find out the answers, if possible. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:On Jan. 4, this year, it was my extreme pleasure as a veteran of World War II, to have been interviewed by some very special Astoria High School students. Bhrea, Dalton, Dan and Jacob, along with their sponsor Doug, did a superior job of representing their school and community. These young people are to be highly commended for their efforts. Our numbers are fast diminishing and without persons as they, these first-hand memories will be lost forever. Over one and one-half million of our generation made the ultimate sacrifice, and over three and one-half million were injured in some manner in this struggle. With this in mind, if only one thought comes from the great works of these dedicated students, let it be “Freedom Is Not Free”. Thank you all and God bless. Raymond Montgomery, January 12, 2011Dear Constituents of the 94th District:
The loss of Rep. Rich Myers has been tough for our region and community, but I assure you I will continue his legacy of dedicated service for Western Illinois. For 16 years, Myers demonstrated how a state representative should perform the duties of an elected official, and I am proud to have worked with and learned so much from such an honorable man. The transition in office will be seamless. Our district office location in Macomb and contact information will remain the same, feel free to contact me or my staff at any time, 309-836-2707 or rephammond@macomb.com. I pledge to continue the same high level of constituent service and dedicated representation Rich prided himself on. Your input is critical for me to properly fulfill the duties of this office and be your voice in our state’s capitol. The challenges we face as a state are great. Perhaps at no other time in our state’s history have so many burdens come to bear at the same time. Illinois residents are rightfully fed up with the status quo and have demonstrated their displeasure with the direction of State Government, that is why your input is vital to my ability to represent your interests in Springfield. In the coming weeks, I will tour the district with every effort to visit as many communities in the 94th District as possible. I look forward to meeting with area residents and discussing the issues most important to you and our region. Again, do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance. Sincerely, December 22, 2010Dear Friends:This year, Carolyn and I thought we would try something new. We talked it over and decided to send out those impersonal form letters to impress everyone with our good fortune and well-being like we get from a few of our cyber-geek friends around this time of the year. So bear with me, I didn’t do so good with composition or English when I was in school, back in the good-old days of the last century. All in all, we are getting by fairly well, except for a few bumps in the road — like the car wreck, the fire, our bouts with a number of ailments, like high cholesterol, scoliosis, gastritis, hemorrhoids, tinnitus, phlebitis, low-oil pressure, irritation of the pizrinctum, irritated “taint”, colds, moles, sore holes, fits, farts, fractures, erectile dysfunction and warts. We had an earthquake, during which our dog went insane and has been in therapy for the last six months. Do you have any idea how much an animal psychiatrist charges? Their fees are horrendous. When the after-shocks settled down, we had to start paying property taxes in two counties, the sun now comes up in the northwest and our water table shifted so bad we now carry water down instead of up from the creek that is infested with water moccasins that ain’t happy either. I guess you could say, “life is good down here in this barren waste land.” Come see us sometime. We’re the last house at the end of the road. Bring lots of rope, you’ll need it to get through the swamp. When you get here, we’ll see if we can find something fun to do. In the meantime, keep your chin up and don’t lose your sense of humor. Gotta go now … the dog has the vacuum cleaner treed in the briar patch again. It’s the 18th time this week. Write soon. Happy Holidays, November 24, 2010Dear Editor,As we near Thanksgiving weekend, we enter into the holidays where family and friends gather to count blessings and share the joys of the season. Too many times during the holiday season, lives are lost and families are shaken when a loved one is killed in a car crash. I don’t want to see any more friends go through the tragedy of losing a loved one in a traffic crash. That’s why as commander of Illinois State Police District 14 (that includes Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, McDonough and Warren counties), I am encouraging motorists to “think twice” when consuming alcohol this holiday season. So far this year, District 14 troopers have made over 223 arrests for DUI and zero tolerance. A DUI conviction can range between $15,000 and $18,000 when you figure legal fees, court costs, income loss, high-risk insurance, basic remedial substance abuse class, Secretary of State and vendor costs with the breath alcohol ignition interlock device, towing/impoundment fees and driver’s license reinstatement. This does not include additional costs involved with a DUI crash, such as medical treatment for injuries or fatalities, civil settlements awarded to crash survivors and additional legal and court fees. I would rather see people using that money in positive ways. At the conclusion of the blitz, a news release will be issued to local news media identifying names, ages and towns of those arrested for DUI within ISP District 14 that will request publication of this information. Illinois Department of Transportation will conduct a media campaign statewide to raise awareness regarding traffic safety, emphasizing the consequences of driving while impaired. Aggressive enforcement will play a role in the holiday blitzes. We will step up efforts on all fronts, including roadside safety checks. This also is the time of year when the IDOT “Click It or Ticket” campaign is in full force. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, ISP will step up safety-belt enforcement. We will conduct seat-belt enforcement zones on state highways, county roadways and city streets. Motorists are reminded ISP has a zero tolerance for those who fail to wear a seat belt or secure their child in a safety seat. People are dying because they fail to wear their seat belts. There will be no warnings issued for seat belt or child-restraint violations. An emphasis on expense, public embarrassment, awareness and enforcement will hopefully help people make better decisions. ISP’s bottom line is linked to saving lives on roadways and doing all they can to prevent tragedies before they occur. As you and your loved ones prepare to celebrate the holidays, work toward this goal by leaving drinking and driving out of the mix and wearing your seat belts. Stay safe and happy holidays. Sincerely, November 17, 2010Dear Editor:Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day (or Remembrance Day) is one of our country’s greatest holidays. But last week, I was sadly informed school districts all over Illinois and the United States are given a choice of whether or not to have school on this day. I found this disturbing. If it was not for our veterans of the past, present and future, we would not be able to live and enjoy the lives we do. Countless thousands of men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice — their lives — so we can enjoy the freedoms we have. Those veterans were not given a choice to take. If it was not for veterans nationwide, there would be no Federal and State tax dollars to help support our education systems because we would be forced to live in a communist-style government. That is why I think this holiday should be mandatory — no choices. In closing, I would like to commend our own Astoria School District for closing in remembrance of those great men and women who gave their lives; and for those who have worn a military uniform and served their country proudly over the years. Sincerely, November 10, 2010Dear Editor:November is Home Care and Hospice Month in Illinois, a time to honor and thank home-health nurses, aides, therapists, social workers and other home-care staff who are there for us whenever we or our loved ones need home care and hospice. These services are delivered to recovering, disabled, chronically or terminally ill persons in need of treatment and/or support and assistance with the essential activities of daily living. To help families and caregivers find home care and hospice when they need it, Illinois Home Care and Hospice Council maintains a Web site, www.HomeCareHeadquarters.com. Not only does this resource answer basic questions about these services, it allows consumers to search for home care and hospice by service, provider, county or city and by payment options such as Medicare and Medicaid. On behalf of the Illinois HomeCare and Hospice Council, I encourage you to visit this resource and recognize individuals in your community who provide care and comfort to homebound individuals of all ages. We thank each of them for “Helping Us Choose Home”. Sincerely, October 27, 2010Dear Editor:We had recently filed a report with the Fulton County Police Department. For the past four weekends, we’ve had our mailboxes destroyed. After the first mailbox was destroyed, we put it off as a childish prank. The next mailbox was taken, and we found the pieces of it along the road. This past Saturday night, our new mailbox was hit and basically destroyed. Now, we are very upset, this is a Federal offense. These children have no respect for their parents or the public. Proper authorities have been contacted, and we have a good idea who is doing this. I believe these children need to pay for the damages before we go and file charges. Becky Watson October 20, 2010Dear Editor:4-H is not just for kids who live on a farm. Its history is rooted in agriculture, but it has been many years since that was its only focus. So many people don’t understand. If a child’s interest is in raising cattle, that is a project they can take. If a child’s interest is in computers, photography, food or art, those also are projects to take. A couple of years ago, I was watching an evening game show on TV called “Duel”. Contestants were asked questions, and could bet based on how sure they were of their answers. One of the questions was to name a youth leadership organization founded through land-grant institutions and public universities. The answer was 4-H. I was so glad to hear it labeled a youth leadership organization, because that is an important part of what it is. As of statistics from the 4-H year ending in 2009, Fulton County had the ninth highest 4-H community-club enrollment out of the 102 counties in Illinois. We are proud of that. We have an excellent program, and welcome Fulton County youth to become involved. Fulton County 4-H Week is October 18-22, a time we give an effort to get the word out about 4-H. 4-H is a fun and educational club for kids ages 8 to 18. There are 22 4-H clubs in Fulton County, located in every part of the county. Clubs are supervised and guided by a dedicated group of 4-H volunteer leaders. To get involved in a Fulton County 4-H club, call 309-547-3711 or e-mail jblout@illinois.edu. Janis Blout September 29, 2010Dear Editor:I am writing this letter to the editor in regards to my family’s attempts at getting the neighbors to clean up their yard(s). I am aware of what it means to have little or no money. Just because you are poor is no excuse to live in a filthy environment. There are millions of people in this world that are very poor and have a clean yard, and mow their grass in a timely manner. People can still be proud of what they do have and own, regardless of their wealth. The only reason for this to be an issue is either pure laziness or complete disregard for the people living around you. Salina Gilson * * * Dear Editor:It seems there might be a little confusion about our sing-a-long at Astoria Gardens each Tuesday, from 10-11 a.m. There are five of us that come to sing with the residents and hopefully brighten their day. I started this in February 2002 by myself, and then off and on a few other folks met with us and helped. Now, there are four others that faithfully meet. If someone can’t come, the rest carry on to brighten the residents’ day, and I appreciate that. Pastor Greg Beach and his wife, Vonna, from Woodland Church bring spiritual food, good humor and a sincere, caring attitude besides leading our singing. The folks there like to sing and can sing many of the old hymns from memory. Diane Westlake plays many uplifting numbers on the piano and this brings a smile to her mother’s face, who is a resident there. Sometimes Diane’s young granddaughter comes and plays songs on the piano, too. This adds interest to our hour, as she does a good job playing. Kate Stambaugh shares jokes and songs and then I whistle or sing something along with my auto harp. Our hour flies by quickly, and we do not do nails or play bingo with the residents. We are glad and thankful someone does this, but it just isn’t what we do. If anyone would like to come on Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. and sing along with us or bring a special, you are welcome. Sincerely, September 22, 2010Dear Editor:I understand I am being accused of calling the police on some residents in Astoria. I have never called the police on anyone in Astoria, and I would like to meet the person who started this rumor. A. Olivo September 1, 2010Dear Editor:Canton City Council is proposing a TIF District for a 500-acre subdivision on unstable stripped ground southeast of Canton. I was on the City Council when Canton established the first TIF District in Illinois. I had reservations about keeping the increase in taxes away from schools, the college district and other taxing bodies. The designated area was blighted due to absentee landlords and the 1975 tornado and met the definition of a TIF District as the law was written at that time. The current proposal to create a TIF District for a subdivision on unstable mine land is a scenario I could not have imagined when I had reservations about proceeding with the first TIF District. Currently, Peabody Coal Company pays a few dollars per acre real estate taxes on the proposed subdivision area. That money is divided among the following Fulton County taxing bodies taken from my 2010 tax bill: Fulton County, Fulton County Pension, Fulton County Ambulance and Emergency, SRC JR 534 and SRC JR 534 Pension. These taxing bodies are county wide so this TIF District is relevant to, and will affect all Fulton County taxpayers. Once Spoon River College Board, Fulton County Board and other boards of the above taxing districts sign off on the project, the taxes paid on the land the year it becomes a TIF District are frozen for the life of the project (23 years) for all districts currently receiving taxes from Peabody Coal Company. The owners of new homes in the proposed subdivision will pay real estate taxes at the same rate others pay. The “increase” from a few dollars per acre to what owners of new homes pay in real estate taxes will go into a fund every year for “infrastructure”. The important thing for you, the taxpayer, to remember is the above districts will not receive one penny of that increase in taxes. There will be an increase of students attending Spoon River College creating an increased need for additional instructors and services. Only pennies of the property taxes paid by the residents of that subdivision every year will be used toward the higher education of their children. The subdivision residents will receive all county services, but be contributing almost nothing toward the cost of those services. The “tab” will be picked up by the rest of the taxpayers in Fulton County. Taxpayers will have nothing to say on how those tens of thousands of dollars of accumulated taxes in the TIF District Fund will be spent. I encourage residents of Fulton County and the City of Canton to Google the area bordered by East Linn Street on the north, Route 78 on the West, Bradley Road (Route 6) on the east and south to Hulit Park and McKinley Road on the south end. You will find an area pocked with lakes and ponds, some appear to be contaminated and over 100 stagnant water holes. Imagine constructing streets and houses in that environment. To all taxpayers who will be adversely affected by the proposed subdivision TIF District on the Peabody Coal Company land, contact the board members of the above taxing bodies and let them know how you expect them to proceed on the proposal when it comes before them. Alice Riley * * * Dear Editor:Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department on Aging will co-host the First Illinois Summit on Aging and Education to get older adult volunteers in classrooms across our state. The Sept. 20 summit at Illinois State University in Normal could not come at a better time. School districts are struggling with state fiscal crisis marked by delayed payments from the state and reduced local revenue. At the same time, we are launching statewide comprehensive education reform initiatives, from the implementation of the internationally-benchmarked Common Core Learning Standards in math and English, to efforts aimed at turning around our lowest performing schools. We need older adult volunteers more than ever to help students meet these new and rigorous standards and prepare for college and careers. Such work can be as simple as reading to a first-grader or talking to a high school student during study hall. The extra attention supports students and increases success. Older adult volunteers discover a way to serve the community and gain another social outlet. Just ask Galesburg resident Richard Murray, a retiree of the National Security Agency who has been volunteering as a reading buddy with second- and third-graders at Cooke School in Galesburg CUSD 205 for the past three years. “There is no better feeling than helping youngsters improve their reading skills,” Murray said. “You can see their confidence grow with their fluency, comprehension and curiosity. It’s fun, rewarding work.” Formal studies are beginning to document what Murray and other older adult volunteers and students have experienced through interaction. Students are returning to school. We hope older adults will follow. Their presence has the potential to improve student performance and inspire service for generations to come. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:The summer is drawing to a close; the farmers will be harvesting their crops and it is almost time for my wife and I to return to Arizona for the winter months. It is always nice to come back to your home town, even though we have been away for many years, as we left Astoria in 1956 to serve our country for 21 years in the Army. Many of my formative years were formed by advice from my grandmother Rebecca Hughes, my aunts Irma Clark and Dorothy Schuman and many of the dedicated “stalwarts” of Astoria, Bill and Chuck Cassel, Arch Hughes, Harold Vaughn, Charlie Stremmel, Bill and Marion Osmond, Wayne Pollitt, Neva Lockard and others too numerous to mention. Over the course of the last seven years, we have returned every summer and camped at Izaak Walton Campground east of town and have enjoyed every summer (even this past one that has been hot, humid and moist). I’d like to take time and share some of my views about the present-day Astoria, and in doing so, would like to give out “orchids and onion” for what I perceive. First: the “Onion Award”. Not too many here, one will cover most of the area. The junky and trashy looking yards and houses on the back streets. I know the economy is bad and people do not have employment, but that should not be an alibi. There are homes that have wrecked/junk cars/boats sitting in the yards, old washing machines, bicycles and general trash to include weeds. What it boils down to is two things: lack of pride and plain old laziness. I was under the impression Astoria had a zoning inspector who was to report deficiencies to the Town Board and get the town cleaned up. Take pride in Astoria. Now the “Orchids”. First goes to the dedicated people who toiled and labored for the Veterans Memorial in the Town Park. They certainly went above and beyond normal circumstances to get it built. The memorial is definitely an asset to the town. My second “Orchid” goes to the volunteer fire department (I was a member from 1951 to 1956). Their dedication is outstanding and Astoria can consider themselves blessed to have good-trained people manning the hoses, etc. A lot has changed over the years and you now have a trained, efficient rescue squad to be proud of, whose members are “Johnny on the spot” when needed, and they know what to do. It is no longer a case of throwing a victim into the back of a hearse to take him to the hospital, hoping he will live long enough to get there. The third “Orchid” goes to Kevin Plate and his workers who definitely are dedicated to their jobs of keeping the roads and facilities up. This summer, they were very diligent in marking parking spots on Broadway, filling in pot holes and making the business district look better. The fourth “Orchid” is to your public library. The people there have a great, helpful attitude and for the size, is adequate. The computer section is very “user friendly” also. The fifth and final “Orchid” goes to the Town Park. It is beautiful with the bandstand and stately trees, for people to sit around and enjoy the breezes daily, even though it was warm out. All in all, Astoria has many good folk and they never lose their friendliness that makes you feel “welcome home”. I know the coming year will bring much needed change to Astoria’s Broadway Street with the proposed road work through town. It will be a hardship for awhile, but afterwards, it will be a “gem” for Astoria. Just remember, “after the storm comes the sunshine”. Thank you, Astoria, for having an impact on my life. Sincerely, * * * Dear Editor:While local media outlets cover the contributions made by our community’s working men and women, I hope on Labor Day, we can highlight the efforts of a particular group that goes unnoticed — the construction industry’s craft professionals. Construction is one of our nation’s largest industries. The evidence of its size and scope is all around us — our industry’s professionals build the schools, hospitals, offices, churches, restaurants, highways, sports arenas and other venues that make communities unique. We celebrate Labor Day as the symbolic end of summer. But for some, Labor Day is often associated with labor unions. However, it is a day to honor all workers, regardless of labor affiliation. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 14.5 percent of the nation’s construction workers choose to join a labor union, while 85.5 percent work in a merit shop, free-enterprise environment. Let’s remember to thank all of the construction craft professionals, regardless of labor affiliation, whose hard work building America each day improves all of our lives. Sincerely, August 18, 2010The Tragedy OF Drunk DrivingAs long as I’ve been a police officer, I’ve never gotten used to the sorrow I feel when I’m called to the scene of a crash where a young person has died due to impaired driving. Yet this senseless loss of human life is a daily reality all over America — year after year. Imagine the public outrage if 29 jumbo jets — each carrying about 400 people — crashed every year in America, killing all on board. That’s the equivalent of the toll our country suffers annually due to impaired driving. But where’s the indignation over this catastrophe? Impaired-driving deaths did decline dramatically during the 1980s through the early 1990s. Social activism, including the rise of organizations such as MADD, led to tighter laws that helped bring the death toll down. During that period, every state made it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or above, and the legal drinking age was raised from 18 to 21. Although data show impaired driving fatalities across the country have declined by almost 10 percent in the last year, the numbers are still too high. In 2008 alone, the latest year we have data for, nearly 12,000 people died in crashes where a driver or motorcycle rider was at or over the legal limit (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher), according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Illinois State Police District 14 during 2009, eight people died in crashes considered alcohol related. These preventable deaths represent 53 percent of the fatal traffic-crash deaths occurring in Illinois State Police District 14 during 2009. Because we’re committed to ending this tragedy, Illinois State Police District 14 will join other law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation during the coming Labor Day holiday for an intensive crackdown on impaired driving. This nationwide enforcement campaign is aimed at likely offenders, males age 21 to 34. It will run Aug. 20 through Sept. 6. As police officers, our message during this crackdown and all year long is clear and unwavering: “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” With stepped-up law enforcement throughout the Nation — including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols — if we catch you driving drunk, you will face consequences. Captain Robert Elliott August 11, 2010Dear Editor:I want to say it again. It seems there are misconceptions that never go away. I am referring to the hospice movement I have been proud to be a part of since 1992. It is true, guidelines state to be in a hospice program, a doctor has to have given an educated diagnosis you have six months to a year to live because of a medical situation. Here is the rub: to accept help from hospice does not mean you or your family has given up on living. Hospice is not about dying. It is about “living well” for as long as you can. It is about pain control. It is about helping you keep your mental clearness for as long as possible. Sometimes, people get well and that is celebrated by all involved. Many times, people are proceeding towards dying and it is not wrong to seek help, education and support to go through the process well. Sadly, too often the doctor is reluctant to suggest or support hospice because their education may not have included the option or the doctor may see and think that he/she has failed. We need to admit in this society we all are proceeding towards death — just at different rates. Some of us will know it, and others will be totally shocked. No family or individual, even in our rural area has to face these issues alone. Our area is served by three hospice programs: Graham Hospice out of Canton and Havana; McDonough Hospice out of Macomb and Cass/Schuyler Hospice out of Virginia. I am proud to be affiliated with all three, and have appreciated the training I have received over the years from all three of them. Many of you know I have been fighting my own battle for two years. I was reminded this morning when Gena Sommers of Cass/Schuyler Hospice called me, that I have a wonderful extended family of supporters that love me and are praying and rooting for me. When I add my biological family, my church family and the Astoria community family, I feel overwhelmed and blessed. Even though I am not yet a hospice patient, they are rooting for me to “live well”. Please, drop the label of death and accept there are good, educated, trained and compassionate people here, ready and willing to help you and your family to “live well” no matter what happens. Hospice has been, and is, blessing me and my family. Gary Sheets July 28, 2010Dear Editor:As I was laying in the hospital (in more than critical condition), a person I have fished with over the years came to my house and loaded up all my nets (approximately 30) I have built. When I got out of the hospital and confronted him, he said he took them to keep people from stealing them. I had a scoring machine at his home. He loaded it up and took it to Quincy to someone who wanted to make a pattern off of it. I contacted the State Police who talked to the party in Quincy, and I ended up going and getting it back. Then this person came back on my property and took two more nets. I contacted the Astoria Police again and they said the State was investigating it and did nothing, as usual. I am wondering why we pay our Town Police Department $80,000 for doing … what? This person I fished with walked in my house, after the State Police had told him not to come on my property, and took guns he was keeping there without my consent to be there. When is my property going to be private without people coming on it as they please? Who is supposed to enforce the law of trespassing if our Police Department won’t do anything? Michael Thomas July 14, 2010Dear Editor:Being a native Oklahoman, I’m partial to sharing the wit and wisdom of its favorite son, Will Rogers. Although he wasn’t talking about Illinois state government at the time, he said: “Last year we said, ‘Things can’t go on like this,’ and they didn’t, they got worse!” Who could argue with this observation when comparing last year’s state deficit to this year’s? The situation is so grim the Governor signed a bill enabling colleges to borrow money, because they weren’t receiving money from the state. This action is likely to cause some head scratching, but at the signing ceremony it was heralded as legislative achievement. Will would have had a field day with this type of government ineptness. Spoon River College Board of Trustees believes the current and future prospects of state funding are no laughing matter. At their July 7 special board meeting, the trustees regretfully approved Funding Bonds to ensure the college could keep its doors open and continue to provide educational services to the citizens of the district. This bond process can be a bit confusing, so here is an overview of Bonding 101. What is a bond? It is like a long-term loan providing funds to the college. Why is it needed? The state has made only three of four annual payments to the college and owes us just short of a half-million dollars. Few people are optimistic things are likely to get better any time soon. What is it used for? Unlike other bonds issued for construction projects, this bond is used for operational costs. The money will be placed in reserve and only be used if the state does not fully fund the college. How much is the bond? The board approved a 3.5 million dollar amount, to be paid over a 10-year period. How is it paid; what will it cost the district taxpayers? Six cents will be added to the tax bill that equates to roughly $21 per year on a house valued at $100,000. Is this the only option available to the college? Maybe not, but a lot has been done to cut expenses and raise revenue; take a look at a few of these: The college has made budget cuts of over $400,000. Programs having few students enrolled and with little promise for future employment have been phased out. Until a campus facility is constructed, basketball has been eliminated, saving over $125,000. Several employees have been laid off and most of the staff will not receive any salary increase. Tuition was increased by the greatest percentage over any previous. Contracts for security and cleaning services have been renegotiated to significantly reduce costs. There may be good news hidden within this sorry state of affairs. If the state manages to fulfill its financial obligation to the college, the trustees have the authority to remove (abate) the increase in taxes during the 10-year payment period. The prospect of the state putting its “financial house in order” will trigger a few chuckles. As Will Rogers said it best “There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.” Dr. Robert Ritschel, president * * * Dear Editor:We have received a lot of compliments on the Veteran’s Memorial recently unveiled in Astoria Town Park. We want everyone to know it is not too late for you or a loved one, living or dead, to be recognized on this memorial. There is an ample amount of 4 inch x 8 inch bricks available to honor servicemen or women, $110; 8 inch x 8 inch bricks available for individuals or businesses, $250; and two benches still available, $2,000. The memorial is a great asset to our community, and a great way to honor those (living or dead) who have fought, or are currently fighting for our country’s freedom. For information or to pick up a form, contact Steve Butler, 309-329-2172 or any member of the Legion or Chamber. Astoria Area Chamber of Commerce June 30, 2010Dear Editor:I was a resident in the Astoria area from 1952 to 1963, when I graduated from college up in Galesburg. I graduated AHS in 1959, and remember my days in the area with a tempered fondness. Tempered because every teenager goes through times of stress and self-doubt, but fondly, because Astoria was a pretty interesting place to be back then. A few years ago, I began writing some recollections of those days in order to leave something for my grandchildren to think about when they become my age. Exaggeration was a constant threat to the accuracy of what I was writing, so I finally began to simply fictionalize my experiences, letting the reader guess what was real and what was ‘thunk up for the occasion’. Many of the characters in my book are drawn from life, then exaggerated; Faye Rawley, the disappeared banker/farmer with the green Cadillac, became a different fellow, Ray Farley. The motives I gave him for the events leading up to his disappearance have no basis in reality ... or do they? Jerry Venters. Few remember him today, but he was quite the young man, a leader of the Bader young people while he was there, a pillar of the church there, and, on the verge of becoming a full-fledged minister, he died of a brain aneurysm or stroke while on his way to an interview. He became Jerry Vencil, and his spiritual abilities were, perhaps, somewhat enhanced for the book. Charley Sill, my stepfather, became Charley Poole, and I think I drew him pretty accurately, though, so far as I know, he was never shot at while measuring fields for ‘soil bank’ over in Coffin Corner, nor did one of his foxhunting friends have a well-hidden still under his barn in an old coal mine. The Astoria Fiberglass venture got moved back in time to 1952 to 1958, and my main character’s completely fictional grandfather was drawn to Astoria (Woodland in the book) to be the production manager for his completely fictional army buddy who was the boss. Camp Ellis’ history is detailed a bit, and a few more of the buildings from there made their way to Woodland in the book than in real life, where, so far as I know, the only vestige was the extra rooms behind the old school where we had hot lunches and PTA meetings. Maybe the band building, too, just west of the school? And, the two houses on the bluff overlooking the Illinois River Bottom, Twin Beeches? I wish they had been there, but I don’t think anyone ever built anything that grand. Twin Beeches — an Illinois Love Story, is the name of the book. An internet search will find the electronic version of the book without my doing any advertising for the company who handles it. And, if you find it and read it, I’d love to hear from you, even if you want to throw bricks at me afterwards for wasting your time. Paul Schoaff June 9, 2010Dear Editor:
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012 • Vol. 134, No. 34
It is with a heavy heart, and deep sense of honor, that I took to the Illinois House floor for the first time as the 94th District State Representative.
Well, here it is, at last, the photo I promised you, of me, standing on the battlements of Warwick Castle, holding a copy of the Astoria Argus. I really enjoyed reading the article you wrote about me, and the photo looked like me too. I take it everywhere I go, and show it to anyone who’s interested. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone I met in Illinois (including yourself) for making my stay in America so very memorable, but most of all, I would like to thank my very good friend Sue Palmer for making me feel like one of the family for taking me about and showing me the townships and the corn fields, and introducing me to everyone we met. Thank you, Sue, and I hope with all my heart I will be able to come back next year for Astoria Homecoming because that’s how I feel — that I’m coming home. So until then, I wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year.