Blogging Forgottonia

Matt Hutton, editor of the Daily Review Atlas, announced recently that the Review Atlas, the Galesburg Register-Mail and the Macomb Journal would all be printed in Galesburg instead of Peoria.  This will result in some minor cosmetic changes to the papers.  Hutton also announced that the Review Atlas will begin charging for obituaries.

I’m glad to hear that the local papers will be printed closer to home, but I’m more interested in hearing the story behind the “For Sale” sign on the Review Atlas building.  Still no official word on that front.

Another local media change is the revamp of the Galesburg.com blog page.  I’m not sure when this happened, and it may have been a while ago.  The old page was so antiquated & unappealing that I rarely visited it.  The new version is certainly a big step up.

The home of the Review Atlas at 400 S. Main Street is for sale.  I searched the paper’s website, but I found no mention of the sale or their plans for the future.

It’s actually today, September 16.  Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the Mexican army over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla.  May 5 has achieved more notoriety in the U.S. … because we like to drink in May?  It’s become the Mexican St. Patrick’s Day.

There will be a local celebration of Mexican Independence Day on the 200 block of South Main Street (in front of La Tapatia) on Saturday, September 18, from 4 PM to 11 PM.  Gus Munoz, owner of La Tapatia, is organizing the event.  Come down and support a local business!

Vaughn’s Jewelry and the Downtown Coffeehouse, both owned by Tom & Mary Scudder, will be closing.  Unfortunately Monmouth seems to be losing more small local businesses than it’s gaining lately.  Walgreens and Dollar General are fine, and they provide employment (albeit low wage) and tax revenue.  However, no one is going to drive to Monmouth to visit those stores, and most of the profits generated by the chains don’t stay local, either.

Monmouth has a great downtown area, with local cultural institutions like the Warren County Library and the Buchanan Center for the Arts.  I hate to see the businesses there dying off.

According to the Review Atlas, Kevin Cerar’s new restaurant, Petey’s Pub and Grill, should open in the next few weeks.  The restaurant will employ 50 to 60 people including about a dozen full time employees, which is certainly good news for Monmouth.  It’s nice to see  a new local business open up, instead of more chain stores, and I look forward to checking out the new place.

If some Roseville residents want to contribute to the degradation of public education in Warren County and spit in the faces of their fellow villagers who can’t afford a private education for their children … by all means, start a new private Christian school.  However, in doing so they should know & accept that they’re part of the problem, not the solution.

I’m sure this movement to open a Christian school spawns from anger over the impending closure of Roseville Elementary School and not a fervent desire for religious education.  I understand that anger, but the M-R 238 administration & school board had to deal with the cold hard facts and do what’s best for the greatest number of students.  The two deficit-reduction scenarios that had R.E.S. staying open would have resulted in 250-350 more Monmouth students being bussed to Roseville than vice versa.  The accepted scenario results in 17 more Roseville kids bussed to Monmouth than vice versa.  Given those numbers, if someone can explain how keeping R.E.S. open would be fair, I’ll buy the Brooklyn Bridge from them.

The M-R 238 school board met last night and approved 88 layoffs, including 15 full-time teachers, 9 assistant coaches, & 1 principal.

Residents in Roseville met yesterday to discuss opening a private Christian school there.

And finally, the State House passed a measure that would allow districts to change to a four-day school week.

(SIGH)

When are Americans, the politicians and those who elect them, going to wake up & realize that education needs to be a top priority in this country?

Willits Primary and Roseville Elementary will close for the 2010-2011 school year.  Many programs, including the enrichment program that my daughters participate in, will be cut.  The United CUSD #304 also had to make some painful financial decisions recently.

The decision to close two schools was a painful one for everyone involved, and I know that Roseville residents are particularly angered by the closure of R.E.S.  The anger over these school closings & program cuts should not be directed at Superintendent Paul Woehlke or the M-R CUSD #238 school board.  I think they made the best play that they could with the cards they were dealt.  If folks want to be angry, be angry at the politicians in Springfield that couldn’t pay the state’s bills even before the current economic crisis struck.  Be angry at the Wall Street investment bankers and their wildly speculative financial schemes that precipitated the financial meltdown in 2008.  There lies the root cause of these school closings.

Monmouth-Roseville District 238 is facing major budget cuts to make up for a $ 1.4 million deficit.  Scenarios include closing both Willits & Harding schools, or closing Roseville Elementary.  Details of the Deficit Reduction Plan proposals can be found on the District 238 website.  The Review Atlas praises the work of the Deficit Reduction Committee and calls for a “mature response.”  Recommendations will be made to the school board on February 25, and then the school board will vote on March 9.

The United CUSD 304 has not evaded budget woes, either.  How long will it be until we see a county-wide school district in Warren County?

Maple City Restaurant is renovating this week.  MCR is a great little place, with a wide variety of good food for very reasonable prices.  I’m glad to hear this local business is doing well enough to remodel & may expand in the future.