Fieldcrest baseball issue

I'm the parent of a Fieldcrest student who had some troubles adjusting to school as a kindergartner. The teacher was very helpful and accomodating, but my student just continued to struggle. When Mr. Vincent became involved, his first suggestion to "help" was for us to home school our child. What kind of administrator would suggest this as nothing but a last resort? Vincent has his own agendas and cares nothing about our children.

tries to move everything to Wenona. You are foolish, if you think this is not already in the works. At this point the City of Minonk has two choices, sit back and watch it all go year by year. Or sit down with the school board,not Vincent,and negotiate a new lease for the baseball field, football field and softball field. I do agree, if the district does not want to enter into this lease, the City needs to switch priorities. Both baseball fields should be used for City of Minonk rec events only and the football field should be used by rec soccer and JFL. It is time for Bill Koos and this council to look out for Minonks interest and not worry about what the school might think. We need to reach out to our city leaders, so they know they have our support in this very tough decision. The citizens of Minonk have been held hostage by this district for too long and it is time to say enough is enough. Sign a long term contract for football, baseball, softball now or send them packing!!!

The people from fieldcrest should be concerned when their graduation rate is the lowest among school districts that surround them.Also their ACT scores are lower than schools that surround them ,other than schools that are in financial troubles. Their Supt. should be more worried about these problems, than filing out paper work for regional baseball games.If he is concerned with a total H.S. experiance for Fieldcrest students, why didn't he apply for a girls regional.The reason is ,he had his toes stepped on in Aug. when the board voted against his wishes. I see the only solution to this problem is that the city of Minonk hold the H.S. Girls Baseball and the H.S. Football fields, that are under the same lease, over the Supt. The city should say NO boys baseball, No boys football.

And it is easy to think the way you do because you don't pay taxes to the district and have your tax money wasted. I don't care where they play baseball either. But I do care when the School Board & Administrators lie to the City and to the Tax Payers. That is the issue!

I check this website on occasion. I am a FHS alumni and yes have been removed from the area for nearly 10 years now, but aren't we really forgetting that the school is set up for education. Who cares where the kids play? Honestly, I really hate to see all the fighting about Minonk vs. Wenona or Toluca or whatever...we who were raised most of our lives in the district never felt that way. We were always Fieldcrest. I seriously feel that the people who continue to divide the towns have not realized this is for real, nor have they walked through the halls of the high school and see the kids could really care about who is from where. Maybe that has changed since I was in school, but I really doubt it. I agree I may not understand what goes on in the community on a day to day basis, nor do I know much about Randy Vincent, but I think it's easy to cast stones when you aren't making the decisions too.

"pretty funny" is on target. The board uses their threats to scare us to vote for their referendums that are supposed to benefit the children, then turn around and hire more administrators. For those that vote yes whenever a referendum is put on the ballot; the jokes on them. There are other ways to cut the fat from the budget, but they hold the threat of taking away things from our children and that scares us. It's time to wake up folks!

"pretty funny" is on target. The board uses their threats to scare us to vote for their referendums that are supposed to benefit the children, then turn around and hire more administrators. For those that vote yes whenever a referendum is put on the ballot; the jokes on them. There are other ways to cut the fat from the budget, but they hold the threat of taking away things from our children and that scares us. It's time to wake up folks!

Everyone who has made comments on this site, to other's in their community or even thought this was wrong, shows up Monday at the city meeting. We want Mayor Koos he has our support when he sends Randy and this board walking. Take the keys and spend the TIFF surplus on Minonk, no extra money Randy !!

To Mom, I agree but it didn't happen last year so I feel for those who's parents both have to work. Seems to me the board isn't useing to many smarts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That people get so worked up and nothing is going to be done about the school. The school will keep running like it has been for the last 15 years, it will not cut back on anything except sports and every 5 years it will ask for a referendum and the people will give it to them "because it's our kids" The school knows this and the state knows this this is why nothing will change. Except home owners paying more in taxes to the school every year.

Don't get hung up on two administrators' advanced degrees. They don't make you smarter or wiser, just more "educated."

To Glad: older kids are not transporting my son, nor would I want those students to have that liability either! I think it's rotten of the district to subject these kids to this in the first place (that being choosing to obey practice times by driving there or listening to the advice of parents asking them not to). I transport my own child, and I have often transported others. I can relate to parents who have publicly voiced opinions at city meetings concerning having their sons driving to practice on a busy road, it's nuts out there at this time of day! This is why I believe that the school district should provide a bus for ANYTHING that is held outside of the town where the students attend school. period. When the district moves a sport to a new town and does not put a bussing plan into place, they (in my opinion) are telling me (and others) that our children have no value.

I got some bad news for Mom. I wonder what would happen if the older kid's parents said no to giving others a ride to practice? The way this world is on liabilty you couldn't really blame them. Then what would happen? The school never furnished a bus last year.

I don't know where "it looks like" is getting information, but I for one DO NOT rent and I pay dearly in taxes. I don't get from these bloggers that they are renters at all. Also, "mom" is correct. The kids just want to play.

people are responding that rent, so the really don't have a clue the amount of taxes actually go to the school. So they don't have a clue why people are complaiing about wasting $25K not where they are playing baseball

We all need to pay more attention to who we vote in for school board. They hired Mr. Vincent?!? He wants unannimous votes from "his" school board. Did he hire them? He didn't get it on the baseball decision, and now he got his way. The athletic director applied to host in October, after the vote! Interesting, but stupid!

As much as everyone is bickering about what town to play in, I must tell you that my son is just excited to be playing ball....he and the other boys on the team just want to play and not be bombarded with the politics. Also, some people without children seem to be forgetting just how much it costs us as a family in sport fees, etc. I am pleased that our town fixed the diamond, as it meant flooded fields cancelled a game....however, it is my opinion that the boys should just play and the adults should quit arguing. I would also like to interject that if the school has decided to move games and practices to another town where the students are not attending, then the school district should be responsible for transporting them back and forth from games and practices. Perhaps Mr. Vincent can go get a CDL and drive the bus for them? I believe this would be FAIR for everyone. Agree??

Even if we did apply to host the baseball reagionals does not mean we will get them. We just applied everyone is acting like we are going to host, we have not been rewarded anything yet. There is a lot nicer fields out there, including real baseball fields with grass infields.

Well, as much as I agree, take the keys away, we would be hurting the wrong people. It would be the kids who would suffer because of the decisions of adults.

It was a ridiculous thing to do as far as the hiring of Vincent and his wife go. I also agree with "show up at mon meeting" and to take the keys back and stop letting them use city facilities......

I do agree it was underhanded of the board the reverse its decision and return baseball to Wenona. I'd like to know when the application was submitted to host regionals. I am all for our boys to have homefield advantage, but if the application was subitted during or after that time, it was wrong of the A.D. and the administration to apply for Wenona when Minonks field was ready to play on. Someone said that the applications are subitted two years in advance, but I haven't heard that confirmed. Residents of the Fieldcrest community better think long and hard before passing another referendum when the time comes; and it will come. We have more administrators added to the budget when if my memory serves me that wasn't mentioned when the board was trying to get us to vote yes. A Dean of Students? Puleeze!

I think it is time for our city leaders to look out for the city and not the district. No contract/lease was signed with Fieldcrest, for use of any city facilities. Based on Randy Vincent’s actions, the city needs to either take the keys back from the district, or make them pay. The honeymoon is over. Second, I think it is obvious Randy submitted the regional request after the board’s vote, despite what he was told by the board. He provided misleading and false information to the board at the last meeting, and did opposite of what he was originally told. All contracts have stipulations in them, to protect from this type of activity. If Randy’s does, perhaps he should be told to hit the road. P.S. Hopefully he takes his wife !

Dave I would have to agree with you on this editorial, the district cannot survive if they have an administrator that makes his own rules, and does not follow the school board rules that was put in place years ago. The school wants to keep hiring a Vice Principal, maybe it time for them to hire a CFO to handle the schools money and let the superintendent worry about the education, and let the CFO worry about the money. The school needs someone that is not and was not a teacher handle the money. Superintendent at one time were all teachers, right wrong or indifferent they always lean towards the teachers.

Thanks to all city workers, and volunteers who spent their time last summer working on the the Minonk diamonds. Each city and school within the district should be working WITH each other-not AGAINST! City workers do allot for our school on their work time (ex. salting/shoveling school parking lots ect. just to name one of many) All of this is now over. There are bitter feelings, and that is sad. Where was the communication and common courtesy by our administration/school board before the decision was made to attempt yet another vote concerning baseball? To the people who complain we have lost games because of the low fence in Minonk,what about the games won when our boys hit homeruns over that same fence? Are those not valid? Also, if you live in Marshall Co, assessed valuations have increased approx. 20%-that generates one heck of allot of $$ staying in Wenona-not the district- due to their ill-fated TIF.

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