The residents of Minonk owe Senator Maitland a great deal of gratitude for his help in fighting the potential landfill that was threatening to come to Section Six north of the city limits. Senator Maitland's support and clout enabled the passage of Senate Bill 1266. The bill effectively stopped U. S. Waste in its tracks in its efforts to put a landfill in Section Six. The bill gives the Minonk City Council the power to decide whether a landfill can be located on the city's borders rather than by a less sympathetic county board.

Senator Maitland had nothing to gain politically by sponsoring this bill since Minonk was not even in his district. However, he supported us because he felt it was a just cause. That is what makes John Maitland so well respected by voters and peers alike. He backed causes based on their merit, not on their politics.

I ask that Minonk residents send Senator Maitland a short letter thanking him for his support in helping Minonk keep a landfill from locating on its border. He helped us in our time of need. Now it is our turn to help Senator Maitland is his time of need. I feel that a simple, heartfelt letter from citizens like us will help bolster Senator Maitland's spirits and aid in his recovery. We wish him well and hope that he will be able to resume his normal activities. His address is shown below.

Class size issue

Dr. Stagliano is doing what he is being paid to do and that is to provide a quality education for our children while being fiscally responsible. It is not an easy task and a superintendent of a school district has to bear the brunt of criticism that is inevitable when cuts are necessary. His actions must satisfy both parents of students and of the taxpayers.

If environment is the most significant determinant of a quality education, then that tells me that it is advisable to get the best teachers possible and to pay them accordingly. A good teacher can probably teach 25 students better than a poor teacher can to 16 students. I abhore the practice of school boards that try to force retirement on our best teachers in order to enbable them to replace the teacher with a younger, cheaper, and sometimes worse teacher.

The other environment factor to be considered is the family influence on the student. It is no secret that many of our best students come from families who support and encourage their children to excel in school. Therefore, it follows that the better the family unit, the more likely that their children will excel in school. Families who place a high value on education not only want to move to a community that has a good school system, but also to a community that is pleasant enough to make them want to live here in the first place.

By making Minonk a good place to live, we will attract those families that will have motivated students. In a way, the quality of students that we turn out is related to the quality of our community. Since coming to Minonk last fall, Dr. Stagliano has been attempting to eliminate the litter from the city. He knows that the image presented by a city will determine the quality of people who will want to live here. Dr. Stagliano, unlike his predecessors, has made a committment to this community by building a home here. He has expressed a real interest in this community and wants to make Minonk into a community that will attract families that want a good education for their children. I think his actions are commendable and he deserves our support.