In the meantime, we are planning to meet "officially" from Thursday April 15 through Sat. April 17. We will have a dinner together at some local - casual - spot each night. Daytime activities will be suggestions so that people can make their own choices. We believe that we have enough of us who will be driving or who live in the area and have cars so that we should not have transportation problems.

Those of you who are flying, please tell us time, day and flight numbers so that we can meet you.

By no means am I suggesting that the people who need financial aid should not receive it. I am suggesting that people be pro-active, and make the effort to make their own way first. Parents: here are some suggestions to "make your own way." If you are a two pack a day smoker, cut back to one! This cut alone would yield one smoking parent a savings of $ 19.60 a week based on a figure of $ 3.50 for a pack of cigarettes. For the 'barflies,' reduce your 'beverage' intake by 20 percent. "Joe Six-pack" could save a substantial amount of money at even this percentage. For those of you who to whom the previous does not apply, learn to make and follow a budget. If there is still not enough, the next obvious solution is to make more money. Sometimes this includes taking a job that is out of your comfort zone in the interest of making the most money; you do not even have to be a "rocket scientist" to do so. This is what I have had to do. This is why I am unsympathetic to people whose only solution to their woes is to have the government stick their hand in my pocket, in the form of tax increases and rob me so they can get their handout.

I have yet to be approached by any of these students wanting to fund their extra-curricular activity by soliciting work for a fair wage. Children need to be taught a work ethic. Parent involvement is important. Parents should be aware of who their child is soliciting work from, or should go to the homes with their children to supervise the service their child is providing. Make the effort.

Thank you, Dave

I really think this is very out of range. What about us low income families that have kids that want to participate in sports and can not afford the fees? I know they said there is going to be ways for the children who can't afford it, to raise the money so they can play. Why should they be singled out? It is quit an embarrassment for these children already knowing that their parents can not afford it from the beginning, let alone to have them raise money so they can play in the sports. I believe that "once again " we will be singling out the lower class people in this community!

We would like our children to be active in the school system, rather that active on the streets but with this increase it leaves them no choice!!

I know of several families that are leaving the community due to these changes in our school system. We will be home schooling our children next year due to these changes in the school system, and we are also selling our home soon and moving away from here.

We feel this community is based solely on people that have the money and the people that do not have it are down the tubes!!!!

A low-income Family!

Sincerely,

We are currently in the need of homes for these teens to work on (they will only do one story roofs and paint only to 20 feet for safety reasons) and we are in need to funds, naturally. Anyone wanting to submit a house, can contact me by calling 815-358-2289 or by e-mail at srogers88@hotmail.com subject TEENSERVE, please, or write me at Sara Rogers P.O. Box 81 Cornell, IL 61319.

If you have any questions, PLEASE contact me, I'd be glad to answer them.

We are terribly excited about bringing the youth here this summer, what a great thing to have these kids doing good for the community.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,

Kelly does not want to hear this. She is mainly concerned with putting food on the table for her children and making the rent or mortgage payments. The Fieldcrest Board of Education, like similar boards of education across this great nation, are forced into finding a solution to provide opportunities that will benefit the greatest number of youth. Fees are necessary for two reasons: to pay those coaches and sponsors who make these activities possible and secondly, to make certain that at the very least, a minimal number of activities exist for those who want to participate.

The Board of Education and the Citizens Advisory Committee had no choice but to recommend a fee schedule to be able to provide extracurricular activities this coming fall. The alternate choice was to not offer extracurricular activities at all. With fees, most students will have an opportunity to participate, albeit some, unfortunately, will have to make a decision on how many activities/sports they can afford in their school experience.

It is not the Board of Education's intent to unfairly penalize families like "Kelly's". Families, regardless of income level, will be forced to make difficult decisions. Tuition payments vs. participation in multiple sports, fees vs. mortgage and rent, and so on. Quite frankly, this scenario is not specific to Fieldcrest. It is statewide and nation-wide.

Nevertheless, the Board of Education and the administration will make reasonable efforts to accommodate families who for one reason or another cannot afford the new fees. In some instances, fees will be waived. In other instances, fee payments may be arranged. However, families must cooperate by providing the necessary documentation to the school system in order for the school system to work with the families to provide at least the minimal amount of participation in extracurricular activities. No student will be denied an opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, although it is fair to say that not all will be able to fully participate in all sports and activities. Priorities and choices will have to be decided on a family-by-family basis.

As for individuals stating they and others will home school their children, move out of the community and sell their homes based upon a temporary economic condition, I say be patient and try to understand what is at stake here. Last, students who do not participate in extracurricular activities are no more prone to be "active on the streets" than any other child. The primary reason our school District exists is to provide quality academic experiences to enable our youth to compete on a level playing field in life. In that arena the administration, teachers and Board of Education are doing a very fine job. Extracurricular activities are important, but they are the frosting on the academic cake. Let's rejoice that we still have cake to offer.

One of my most embarrassing moments there was when I didn't come in to turn on the machines. It was Labor Day, and somewhere in my mind, I thought that it was a day off..Wrong! Mr. Denson called me a home and asked if I was sick.."No", I said. He asked me why the machines weren't turned on, paper stacked, and the office not cleaned. I told him that I thought it was a holiday..He laughed and said. "Art, don't you know that the paper never sleeps?" Well, it was a lesson learned and needless to say, it never happened again. He was a good man, and never lost his temper, and I kept my job, which paid me $2.00 a week..but, it wasn't the money, it was the experience and the learning that were rewarding. By the way, I never saw anyone pound out the type on those machines like Joe Kasha could. He was a master linotype operator. Thanks, Dave, for once again bringing to us these valuable memories from Minonk's past.