More info on p's and q's
I was reading the current e-mail responses and noted Marge Robertson's
question about Ps and Qs. The answer is good except it goes further, the
old wooden printer's case held upper case or capital letters and the lower
case, the "small" letters .These "letters were actually small pieces of
lead, tin, and antimony molded into a piece that had the individual letter
raised up on the end. Now imagine what that piece of type looked like as
you saw it upside down. Most letters are easy to identify except for those
which were the lower case 'p' and 'q' as well as the 'd'
and 'b'. I had the pleasure of teaching Print Shop to 8th and 9th graders.
Of course, all of this "type setting" talk is past history, but it deserves
a place in history.
Albin Johnson
Looking for "Buckshot" Vissering
Hi David,
I ran into an old friend (Tom Moberly) that I hadn't seen in a number of
years and as we were reminiscing, the name of Howard Vissering came up.
You remember, "Buckshot". Tom said that they had worked together at State
Farm and did a certain amount of running around together. He's lost track
of "Buckshot" and asked me if I knew of his whereabouts or anything at all
about him. The last thing that Tom remembered was that Howard had moved to
Chicago. I told Tom that I would check with you and with your vast coverage
with Minonk Talk, you might be able to come up with something.
Herc Paloumpis
Its about Education, not Efficiency.
The Board president, in his recent letter, mentioned that the state's budget
crisis is going to affect our district because of cuts in some funding for
certain programs. I do not understand how these looming, yet uncertain cuts
should affect the number of regular education teachers at Fieldcrest South.
Are these salaries paid though "Money we were granted from the state for
programs we have provided this year. . ." If there are other budget
shortfalls that the general public needs to made aware of, it would be nice
if the Board would share. The Board president stated "We need to run a
quality educational system at peak efficiency." Does he realize what he is
saying? We are not churning out little robots from an assembly line. They
are our children. Each has special needs that must be addressed. Our
children are not pawns to be manipulated on some business chessboard.
Efficiency issues exist in administrative functions of any significant
organization, but efficiency does not necessarily equate itself with a good
quality education. Having low class sizes in the early elementary grades
is the most cost effective method for improving achievement. This is the
finding of a study, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education. The
entire study can be viewed online at
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ReducingClass/.
Is it too much to ask to have the Board think in an educational framework
instead of a business framework?
Jeff Geringer
Raising the Tax Levy or Running More Efficiently
Daryle Uphoff remembers correctly that the tax rate for Fieldcrest is
one of the lowest in the area. He's also right in suggesting that it may
be time to increase our tax rate for the school levy. However, it's
important to point out that under the best case scenario it would be
November before the voters could approve an increase. By the time the
voters approve such an increase and the board is able to raise the levy
and begin actually receiving increased revenue it will be July 2004.
Unfortunately the current shortfall in state revenue is having an
immediate impact on every school district in Illinois. Money we were
granted from the state for programs we have provided this year is being
cut out from under us. We are in the middle of a state wide budget
crisis. While state legislators are able to react quickly by cutting
funds already promised to local schools, hospitals and municipalities
(often times for services we have already rendered), it takes much
longer for us to adjust at the local level. The process of levying and
then receiving increased local taxes to make up for these shortfalls
takes at least 18 months. If we pretend the shortfall in state funding
doesn't present a problem for us while we go about the process of trying
to get the voters to approve an increase in the tax rate, we will be
faced with the very real possibility of borrowing money in order to get
by with the status quo. By the time the additional revenue is realized,
we will be faced with a double edge sword of increased debt and the
accompanying interest expense. Unfortunately, this is not a simple
either/or situation. We need to consider an increase in our local tax revenue and, in the mean time,
we need to run a quality educational system at peak efficiency. I think
most people would agree that Fieldcrest provides a quality education but
there's room for improvement. While changes may be uncomfortable and
in some cases difficult to accept, isn't it only reasonable that we
improve upon our efficiency before we consider asking the public for
more money?
Joe Knapp
School should consider raising tax levy
In regard to your editorial on the financial crunch facing the local school
district, I think you too easily disregard one alternative: raise the levy.
Although I haven't seen the numbers in many years, it is my recollection
that the local district (before its most recent consolidation) had one of
the lowest levy rates-if not the lowest- in the entire area. Although
raising levy rates is never politically popular, sometimes the most
expeditious way of addressing a problem is not the correct way. Why not
accept the fact that having an outstanding school district providing both a
diverse academic and extra-curricular culture is the single most important
asset in the community. Perhaps not surprisingly, the value of the
community's real estate would appreciate if families in other geographic
areas understood that this community places a high priority on providing
educational and extra-curricular activities for its children. Having lived
in a large metropolitan area, I am no longer surprised when a listing for a
home for sale also prominently mentions the school district in which the
home is located-provided, of course, that the school district is recognized
as one that provides opportunities for its children. The marketplace is
telling us much about the importance of our schools to the value of our
real estate Why not listen?
Daryle L. Uphoff
Minneapolis, MN
Remembers Uncle Bill VonBehren
Dave,
Really enjoyed your biography of Uncle Bill. I was a great fan of Bill and
Fanny while I was growing up. I visited him the year before he died while
he was in the nursing home. He looked great. Knew who I was and told me
lots of stories about my Dad (some I had heard, others I had not). Anyway,
I was so glad to have visited him again, but so sad when I heard about his
death.
Anyway, thanks for the article.
Sincerely
Jim Uphoff
Sell tiles for park pavilion to raise money
Hi Dave--This first bit has nothing to do with Minonk, but since you
seem to have an interest in history, and have heard a bit about the
Hodgsons--here's a link to the Tazewell Co. Genealogical Society page.
The couple on this page are the grandparents to Eugene "Doc" Hodgson.
I'm sure they never imagined they would end up on the internet!
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iltcghs/photo.htm
Also, I noticed in your email section that someone mentioned selling
commemorative tiles for your new Pavilion. That scheme worked very well
here in Seattle many years ago when we reonvated the Pike Place Market.
Folks paid a premium to have their names embossed in metal on a tile
(embedded on the floor of the Market)--it raised a lot of money. I
think folks like myself, who have a family history in Minonk, but do not
live there, would like to have an opportunity to help the Pavilion, and
put their family name on something that would last many years.
Thanks.
Debbie Huffman
|
Another origin for "p's" and "q's"
I read your trivia on this subject of the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
which reminded me that when I was visiting Nauvoo several years ago I
was told at the the print shop that the phrase came from the typesetters
because the lower case p's and q's were so similar that they must be
carefully separated so as not to ruin the printing.
I wonder which is correct, or if there is some other explanation.
Food for thought,
Marg Robertson
Looking for information on former residents
I am looking for information on former residents of Minonk, births in 1870's
and marriages in 1889 and can't find records anywhere.
Looking for John Pomeroy Morris, born 1866 in Minonk, and Nina Pamela Terry
born 1870 in Minonk. They married in 1889 in Minonk.
Any helpful hints or phone numbers or reigstrar's would be very helpful.
Thank you,
Andrea Parmley
EMail: Andrea.Parmley@icoreintl.com
Need to scrutinize school spending requests
I found Mr. Knapp's letter explaining the school board's strategy for addressing the current financial state extremely compelling. While no one will disagree that the State of Illinois is in the middle of a "statewide budget crisis", one has to ask exactly what percentage of Fieldcrest's operating income is derived from the state? That number has been absent from anything that I've read to date. In addition, how much money will Fieldcrest save in the coming fiscal year, due to attrition and other "pre-crisis" savings? When you look at just the number of senior staff retiring and the proposed class reassignments at the East and West middle schools, a conservative guess would be $150,000.
In the past, I have always supported a request from our school board for tax increases to enhance our education. What could be more important? However I will weigh future requests more closely, as for the first time, I have real questions about the validity of those requests. This is especially true as I watch the construction at Elementary South and wonder how the new space will be utilized. The board needs to do a much better job of communicating specific financial numbers to the community, as they need the support of the community to make requests for more money a reality.
And finally, I completely agree with Mr. Knapp when he states: "While changes may be uncomfortable, and in some cases difficult to accept, isn't it only reasonable that we improve upon our efficiency before we consider asking the public for more money?"
However I don't agree that the solution is for one segment of the Fieldcrest district to bear the majority of the responsibility. Each school section should be part of the solution. Further, the board should lead by example, and stop spending thousands of dollars by utilizing hiring firms to do the job that they were elected to do.
Joe Limbaugh
Minonk, IL
Fieldcrest South test scores
Dave,
With all the talk concerning the cutbacks proposed by the Fieldcrest school
board as well as the recent information regarding Fieldcrest south test
scores, I thought your readers would appreciate the following link:
http://206.166.105.128/ReportCard/rchome.asp
At this site anyone can review the test scores of any school district in the
state of Illinois, and therefore compare the Fieldcrest districts scores
with those of the surrounding school districts and see how the Fieldcrest
High School compares with other schools of the same size and location!!
It will surprise. Look at the ACT test scores as compared to the state
ave.'s and to other local school districts!
Keep up the good work. thanks!
Steve Allen
Likes recipes
Your recipe site is very nice! Wanda Patterson's "Taco Cornbread Pizza" we found extra
special, so I e-mailed it to friends and family. One of my friend's e-mailed back to try the
"Gen's Zippy Chicken", as she followed more of the recipes. Since it went over well at her
home, that one we will try next! Thanks to all you great cooks out there!!!
Jacob and Marietta Sorch
Thanks for the article about the Chocolate Shop
I visited my family in Minonk last week. My niece Kim, mentioned the article written by Don Uphoff. Tonight, I finally had a chance to check it out. Thanks a lot for bringing back some great memories. I loved so many things about the restaurant as a child, but because I was so young, I often was sent upstairs to the apartment above when things got busy. My favorite time was after a basketball game. I would lay on the floor and listen to the kids lead different cheers if Minonk had won the game. My mom helped my dad so I spent some wonderful hours in the back kitchen. I learned how to peel potatoes when I was four. I even had my dolls and doll bed placed in a storage area in the kitchen so someone could watch me. For many years I kept in touch with many of the former workers. One of my favorite ladies was Connie Konwinski. Connie helped to bake pies and had a number of other duties. She often took care of me in the apartment. Every Saturday she would clean our home and we would listen to the radio together. Saturday evenings, Dad would park the car in front of the restaurant and I would get to sit with Connie and watch all of the people who came to town. I loved it. We certainly live a different pace today. My step daughter loves to come to Minonk and visit with me. She likes the fact that she can walk and feel safe in the downtown area. We brought two of her friends with us last week. They were amazed that people were always waving at them. I said, that's what it's like in a small town. We live in Rockford. Thanks for the memories.
Sue (Morrison) Burger
Teachers used to dress better
Hi Dave, I shouted Amen as I read your editorial on style! I had also
read George
Wills editorial.
I feel that discipline slipped when teachers started dressing casually.
I taught in the "good old days" when women teachers always wore dresses and
looked professional. I taught in Streator, so always dressed up when I went
shopping in Streator.
A few years ago I was in the hospital as a patient, and my night nurse
was dressed in black sweat pants and a black sweatshirt.
I also really enjoyed your article about William VonBehren, as I
remember him and Fannie very well. They were a very nice couple.
Keep up the good work! I enjoy your columns a couple times each
week.
Sherry Lindeman
|