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Emails for October 2018

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Dbergs handing out candy | Wants to contact Coach Marcoline | Thanks from Grosenbach Grocery | Hydrant Flushing Week of Oct. 29th | Parent Survey Now Open | Reasons to Vote | Food pantry donations needed! | Higher taxes?? | Lets support our grocery store | New School, Truths and Lies | Oktoberfest Cancelled | Repairing High School & Middle School vs Building New | Thanks to Fire Department | Woodford Field Fire | Fieldcrest Board to Hold Public Meeting Oct. 10 | City of Minonk Water Survey | Petri's Pourhouse Closed Friday Oct. 5th | Haunted House? |

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Dbergs handing out candy

Dbergs - 456 N Chestnut St We will be handing out candy from 6-8. Bring your ghosts and goblins up to get their candy!

Jerry Dronenberg


Reasons to Vote

There are many REASONS TO VOTE! Regardless of your party, political opinions and leanings, or preferred outcomes... (list stolen/adapted from website promoting voting: https://my.lwv.org/texas/dallas/voting/reasons-vote, https://followmyvote.com/10-reasons-to-vote/, and https://www.theodysseyonline.com/top-10-reasons-to-vote - use of information from these sites is not an endorsement of the organizations or their missions).

1. Your vote is your voice. And when you vote, you can complain with integrity later...
2. It's the patriotic thing to do.
3. Even if your preferred candidate doesn't win, at the very least you stood for your beliefs and interests. If you don't vote for your own beliefs and interests, who will?
4. Every vote actually does make a difference. Close votes tell the winner something as much as lopsided contests. And occasionally an election is determined by just a handful of votes. (A special Virginia House race was determined by coin flip in 2017 after the candidates were tied on votes. the same occurred in Mississippi in 2015 and New Mexico in 2014. One vote mattered!)
5. There's much more on the ballot than the elections the news media - of all branches - talks about. There are local, state, and federal questions. There are often questions about candidates, judges, taxes and referendums, and a myriad of issues.
6. Someone, maybe someone close to you, fought for your ability to vote and be heard. Some never came home. Honor their sacrifice.
7. It matters. It matters to the future of you, your family, your friends, your organizations and charities, your community, and your local, state, or federal government.
8. Elections have consequences. Always... no matter who wins...
9. Elected officials make all the big decisions, and they listen to the people who vote.
10. There are items on the ballot you probably want to have a say in.
11. It's just the right thing to do. Know the candidates and issues, and vote!

Remember to vote November 6 2018 or via absentee ballot. See https://www.elections.il.gov/RegistrationAndVoting.aspx for more information, or contact your local elections officials.

Dr. Daniel L. Oakley, Superintendent
Fieldcrest Community Unit School District 6

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Higher taxes??

We don't mind that a big part of our property taxes go to the school district. It's our part in helping to make an investment in our community. Then I read how this town is about to screw up again, on supporting a grocery store. Who are these Minonk business people, shopping out of town? Also, how about putting Crank's on the schools website, along with the other Minonk businesses? Crank's gives the Student Of The Week a nice gift certificate for a free meal & also donates Wings to the Sky Box Announcers during home football games. They deserve recognition! They are making an investment in this town & school. Where's their thanks from this community?
This town is so divided & it's the same people who are wanting more from us but does not support all of Minonk's businesses. Maybe some of you here need to do some soul searching on what "small town values" really means.
Mike & I will be voting NO for a new school. These towns that make up this school district, have wasted enough of our taxes we have paid, for the last 28 years.
It's hard to say yes to more taxes, which was $1933.00 this year, while looking at the back of Dollar General & still picking up their garbage out of our yard.
Oh yeah, and that bump in the road by the Millennial Park....more proof of our taxes going to who knows what. We will be moving out of Minonk as soon as Mike retires. I miss the early days of feeling like we made a good choice moving here. This town has so much to offer, too bad it's only offered to certain families.

Lisa & Mike Zimmerman


Repairing High School & Middle School vs Building New

At the recent Fieldcrest Building Referendum meeting another topic was also discussed. That topic was what could happen if the referendum isn't approved. If the voters turn down the building referendum, the State of IL 10-yr Health/Life Safety repairs will still need to be completed. THAT WOULD RESULT IN OUR TAXES BEING INCREASED TOO. Those repairs are expected to be in excess of $25,000,000 and the school district doesn't have the money available to do them without borrowing it. The cost would be for repairs needed for the high school and middle school (repairs to primary and intermediate schools were completed this past Summer).

This a difficult decision as no one wants their taxes to go up but in this situation it appears it will happen either way. If I were to choose it would be for new buildings on donated land rather than waiting another 10-20 years when building costs will surely increase and we may not be so fortunate as to having the land given to us.

Marcia Kettwich

David Dunham: I agree, may as well have something to show for our money rather than band-aiding older buildings and in another 10 years to spend more on band-aids
Mindy Johnson: I hope others understand this! I'm afraid they don't.
David Dunham: Mindy Johnson me too. There was a very slim crowd the other night at meeting.
Patrick Copp: Really surprised that not many showed up to the school board meeting in the gym Wednesday night. I thought it was very informative. Please get the facts before Nov. 6th.

Woodford Field Fire

I would like to thank everyone who helped in putting out our field fire at the Woodford Farm this past week. Special thanks to Minonk and El Paso Fire Departments and also to the farmer who worked the ground around the fire to keep it contained.

Thank You,

Kay McKay


City of Minonk Water Survey

The City of Minonk water and sewer departments have mailed a Residential Cross Connection Control Survey to account holders. This is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement, and its purpose is to identify possible sites that could cross contaminate the potable drinking water distribution system. This does not mean there is an issue. The survey is a tool used to find possible areas of concern. Surveys may be mailed or dropped off at City Hall located at 670 N Chestnut St. Minonk, IL 61760 or placed in the water bill drop box in the parking lot near the recycling trailer. Please return the surveys within the next 15 days. If you do not receive a survey, you can download a form from the City's website at cityofminonk.com.

Thank you.

Lisa Blanchard


Haunted House?

Is Minonk having a Haunted House this month(October)?

Lisa Tutko


Thanks from Grosenbach Grocery

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the support and kind words last week after our meeting with the community. We had some nice traffic in the store after that but we are still a long way away from hitting our target of 1800 customers a week. Continue to spread the word for us and let the community know Grosenbach's isn't going anywhere! We will start getting trucks in to the store as soon as we can. One week if hitting our numbers and we can do that! Thanks again for your patience and understanding. Shop and support local businesses. Have a great week, everyone!

Corey Grosenbach


Parent Survey Now Open

The biennial 5Essentials parent survey is now open! This is an opportunity for parents to provide quality feedback to the district through the 5Essentials site.

Data from the 5Essentials survey will become part of each building's score for the ESSA Summative Designation for the building. For this data to be meaningful, we need a large percentage of our parents to weigh in on the survey.

Parents can access the survey at http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/.

Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel L Oakley, Superintendent

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Food pantry donations needed!

Our November pantry day will be November 1 when many clients will be picking up items they can use in their Thanksgiving dinners. Then before we know it, it will be December 6, when clients will be picking up items for their Christmas dinner.

Many people have asked how they can help the pantry. Any items you think someone might use in making a dinner are welcome. Some ideas might be stuffing mix, instant mashed potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, French's dried onions (or any brand), canned pumpkin, evaporated milk. We also plan to give out gift certificates for clients to use in November and December to help buy the meat of their choice at Grosenbach's, so monetary donations are also appreciated. Food donations may be taken to city hall or any of the local churches.

We are truly blessed in a small community that everyone is generous and willing to help friends and neighbors who need assistance. Thank you for all donations we receive.

Lila J McCulley

Hollie Hartzler Kearfott: Lila McCulley - this year for the stop and shop, we would like to donate our proceeds to the food pantry. Show will be December 1, so I'll contact you shortly after to give you the money.

Lets support our grocery store

I'm really concerned about our grocery store. If we want to keep it, we have to shop there! They need our business to survive! Not just drop in for bread or milk, but truly do some of our shopping there. Let's spend that $20.00/week (or more) - I'd rather do that than drive to E lPaso any day! Corey & Sara have done a wonderful job bringing the store back to life. It would be such a shame to lose it! Our community has always supported things that are important to Minonk (schools, football, other businesses, etc). Come on, Minonk, let's all support them and their/our store!

Lynn Kettwich


New School, Truths and Lies

You know why there was not good turnout, the tax payers of the district are tired of being lied too. Not one time this district went to the tax payers and asked for money in its 25 year they didn't get it. And time and time again they have gotten money and wasted it. We have building sitting half empty, we have new additions built with substandard materials. New grade school addition and the student cubies are made from press wood. For 25 years they have not maintained building now they say we heard the tax payers we will do a better job we promise. You go to meeting about these new building they don't have answers, they should have ever answer before hand planned out that could be asked. The 1 month before the tax payers vote finally have Architectural rendering of the new school. But nothing on how it's going to be built what types of material is it pressed wood and plastic or is it going to be hard woods and steel, what type of HVAC will be used, in 10 years with this cheaply built building start falling apart, are they going to just let it fall apart, or are they going to ask for more money, when the teacher contract comes up are they going to ask for more money, when the Janitors and service employee contract come up are they going to ask for more money? When the state cuts back on money paid are they going come with the cans, when the state dumps the pension on the districts when then. You plan raising taxes on the tax payers of the district 30-40% maybe your really not sure. I see nothing on where the buses are kept in Minonk are you planning to taking all the buses back to Wenona or Toluca each night when your large student population is in the Minonk area. Nobody yet has ever said what happens if we push the life safety requirements out over 10 or maybe 20 years what will happen, the state will not come in and force it they do not have the money they will not take over the school they don't have the money. What are these smaller school around us doing they don't have the money. What about Roanoke who just built that new addition and now wants to consolidate since they can't afford it. You write a vague Referendum basically states trust us with your money we know what to do with it, for 25 years we haven't but now we do. We as a district have lost 20% of the enrollment and projected to lose another 20% there is now good paying jobs in the area to draw people in and now your raising taxes 30% or 40% and you really think people will choose our district over the surrounding districts where taxes are less. Do one thing be honest one time to the tax payers of the district, just one time

Mary Fransis

Pam Jolly: Here's a thought...whatever you decide on this issue if you want to be heard other than on Facebook, I'd suggest you go and VOTE! If you aren't registered, I'd suggest you do it! Make your voice heard no matter if it's for or against!
Nancy Manning: We all need to vote or live with the consequences!!!
Jill Ludwig: They don't broadcast they are already over budget and going to cut corners. How well is this school going to be built in order to save money or bring the costs down? What will we do without kids to fill it? Most of all no one talks about the added costs to tear down the High school, bus garages, gym or Wenona's school. If the Presbyterian Church costs $300,000 - what will the bigger buildings cost be? Where does the community go in an emergency without the gym? How well will the New buildings hold up to a tornado? I agree it won't bring people to our town and the higher taxes will draw them away from our town. We don't have all the facts after several years and may never know all the hidden things! Old schools can be brought up to code and used. They are well built and still of value. A lot of schools are doing what we plan to do and finding out they can't make it now and the tax payers are left holding the bag and debt. Think and VOTE! Get out and Don't let others VOTE for you....
Donald Cline: I think we should build a woodford county school in the middle of woodford county and all the small towns could share the cost.Just think we might get a good sports team.
Christine Cunningham: Ask the life safety inspector how many buildings they have closed....the school has been trying to push hidden agendas since the beginning of the consolidation.
Michael Cave: My question is now the life-saving improvements are 25 mil instead of the 15 mil. So we're on the hook for 25 mil regardless.
Lee Baker: I have a diploma from that mess of a district, but I didn't learn a damn thing. I had three good teachers in seven years, the rest were just overpaid babysitters. When you can make your teachers look stupid, and get sent to the principals office for asking questions, you might be at fieldcrest. This was at the beginning, I can imagine how horrible it is now.

Oktoberfest Cancelled

The Oktoberfest scheduled for Saturday, October 13, in downtown Minonk has been cancelled due to bad weather.

Joel Jochums


Thanks to Fire Department

I would like to take an opportunity to sincerely thank each and every firefighter that assisted with my field fire on October, 4th south of Minonk. The teamwork and skill the Minonk Fire Department displayed was truly impressive. We are fortunate to have such a great group of volunteers there when we need them the most. Once again, thank you.

Sincerely

Jeff Baxter


Fieldcrest Board to Hold Public Meeting Oct. 10

The Fieldcrest Board of Education invites the public to attend a community meeting October 10 2018 at 6:30 pm in the Fieldcrest High School gymnasium. The meeting is being held to present factual information regarding the building construction referendum which has been placed on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot. The meeting is expected to last approximately 1.5 hours, and there will be multiple opportunities for members of the community to ask questions regarding the referendum.

Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel L. Oakley, Superintendent

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Petri's Pourhouse Closed Friday Oct. 5th

Petri's Pourhouse will be closed Friday Oct 5th, and will reopen Sat the 6th at 5:00.

Nick Petri