Timeliness

It appears that even Governor Blagojevich realizes the folly of the No Child Left Behind mandate that asks teachers to teach students to pass tests without offering the funds or wherewithal to make it a reality. I don't know if he is aware, most likely, yes, of the variance allowed for children with special needs, but according to the wording of the article, it doesn't sound like it. Of curse, the alternative testing for special needs children is only supposed to account for 2% of the student population. I don't know how the government can expect to put a quota or percentage on how many students qualify for special needs, but come on, that would be like saying that only 2% of redheads qualify for the school lunch program. How does the government put a number on such a variable? Maybe the passage of this new proposal will at least bring some attention to the absurdity of trying to mandate that which cannot be mandated without adequate funding and taking the personal differences in people's learning styles, home lives, psychological make-up and other various factors into account. Connecticut has taken the lead in looking to alter the "No Child Left Behind" laws. Governor Blagojevich has taken the approach more of a suggestion to the federal government asking for a "clean slate" until 2007 and changes for children with special needs ( which are in place, albeit limited). School is starting and there wil still be many children left behind, whether they pass the mandated tests or not.

Where's the Pork?

No, it isn't in Freeport, yet. It seems that pork has fallen into the hands of politicians. I know, this is easy pickins what with the transportation bill and all. Alaska gets hundreds of millions (of course, there is oil in them there parts) to build bridges to nowhere and we here in northern Illinois get a few million toward at $600 million project. We need jobs and the transportation routes that aid in this immediate transportation society (Wal-Mart Distribution centers and two lane highways just don't mix well). Think of an east-west road with 4 lanes that runs from Rockford to Dubuque and beyond and the possibilities of expedient distribution of products with Freeport right near the middle. But, another twenty years could go by before any additional progress is made. In the meantime, all of the tourist traffic goes whizzing by our little hamlet on its way to Galena (number 2 tourist destination in Illinois, though with the Lincoln Library in Springfield that may change this year). Driving through Mt. Carroll a week or so ago, we wondered, what small-town charm could be incorporated into Freeport to make the downtown more congenial and inviting. Was it the storefronts? They were quaint, but not outstanding. Was it the brick road in the immediate downtown? Or perhaps, it is like the old adage, the grass is always greener on the other side, or in this case, the downtown is more appealing when it is something out of the ordinary for us? We have ample opportunity to create a dinner and entertainment district with a few quality restaurants in the downtown and perhaps a venue or two for dinner-theater, live entertainment that appeals to adults or just to sit and listen to music after dinner. I realize that we look for reasonable fair in our fair town and that wouldn't negate the idea of at least having something like the old City Lights in the downtown or more cafe or bistro type of dining. As it is there are few options in the downtown area to find entertainment after around 5 p.m., unless you are going to the movies or periodically head over to the Winneshiek Playhouse. I still look forward to the day when there is a microbrewery in town with a restaurant and plenty of PRETZELS!

Striking a Nerve or Two

It seems that Thursday's column struck a nerve among some readers. Most of the comments were about how they felt that it conveyed many of the thoughts that they had been thinking. Many people are frustrated with the MLK Community Center situation. A great number of people put their time and money into the complex and feel that it is not living up to the mission that was intended. Others mentioned the Cindy Sheehan situation. Interesting viewpoint in the WSJ online edition. I'm still perplexed by the comparison of the Water & Sewer system problems in Freeport with the war in Iraq and WMD's. Wish that the Ink was available online in order to link the story or re-read it without searching through the recycling bin. Maybe that is in the cards for the future. The John Roberts confirmation seems to be all about money for the left and the lack of it for the fight by the right according to the WSJ online. Back during the presidential election campaign the idea of "Politainment" was coined in the "For the Love of Community" column, which referred to the idea that may the "best looking" man win. John Roberts will most likely get through the confirmation hearings and be appointed the next Supreme Court judge. Thinking back to the idea of being Borked, one has to consider that his appearance was not camera ready, looking more like one's eccentric uncle than Supreme Court material (though he was much more so than Thomas or Souter). I guess we'll find out more next month.

Local Blog, Global Issues

It seems that there is a dearth of local blogging according to a recent story in The Journal Standard (story unavailable online) indicates that while bloggers often are daily journals (or in my case whenever I have time to update it) they can have an influence on national or local politics. With the advent of this site since February, 2005 there have been multiple references to local issues and politics, as well as several references in the "For the Love of Community" column (see www.kastlepublishing.com for story about Mitch Albom in the past columns section) about the role of blogs and journalism. Currently, there are many local issues, including the Trim-Rite Pork Processing Plant, the gradual loss of good-paying jobs from the manufacturing sector, the downtown development issue, US 20 and the woeful lack of funding to put us on the map, the difficulty in recruiting and retaining specialists, and self-image issues of a manufacturing community that no longer has a glut of manufacturing jobs. Some of these have been discussed in previous columns and some have been touched upon here in previous postings. Currently it seems that global events are also playing out in some ways with local attitudes divided about issues such as Cindy Sheehan. I recently spoke with a mother whose son is home from Iraq. She said that her son feels that only those that want us in Iraq are being interviewed or allowed to be interviewed by the media are having their voices heard. Those that vehemently oppose the US and foreign troops in their country are not being heard. He spoke of an incident where a US soldier was killed by a sniper and the people danced around him in the street, celebrating the death of one of our men. Then there are others in Iraq or in this country of Iraqi heritage that truly believe that we are there to liberate them and have their country's best interest at heart .
I do know that as the number of American soldiers die from the never-ending car bombs, sniper fire, RPGs and land mines it becomes increasingly difficult to see why we are there and what are ultimate goal is that we wish to accomplish. We want to believe that we are fighting a just war and that the liberation of a country from an evil dictator will be the end result, but with the conflicting views from the media, the defense department and international news sources, confusion often reigns. So, yes, there is at least one local blog that deals with local and global issues; intermittently refers to the mainstream media; sometimes is more of a journal; occasionally expounds on topics that have been covered in my local column; and probably will not appeal to everyone. Of course, it is quite possible to pick and choose what one wants to read. Though I did actually follow-up my predictions that appeared in the Best of the Web from the Wall Street Journal with predicting the exact finishes of the Freeport mayoral primary (see February 2005 blogs from this site). I'll keep writing on a regular to semi-regular basis as an adjunct to the column or just personal reflections. I know that it isn't mainstream enough for everyone, but everyone has the perogative to read it or avoid it. That is the beauty of the internet or mainstream media for that matter. In short, Freeport does have at least one local blog for better or for worse. Of course, there is plenty of room for more voices to be heard.