Relay for Life Gurnee/Wadsworth, IL

So,last Saturday night the communities of Gurnee and Wadsworth once again came out in force to celebrate another successful Relay for Life. This is a homecoming of sorts for so many people each year. By my last count there were well over 70 teams participating and many more who volunteered in one way or another. At last count, they had not reached their goal dollar-wise, but donations are still being accepted into August.

Many of the people sharing their time, are friends and acquaintances that come out like myself to honor the ones who have had cancer or to remember the loved ones we have lost. Either way- the number are far too many!

Seeing the survivor lap in the opening ceremony and luminaria with glowing lights around the track or in the bleachers will choke anyone up. If that was not emotional enough, when the looping footage of all who have been touched by cancer appears on the big screen, the love and strength are palpable as everyone continues to walk in the darkness and charged silence.

I was just a lightweight this year in the volunteer department, because of the impending birth of my granddaughter. I worked the accounting tent for awhile, donated some money, and walked for a bit on the track, but being part of this amazing event for even a little bit makes me feel part of the effort and so proud of my neighbors and friends.

This year the RFL was headed by Heidi May, Samantha May, and Megan Kile. They did an awesome job!! Hot as it almost always is, the Warren Township High School athletic field (Home Sweet Home), the weather held for the 12 hour walk. Lightening, dark clouds, and humidity, was all-around Gurnee, but above the track not a cloud in sight. It was wonderful!

Entertainment, silent auctions, and lots of donated food to feed the masses, it was a feel good night for all! A time to give, to meet with friends, and exercise those muscles does not seem like an obligation, but an honor instead. Next year, I will be there for the whole thing as we all work again to eliminate cancer forever. Until next time...

July 1st- New Chapter

I am one of those lucky ones who have a little over a month off during the summer, because I work in a school district. Until this state goes to an all-year school system, my pay gets stretched out into a full year. Despite public opinion, this does not give me more money for less work, but a paycheck all year to compensate for my not getting the opportunity to work at my job. Like teachers, I have no say on when I work per se- I work when the school year permits.
Having said this, I know I am blessed with a period of time that I can refresh, reconnect, and reconfigure my life. Sure there are some routine and mundane chores that I could tackle and sometimes do, yet just some down time to reeavulate what I am doing with my life is really, really good.
I realized just recently that with this time off configured as it is, I am doing this introspection at the half way point of the year. I planned all my me-work just after the summer solstice, which seems significant to me. I have plans to work-out more, eat better, organize my growing pile of stuff, and concentrate on my writing.
There is another reason this time seems so significant as the beginning of a new chapter- I am going to be a grandmother for the first time. My oldest daughter is due very, very soon. As I look back at my pregnancy with her about the same time of year, I do become retrospective. All my hopes, fears, and plans were not much different than hers are now. I have the joy of knowing those feelings have worked out for the most part, well.
Also, realizing that the human spirit is resilient when overcoming the bad things and forever hopeful for the yet to be. I relish each part of this new chapter in my life. Until next time...

Can't We Just Vote on It?

Would it be so terrible when this nation is faced with a pressing issue that may affect life as we know it, that we just get out and vote on the option at hand? There are polls to analyze polls and political commentators all over the news telling us what we think and how we should think.It is just getting really old.
Take our first ever health care bill to be signed into law recently. Wouldn't it have been much easier to just poll the American people and see what they really wanted? Don't get me wrong- I was for the legislation, but I grew weary trying to sort out all the political maneuvering going on in this constituent's name. Even a straw poll would have given a real voice to the voters and isn't that what we really want?
I know we voted these politicians into office, yet something happens once they get in the fray that really worries me. Special interests, political alliances, and bargaining for their little piece of the pie becomes more important than the people back home. They are our representatives or are they? I sometimes wonder what happens to those statesmen when they get the party call to unite.
So, would it really be so bad if we really did a vote on these big issues and then have the legislature hammer out the details? How easy would have been if they knew right away that regardless of the party line- the citizens of this country wanted health insurance to be available for everyone? Then they could have dealt with that alone without tagging all the other stuff that came along with the bill to get it passed.
I am sure there are other topics that could benefit from a nice clear vote with majority rules. Education, War, outsourcing jobs, immigration laws, and what about dare I say- bailing out Wall Street ever again??? Yep, let's vote on it!
Until next time...

Merry Christmas!

Okay, once again I was up until after 3am wrapping, separating, and organizing all the purchases I made in the last 24 yours. Ever since, Mike and I were married(December 26th), shopping for the holidays have been a chaotic,marathon with last minute dashes to find just the right present in my budget.
In the early years, the last paycheck before Christmas was the budget, but now it is not necessity- more habit. The good thing about that time of wrapping after candlelight service is putting in one afte another movie classic to keep me company during the wee hours. This year the original Bishop's Wife and Holiday Inn. I finally had to order them, because even though there are hundreds of channels on cable- none play those movies anymore. Heck, not even the Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life! What is up with that???
Anyway, the gifts are open and a calm is settling into the day. It is just enjoying the time with friends and family, basking in the warmth of those I love. It really is the best feeling.
Gifts are just a small part of what Christmas is all about. When raising the kids, that thought sometimes became a bit clouded with the search for that favorite toy...the Cabbage Patch year was the worst!
Take time, at least today to count your blessings, and that includes the people around you. Life is good, not always easy, but there is plenty of love to smooth those rough spots that come up. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to you and yours!! Until next time....

Thanksgiving- A Time for Reflection

So, things are not great. Money is tight. Work has become routine and life isn't quite going the way I planned. However, I am financially getting by. I have a job that is pretty secure and there is hope in the future. I believe that my dreams can come true.

I have two marvelous daughters who are finding their way in this crazy world. The economy is improving. I am whittling away on my degree and I am learning exactly who I am. Not bad in my fifth decade on Earth. I am in a better place. Learning even as my bones begin to moan and slow.

Peace is out of reach for the world and my soul tonight. Yet, the tools for me personally are within my reach. It is same for our country's leaders, as well. If we stop the judging of others, learn to take responsibility for our actions and trust that we can make a difference when we care enough- we will change for the good.
Until next time...

School Days

Here I am sitting at my computer contemplating the end of another summer. Today is the perfect day to do this, because quite frankly it is a very dismal, introspective day in a school year that is winding up the first week of 2009-10.

If you know me, you are aware that I am a school secretary by day and fulfill my itch for writing in the off hours however few they are. I love the kids, the events, and the irresistable climate of education wafting through the halls. Yet each August as I prepare for teachers and students to return, I must also deal with registration and the ensuing problems that arise.

Having nothing to do with the teachers or their special charges, registration is a dance between the parents and the district of residence. In the ideal situation, parents will register in a timely fashion, demonstrating their residency, and paying the school fees that seem to climb regardless of the promise of free public education.

The truth is: it costs a lot of money to educate our children. Just look at a private institution's tuition and you know we are getting a good deal. Those schools do not do much more than public schools do when it comes to curriculum. The difference is in who is paying for it.

Back to registration. Schools want registration to be completed as soon as possible so they can make plans for the coming year. Knowing how many kids helps immensely to order books, desks, determine bus routes, and plan for teachers and classrooms. Most parents understand and comply. Sometimes they cannot pay the entire amount, but they do their best.

Proving residency is a big hang-up these days. In my district, this is done by showing a current signed lease and two major bills sent to the current home in the last month. They even had an incentive if turned in by the deadline. Some lucky family was selected for a visit to the local indoor waterpark. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

Well, five days into the school year, people are still registering. Of course, new residents have an excuse, they weren't here, but the registrar is still taking returning students as well. What is up with that? This year there had to have been 20 registration days and people are still coming in. This is unbelievable to me.

If it was only a money issue, I can certainly understand having a limited budget. This is not the problem in my district. There are fee waivers and payment plans to help with the cost. If it was the scheduled time for registration conflicting with work schedules, I would be sympathetic too. However, the times and days have been all over the board to try to accommodate this problem.

So, why is this not important to some parents? Or why is it so hard to validate their address with school officials? A student is entitled to a public education in the school district they live in, not in a school district they want to attend.

For parents who have alternative living arrangements that cause them to make their homes with others, there are affidavits that verify the information with the homeowner or landlord. Parents who cannot do this need to go to the school district which reflects their address and register there. Problem solved.

Wakegan-Past and Present

I have lived in Waukegan for almost my whole life, which are more decades than I am ready to admit (at least in print). I have read some of the stories that people have been sending in for the celebration of 150 years of Waukegan’ s history and have written about some of my own memories in local papers in the past.

Against popular opinion, I love Waukegan. I always have. Even when the downtown area became a ghost town and all my memories as a kid, teen, and young adult were erased by an economic blight that seemed to go on for too many years. I am a former Bulldog who went to school when WTHS was not Warren Township High School, but Waukegan Township and some of our politicians were teachers there. West Campus and East Campus was one school and our colors were purple and gold-no green.

I remember taking the bus downtown on Saturdays and even to the Belvidere Mall to see a movie. Hein’s, the Globe, and Waukegan Dry Goods were my stomping ground for clothes, with lunch at LakeView Restaurant or fries and a coke at Woolworth’s lunch counter. I told you- I go way back.

Scooping was my social realm as soon as my friends and I could drive. Or dancing at the Wild Goose- who remembers that? Movies at the Genesee or much later working shows with pride after its renovation, I have been part of it all.

I suffered through the demise of the Lakehurst Mall. It saddened me when it finally closed. Although Lakehurst killed downtown Waukegan, it was disappointing that it had the same fate with the rise of Gurnee Mills. As a teen I worked there, as a young mother I brought my daughter, and as a columnist I documented its demolition with tears in my eyes.

The News-Sun has been my family staple throughout my life. As a child, my mother worked for the circulation department and I was first published on its pages. I have read it faithfully regardless if I agreed with its comments or who was being quoted. It is how I learned what was going on in town.

My history in Waukegan is a similar story as our current mayor. Certainly, the specifics of our lives are varied, but the timeline is basically the same. His dad was the mayor when I was a kid and as a young adult. Although, my mother was a great fan of the first Robert Sabonjian, I was not. Not that he was not a good man or a great politician in his time; rather we did not share the same vision.

However, I am glad that the current Robert Sabonjian has taken the reins and is trying to lead us to a better place. It is not going to be easy. Like most municipalities in this country and especially in this state, Waukegan is hurting financially. The status quo is not acceptable anymore. Politics and special interests can no longer dictate policies in government anywhere.

Jobs are in great demand. The mayor reported that Waukegan’s jobless rate is at 11.2%and holding. No one wants to join the unemployment line. Most of the city’s residents do not want their services cut and would actually like to see improvement s in their neighborhoods for safety, as well as, aesthetic reasons. We want to be proud of our town.

There are few draws to Waukegan these days. So, when there are some events or venues that do bring people to us, we should keep them alive. Regardless of the financial climate, we cannot ignore the positive because of a lack of monetary gains. The Municipal Band that plays in a beautiful bandshell at the Lakefront throughout July is an event that should be allowed to flourish. The Genesee Theatre and MainStreet calendar items are priceless in their goodwill and public relations. A nice way to show off what works in the city. The old adage, "cutting off the nose, to spite face, works well I think here.

None of this will happen unless we are willing to do things differently. I would like to see, a city hall working together to bring us to a better place. Compromise and the more importantly, forgetting about partisan politics, while concentrating on public service. Our new mayor does not have all the answers. He needs to hear from his constituents and know what we are thinking. Yet, we elected this man because we believed change was possible. How about allowing him to do his job?
Until next time...