Resident concerned by Board of Education

I have three children, present and future students of District 58 schools. Like many of you, one of the reasons I moved to Downers Grove is because of the exceptional school system. I have recently become very concerned about the state of our Board of Education and ultimately the future of Downers Grove. I attended a meeting that raised my awareness about our BOE and the issues we are all facing. Following are a few facts I learned:

- Superintendent Dale Martin resigned.

- Paul Zaander is acting as the interim superintendent.

- Four of the seven seats on the board are up for re-election. At least three of (the people whose terms are up) will not be seeking re-election, leaving at least three open seats to be elected filled April 7.

- Scott O'Connell, who was elected to the board in 2007 and whose three children attend a local parochial school, refused to take the District 58 oath because it states, "I shall, at all times, put as my first priority the best interests of the children."

- Scott O'Connell spends a considerable amount of time in opposition with the other six members of the board, often de-railing productive discussion. I am a firm believer in healthy opposition, as long as it takes place for the right reasons and in an appropriate manner.

- At the November 10 board meeting, Scott O'Connell suggested we save district funds by not replacing the 19 teachers retiring at the end of this school year. Cutting teachers results in higher student-teacher ratios and the loss of valued programs. Mr. O'Connell also suggested we cut insurance benefits for retired district employees. How will our district employ quality professionals if we do not offer compensation packages that are competitive with surrounding districts? Go to www.DG58.org for the audio file of the most recent board meeting.

Mr. O'Connell's recommendations are concerning because according to the 2008 school report cards, District 58 already has the second largest class sizes compared to nine other DuPage County elementary school districts. In addition, District 58 enjoys the second lowest tax rate of surrounding DuPage County elementary school districts at 1.77 per $100. We also have the fifth highest test scores.

Go to the Downers Grove Cares Web site at www.DGCares.org for a comparison of surrounding DuPage County elementary school districts. Downers Grove Cares is a newly formed group to advocate for strong public schools and strong community.

I want District 58 to maintain a high quality of education. With three open seats on the board, we are at a crossroads. Are we willing to remain uneducated about the state of our board and pay for it with our kids' education? Let's fill the open seats with people who are for strong schools and strong communities. Are you one of those people?

Board of Education meetings are held at Longfellow on the second Monday of every month. Join concerned residents at the next meeting to raise questions and learn first-hand about the state of our BOE.

On April 7, we will be voting to fill the three open seats on the board. It is imperative we elect candidates who are not only working for the best interests of our taxpayers, but also for the best interests of our children and community.

Cindy Venckus, Downers Grove

Westmont again offering trips to capitols

I'm writing to say thank you to Run Gunter, Steve Golembiewski and the Westmont Park District for stepping up to the plate and offering a trip to Springfield for the junior high students of Westmont. This trip will be offered to all students of Westmont.

The School Board of District 201 canceled the overnight trips to Springfield and Washington, D.C. Considering the current state of our schools' test scores, I would think that the School Board would embrace educational trips to our state's capital and our nation's capital. Instead, the School Board canceled these trips, without notice to the parents, and publicly tried to stop any attempts made to reinstate them.

So, I would like to let the families of ALL sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders know that the Westmont Park District is offering an April 2009 overnight trip to Springfield. (Contact) the Park District to get all the details on this exciting event for our junior high students! Thank you WPD for helping us educate our children!

Marie Charlton, Westmont

A few questions for the Park Board

As (Downers Grove Park District Commissioner Art Jaros) requested in the Nov. 26 edition of the Reporter/Progress, I hereby publicly apologize for not knowing that there was a freebie (when a company performed a cost analysis for a proposed village pool on a volunteer basis).

However, may I tell you that I have attended Park Board meetings in the past, but now that I'm 77, I find walking a difficulty due to the physical circumstance. And I don't have cable, so if the meetings are televised, I can't get that channel.

Perhaps you can answer a few questions. What is projected to be the cost of maintaining a pool? What would the projected cost for the paid employees be? What are the projected user fees? Is the recreation center self-sustaining?

I can't help but wonder if the projections are conjectures. Finally, thank you for keeping me and Mr. John Carlin informed.

Irma Pittroff, Downers Grove

Upcoming School Board elections important

Publishing the honor rolls and straight A students lists from District 58 middle schools in the paper every quarter is a great service you provide to the local school districts — what child doesn't like to see their name in print? What great motivation!

I like to scan through the lists to see how many of my friends' children are listed. Every time, there are a large number of former students of Indian Trail (47 this quarter), my family's "home" school. What this means to me is two things: first, that our students are receiving an excellent education at the grade school level as they are clearly well-prepared for middle school; and second, that our school district is doing a fine job of creating a curriculum that meets our children's needs.

The upcoming School Board election in April is sure to be an interesting one. Any parent who has a child in the District 58 schools should pay close attention to the candidates and familiarize themselves with their beliefs and goals. More importantly, every single parent needs to come out and vote. Because of the number of seats available on the board, this will be an important opportunity to ensure that the people who are making decisions about our schools for the next four years are people who have our students' best interests at heart.

Sonja Holzman, Downers Grove

Library a good alternative for residents

Why has the Westmont Public Library seen a steady increase in circulation numbers, new library cards issued, and program attendance? Some call it a rough economy, but we just call it smart!

Disposable income that was previously used to purchase things like books, CDs and DVDs is being used to fill gas tanks and buy groceries. Libraries help provide these enriching materials at no cost. Perhaps that is why Westmont Public Library's overall circulation is up 20 percent in the last year.

Thousands of books, DVDs, CDs and audio books are available to check out for anyone with a valid library card. You can access the library's numerous databases with information on popular topics such as money, wellness and auto repair from your home computer. Since the referendum money came through in June of 2007, the library is purchasing three times as many materials. In the last year, the Westmont Public Library has increased their video game collection to almost 300 titles with more added every month!

Our 16 public computers are a popular hot spot for people of all ages. Whether it is a young person filling out a job application or a senior checking e-mail, many people are taking advantage of the library's Internet connection and free Wi-Fi.

The library also offers entertaining and educational programs. Attendance at special events has increased significantly in the last year. From craft programs and healthy living workshops for adults to storytimes and themed activity days for children, people of all ages find the library a refreshing alternative to high-cost events and entertainment.

Regardless of economic conditions, anyone can benefit from the wealth of resources the library has to offer. If you do not have your valuable library card, visit the Westmont Public Library today!

Joyce Fedeczko, president, Westmont Public Library board of trustees

A man who made a difference

As I started my car this morning in sub-zero temperatures, I sent a silent word of thanks to the man and his crew who made this possible.

Jim Dudas operated a service station on Fairview Avenue and Second Street for 24 years and offered superlative service to his many, many customers. When my husband died, like many widows, I had never pumped gas. Jim told me "we'll take of you," and they did.

He and his employees, several of whom are a part of Jim's family, kept cars on the road through their expertise. No problem was too much for them to solve. Jim reassured his customers with his confident "it will be fine," and it was. If he ever found a way to save a customer's money, he did. If a customer had problems on the road, the tow truck came to the rescue. If someone posed a question, Jim answered patiently, even though he'd answered it many times.

Jim never a missed South High football game where his son Rory played on the varsity squad.

At his wake on Dec. 28, more than 2,000 people waited in line for two to three hours to pay tribute to Jim and to console his family.

Jim will be missed.

Bonnie Kendall, Downers Grove