Humane Society thanks Hinsdale South for help
Recently you published a letter (Suburban Life, July 6) to the editor thanking the students of Hinsdale Central for their generous donation of $3,000 to the Hinsdale Humane Society. Several readers have pointed out the 24 Hour Relay Challenge is a District 86 event, jointly planned by students of both Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central.

We sincerely apologize for unintentionally omitting the students of Hinsdale South and wish to thank all students of District 86 for their kindness and generosity in remembering our homeless animals.
Lori Halligan, executive director, Hinsdale Humane Society

State budget cuts would hurt state historic sites
Our state historic sites urgently need your help. The governor has proposed an additional cut of $2.7 million from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s budget.

Specifically, the new cuts target the personnel services line of the IHPA’s Historic Sites Division, reducing it by 50 percent.

This will in effect lead to a reduction of more than half of the staff at state historic sites as a result of mandated severance payouts.

The impact on state historic sites will be nothing less than devastating and will lead to the closure of most. Currently, our state historic sites attract more than 2 million visitors per year and serve countless school children. Communities which are home to these sites count on them as a major draw for tourism and a resource for education. They will lose income, visitors and educational opportunities. Major special events, such as the Rendezvous at Fort De Chartre, which attracts 14,000 visitors, and the Jubilee College Old English Fair, which draws 18,000 tourists, will be eliminated. Illinois residents will lose access to important chapters in our state’s history, and we will all be far poorer for it.

Immediate action is needed to avert mass closures and ensure the integrity of our state historic sites. The House is meeting this week to consider the governor’s veto and his proposed cuts. We need you to call your state legislators immediately to ensure that our historic sites will continue to serve the needs of Illinois citizens.
David M. Oberg, president, Illinois Association of Museums