respublica

What's up with that?

Illinois 19th District Congressman John Shimkus will have a primary opponent next year.  Michael Firsching of Moro, a vetrinarian in Edwardsville, has filed petitions to run against Shimkus.  The democratic candidate for that seat is Tim Bagwell of Olney who ran against Shimkus in 2004.

Fairview Heights is having a public forum tonight on a leash law.  The city seems to have a leash law but someone must want the law to include the type of leash and the length of the leash.  I don't get this.

Ugliness on the short bus

A 4 year old was bitten over and over while riding a school bus home to New Baden.

The photos at the link are awful, but do serve to show that this was a horrifying attack by another child.

Frankly, some things are just too incomprehensible to take in.

Buying an Arch

A Belleville man recently bought one of the ten foot arches created to decorate downtown St. Louis during the All Star game.  He and a friend secured it in his front yard and added lights to illuminate it at night.

He paid 10,000 dollars.

One third of that price is tax deductible.

He works at the Cardinal Teamstore in Busch Stadium.

Now that's a job more local people may be taking a closer look at.

Confession:  I was really taken with those arches and at one time seriously considered looking into how to get one.  But 10,000 dollars?  That put the kabosh on that idea.

If you can't find something to do this weekend...

...you aren't living in the St. Louis area.  This is one of those weekends when the choices are almost too many, forcing people to pick and choose among terrific events.  People in this area turn out in huge numbers for these affairs so be prepared to leave early and encounter some jams.

Here is a one stop check list:

Scott Air Force Base-Air Show on Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 and admission is free.  Besides the performances in the air there will be on the ground demonstrations and displays. 

The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race-Friday and Saturday.  The coolest thing ever.  Free.  The Balloon Glow will begin on Friday night at 7 and run until 8:30.  The actual race will lift off Saturday afternoon.  Tens of thousands of people come to the park for this event so plan for traffic, get there early, plan to do some walking.  You can take Metro Link to Barnes and walk over.

Collinsville Italian Fest-Friday and Saturday 11 to 10.  Food, music, parade on Saturday at 4, things for kids.  Approximately 150,000 people attend each year so if you want a closer look at the vendor offerings I'd suggest you get there in the afternoon or late afternoon.  Parking will be tough but there are shuttles.

Strassenfest-Friday 5-11, Saturday noon to 11 and Sunday noon to 6 in St. Charles.  The German cousin of the Italian Fest featuring German food, music and activities.

Cubs at Cardinals-Friday through Sunday.  Tickets sold out.

Grove Fest-Saturday 4 to 10.  Music, break dancing on roller skates, food.  Manchester Road between Sarah and Boyle.

Antiques Show-Queeny Park Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-5. 

HOP in the City-Schlafly Tap Room noon to 5 Saturday.  40 beer styles to sample plus food.  Tickets $30 dollars purchased online ahead of time, $35 the day of the event.

Apple picking-Eckert's Orchards.  Belleville, Millstadt and Grafton. 

Staying home? 

You won't be able to watch the Missouri Tigers for the second week in a row, their game will not be televised locally unless you want to pay a $30 dollar pay for view fee.  Meanwhile 6 other Big 12 teams will have their games televised in St. Louis along with umpteen Big Ten games.  It's simply appalling.  End of rant.

Just want to sit and read?  Dan Brown's new book is out.  The author of the beyond popular Da Vinci Code now offers The Lost Symbol which features some Washington DC sites this time.

Update on the Columbia school district service dog

Last week I posted the story of a family attempting to convince the Columbia, Illinois school district to allow their son's service dog to accompany him to class.  5 year old Carter Kalbfleisch is severely autistic and has made amazing strides since getting a service dog named Corbin.  District officials denied the dog.

A circuit judge, Dennis Doyle ruled yesterday that the school must allow the dog according to a state statue which he said was very clear that service dogs are allowed in school, not that schools have the right to "consider" allowing a service dog.

The Belleville News-Democrat has a poll up on its website asking readers what they think and approval of a service dog is at 80 percent.

The superintendent of schools Ed Settles constant argument that with 230 special needs students in the district, they could be overrun with dogs should this particular one be allowed.  An absurd point of view and certainly not a legal one.  Settles also said that he could not see what benefit the dog would have for the child and didn't want his schools overrun with dogs. 

The benefit of the dog to the child has been obvious to everyone except Settles.

SIUE-a top up and coming school

Kudos to everyone at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, recipient of one U.S. News and World Report's top college rankings.

They are listed in the category of Top Up and Coming Schools.

More reasons why SIUE is a top school is laid out in a Belleville News-Democrat story.

Service dogs and the law

The Columbia Illinois school district is the focus of a lawsuit brought by a family who's autistic son can function only when in the company of his trained service dog.

The school district denied the boy the company of his dog while in school which is at variance with state and federal law which reads

"105 ILCS 5/14-6.02, which reads, "... Service animals such as guide dogs, signal dogs, or any other service animal individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a student with a disability shall be permitted to accompany that student at all school functions, whether in or outside the classroom."

Certainly a dog in a classroom is an entirely new issue for most schools and it is easy to understand how a school board would balk.  Other children in the class may have allergies or a fear of dogs.  But, if the discussions on state law are correct, this may be the time for Columbia school officials to concede the point and use the dog as one more learning tool.

A child who never spoke before the dog arrived, was afraid of social interaction and who now has begun to say a few words and has been more welcoming to being approached would seem to be a much easier student to deal with in the classroom.  And a student who may finally make some progress as opposed to being merely babysat at a desk during the day.

Armadillo in Shiloh

News important enough to rate a comment from the Mayor of Shiloh Illinois, a metro east suburb of St. Louis: 

"A motorist hit and killed an armadillo Monday morning on Main Street."

The result:

"The carcass was taken to the village's Public Works Department, where it was photographed and placed in a freezer."

Alrighty then.

Creamed over corn in Belleville

Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert and the city council passed an ordinance against transient vendors which included the long running Keller Farms summer sweet corn stand.

This would be a mere niblet of a story except that local Illinois people love their local sweet corn and are fighting back.

The BND has the story with a humorous video.

Government in the grass cutting business

The Belleville News-Democrat editorializes today on Centreville Township's practice of cutting grass for senior citizens.  "Who would be against mowing lawns for senior citizens?" asked Centreville's Township Supervisor.

The paper's editorial board for one and me and probably lots of others.  While it's nice to think you're doing something helpful for people living in your taxing district, cutting their grass or raking their leaves or using extra asphalt to fill holes in private driveways is just not a good use of employee time or taxpayer money. 

If township employees have the time to cut private lawns, maybe there are too many employees. 

Speaking cynically, this looks like one more way to keep voters going to the polls to keep officials in office and voting against any plan to do away with the township form of government.

Someone once said there are often two reasons for doing good things for others.  The nice reason and the real reason.