E-Newsletter - March 12, 2010

Baldwin Woman Injured When Car Rolls On Bluff Road

Theresa Klein of Baldwin has been identified as the driver of the Ford Focus who was injured Thursday, March 11 in rural Valmeyer. Klein, 39, was driving southbound on Bluff Road a couple miles south of old town Valmeyer when she lost control of the vehicle at the S curve at Pinkell’s Woods. The car failed to turn right and went straight ahead through an embankment.

“The car rolled a couple times before landing back on its wheels in a field,” said Dan “Goob” Gilbert, who witnessed the accident. Gilbert said Klein was unconscious when he approached the car, but she was soon talking. Gilbert noticed a child’s safety seat in the back seat and began to search around the car for a second victim. He was relieved when the woman said she was the only person in the car at the time of the wreck.

Valmeyer firefighters and first responders used Jaws of Life equipment to assist Monroe County Ambulance personnel in extricating Klein from the driver’s seat. She was transported by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Valmeyer firefighters use Jaws of Life equipment to pry open the driver’s side door of the car involved in Thursday evening’s accident.

SUV Runs Into Truck Before Slamming Into Side Of Columbia Home

Mike and Anna Stogsdill came home from work Wednesday to find the back of their truck smashed in and numerous bricks cracked on their home on East Locust Street in Columbia. Just after 4:30 p.m., a Jeep Liberty driven by Mark Masoner, 27, of Columbia went out of control and ran through the Stogsdill’s front yard. The vehicle collided with the back of a Dodge truck in the driveway and then slammed into the corner of the Stogsdill’s home. Masoner then put the vehicle in reverse and stopped back on the driveway as the police arrived. He was ticketed for driving too fast for conditions and failure to report an address change.  

“He caused $3,100 worth of damage to my truck and we’re still trying to get an estimate to repair the bricks on the home,” said Mark Stogsdill. “I’m just glad my children were not outside playing in the front yard at the time.”

Following his accident, Mark Masoner, right, is interviewed by Columbia Police Officers Jason Donjon and Mike Conrad, center.

Illinois’ Costello and Durbin And Louisiana’s Alexander Working For Solution To Levee Funding Situation

Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) called on the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Craig Fugate and the Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy to produce information that led to the determination that levees in the Metro East area could not be certified. Both Fugate and Darcy pledged to investigate the recent lack of information, work with local officials to assemble an adequate amount of information and report back to Durbin and Costello with their findings.

“It is the responsibility of the federal government and local elected officials to work together to assess the threat of flooding in the Metro East region,” said Durbin. “It is essential that residents, families and businesses understand their risk, but a lack of complete and publicly available information has plagued the region’s remapping process up to this point. That stops today.”

Durbin added that both FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers understand that we need to find a solution that will both protect property owners in the event of a flood and not burden those affected with unreasonable flood insurance rates.”

Costello said that progress has been made on this levee issue. “We need to have a transparent process and that has not been the case to this point,” said Costello. “My first priority has always been to make sure the levees get fixed without an undue economic burden on the region.” Local governments should sufficient time to fix the levees, according to Costello. “I will continue to work for my bill or any other legislative solution that accomplishes this goal.”

Costello and fellow Congressman Rodney Alexander (R-LA) recently formed the Congressional Levee Caucus to draw attention to the needs of the nation’s levee systems. A top priority for the caucus will be levee certification, as communities across the country deal with the effects of current FEMA flood remapping. 

“Our region is experiencing first-hand the serious ramifications of the flood remapping process,” said Costello. “More and more communities are facing the same tough realities of mandatory insurance costs without clear information from FEMA. The Congressional Levee Caucus will continue to educate members about these issues and work to protect our communities in an economically sustainable way.”

Alexander is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3415, legislation introduced last year by Costello to encourage local jurisdictions to take action to fix their levees while maintaining current flood maps. 

Benefit Dinner For Cancer Patient Jennifer Latinette: Bruce Soehnlin of Columbia is helping to organize a benefit dinner / auction / poker tournament for Jennifer Latinette on Friday, March 12 at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. In Jan. of 2010, test revealed that Latinette had terminal brain cancer. Donations raised at the event will help pay for the expenses of her young children. Tickets are $25 per person or a table of eight for $200. Following dinner, the Texas Hold ‘em Tournament (top 10% Payout with a $50 buy-in) starts at 8 p.m. For addition information, email Jeanie Strohmeier at Jeanie@conconcorp.com or register online at www.jenniferlatinettesjourney.com.

Columbia To Test Tornado Siren: The City of Columbia Emergency Dispatch Center will test their tornado siren equipment on Tuesday, March 23 at 9 a.m.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s In the Moment support group will meet on Thursday, March 25, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Oak Hill in Waterloo. The topic for the evening will be “Moving Your Loved One To A Care Facility: Overcoming Guilt and Grief.” Family members, friend or caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is encouraged to attend this meeting.  Literature on Alzheimer’s disease will be available.  Refreshments will be served.  For more information, please contact Julia at 618-939-3488 ext 1248.

Area baseball and softball teams are getting ready for the season to start, trying to take advantage of warm dry weather whenever possible. The Columbia Eagles baseball team ended last season at 21-5 and look to be very competitive again. Columbia baseball coach Keith Janey admits, "Last year will be a tough act to follow - going undefeated in a difficult conference. I think the team will hit and play good defense, but what it usually comes down to is pitching. We're anxious to get started." Columbia ended up making a strong run in the Class 2A post season, but fell to Wesclin in the playoffs. Waterloo, while struggling to a 9-16 mark last year, brings back several players with varsity experience and looks to be much improved. Gibault finished last season at 9-25, while Valmeyer ended with a 12-11 record, with both teams hoping to have a successful 2010 season. 

Despite going 9-0 in the Mississippi Conference last year, it's not all about wins and losses as Columbia varsity baseball head coach Keith Janey has to spend some time grooming third base prior to an early season practice.

  Lexie Purcell of the Gibault girls softball team takes some swings during practice while the weather was cooperating.

Falcons Defeat Junior Bulldogs In Volleyball Action: SS. Peter and Paul Grade School volleyball team traveled across town Thursday night and defeated Waterloo Junior High School in three games, 21-14, 16-21, 21-15.  The victory improved the Falcons’ record to 21-2 and they will begin post season play next week.

SPPS’s Lauren Prader keeps the ball alive during an exciting match Thursday with Waterloo Junior High.        - photo by Gateway Photography www.gatewayphoto.net

VHS’s Crossin Competing Strongly In Three-Point Shoot-Out: Valmeyer High School basketball varsity guard Aaron Crossin competed in the championships of the IHSA three-point shot contest. The sharp-shooting sophomore made it to the sectionals, but failed to make it to the final-four contest.

Valmeyer’s Aaron Crossin puts in a shot in a game earlier this season.               – photo by Bob Haentzler

The Morrison-Talbott Library’s monthly booklist is available online at www.waterloolibrary.org. Just click on New Materials in the left-side column of the library’s homepage to access monthly booklists from July 2009 to the present. Recent additions to the library include The Book of Spam by Dan Armstrong and Dustin Black.  Another interesting title in the non-fiction genre is Albert J. Bernstein’s Am I the Only Sane One Working Here? If you like biographies, try the newly-acquired Paul Simon by Robert E. Hartley, Mark Twain by Michael Shelden or Citizens of London by Lynne Olson. Audio cassettes and CDs, Music CD, DVDs and videos are also available at the library. Morrison-Talbott’s next book sale is April 22 through April 24. A book club organizational meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 29, at 7 p.m. New members are invited to attend.

St. Paul’s annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, March 27. Chris Cakes of St. Louis will once again be flipping pancakes off the griddle and landing them on your plate. Sausage links and beverages will also be handed out. Breakfast is served from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the Easter Egg hunt will take place at 10:20 a.m. For more information, call the church at 939-7123.

Those wishing to learn how to prepare yourself and family in the event of an emergency have the opportunity to attend the upcoming Community Emergency Response Team training at the YMCA of Monroe County. There is no cost to participate. All materials will be provided, as well as beverages and snacks. The sessions are Friday, March 12, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, March 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, March 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, March 27, 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants can attend any or all units of the training, however, all four days must be completed for certification. For addition information, contact Glenn White at 939-8784 or e-mail gwcerttrain@yahoo.com.

The Monroe County Farm Bureau Young Leaders Committee is conducting a food drive which runs through March 20. Drop off spots include the Monroe County Farm Bureau office in Waterloo, Mike’s Convenience Store in Valmeyer and Toby Search’s Country Financial office in downtown Columbia. They will accept non-perishable food items, including box mix meals, soups, canned vegetables and canned meats. The items will then be distributed throughout the county. For addition information, call the Farm Bureau at 939-6197. 

Waterloo Band Parents Variety Show is Saturday, March 13, at the New Waterloo High School Auditorium. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Talent of all ages from the community will perform a variety of acts, including vocals, bands, dancing, instrumentals and martial arts. Tickets, which include a gourmet dessert, are $8 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, call Tom Schrieber at 939-6555.

Maeystown’s annual Spring Art Show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 2010 show will feature five area artists displaying their works at the village’s Rock Mill and in the ballroom of the Corner George Inn Bed and Breakfast. The free event is sponsored by Historic Maeystown and there is no admission charge. The artists are Maeystown Postmaster Annette DeBourge of Waterloo, Mitzi Nitzsche of Sparta, Fanny Sue Schellhardt of Maeystown, Caroline Gilster Wylie of Chester and Mildred Young of Chester.

This will be the second time DeBourge is displaying her work at the art show. She works in oil and mixed media, and concentrates primarily on portraits. Many local folks know Schellhardt as a teacher in the Waterloo School District for 34 years. Since retiring, Fanny Sue has taken classes in pastel, oil and watercolor. She currently studies art with Barb Schreiber of Waterloo. For more information on the Spring Art Show, call 618-458-6660.

Butch and Laurie Sparwasser will celebrate their 16^th wedding anniversary today, Friday, March 12. “I’m treating her to a wonderful fish dinner tonight,” said Butch. Laura pointed out that means the two will be working their shift at the Waterloo VFW Friday Fish Fry.

The Waterloo Illinois Chapter of the Rotary International is seeking your support in sponsoring the 75^th Anniversary Program in May of this year. The 75^th Anniversary Program Booklet contains sponsorship advertisements which will be distributed to guests attending the 75^th anniversary celebration on May 15, 2010. Please join us in helping to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the Waterloo Rotary by sponsoring the program.

Waterloo School Superintendent James Helton Addresses The School’s Financial Situation:

Dear District 5 Community: The purpose of this message is to discuss the financial impact of the state’s fiscal crisis on Waterloo Community Unit School District No. 5.  We are deeply concerned about the overall effect of our current FY10 budget, as well as the dire projections for FY11.  For FY11, the state’s budget shortfall is estimated to be around $13 billion, and we are apprehensive about the devastating impact on our local school district.

The huge state deficit, coupled with the approximately $1 billion loss of stimulus funding Illinois received and passed to school districts in FY09 and FY10 in the form of General State Aid (GSA), is creating great despair within the state.  Currently:

·         The State of Illinois is late on payments ($1,379,479) to the Waterloo district in the mandated categorical payments Special Education ($606,996), Transportation ($670,514), Early Childhood (77,930), and ADA Block Grant ($24,038).  This is revenue that is legally DUE and EXPECTED as the district develops its budget. 

·         Flat funding in General State Aid for FY11 will cause the district to lose approximately $1.4 million in state funding. 

·         A decrease in General State Aid for FY11 will cause the district to lose approximately $3 million in state funding.

·         Uncertainty in state funding has required the district to discuss RIF (reduction in force) of 40 non-tenured teachers and 15 paraprofessionals for FY11.

The Illinois Constitution states, “the state has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education;” instead the state has shifted the education funding burden to local taxpayers.  For perspective, in FY10 the state is projected to fund only 21% of our budget, compared to 50% in FY2000. 

Discussions in Springfield this session are publically stating that schools could see a 10-percent across the board cut in general state aid. If the general state aid were reduced in FY11 to $5,500, our projected losses would be $3 million. The local share of our education cost would jump to 91 percent within the general state formula!  Our community realized five years ago that the minimum $1.84 was not supporting the education of its children in the education fund, voted to increase its tax rate to $2.19, and now the educational programming we have implemented “to make a positive difference in the lives of children”, is now at risk of being destroyed by poor decisions in Springfield.

Over the past years, we have heard from our lawmakers in Springfield that they delayed making decisions regarding the fiscal crisis in the state, and public education funding.  Locally we have maximized our resources, made value-based decisions, and passed balanced budgets the last four years…even to the point [with our long term debt] of gaining Financial Recognition within the state.  We have done what the state has asked: fiscal management, student achievement, maximized local control, and yet, after five years of working towards this goal, in one legislative session… poof!

In addition, while we are in middle of the largest state budget deficit in Illinois history, lawmakers continue to propose dozens of bills that place new unfunded or underfunded requirements on school districts. HB4711 provides that no district is obligated to comply with any statutory or regulatory mandate or requirement unless a separate appropriation has been enacted into law providing for the school year during which such mandate is required.  We ask that you show support of this bill.

In closing, we are asking you to please contact our state legislators to prevent a reduction in education funding, and to continue to maintain jobs within our communities.  How do we explain to our community why the children in Waterloo will suffer?  Please communicate to our legislators not to balance their budgets on the backs of children!!  

A Point-Point presentation regarding the district’s financial shortfalls in located at the website: http://www.wcusd5.net.

For the Board of Education,

James W. Helton

Superintendent