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Mahomet-Seymour teachers on strike
Today marks Day 2 of the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association strike. Neil Parthun wrote a story for the U-C IMC that posted last night. An excerpt:
The first day of school for Mahomet Seymour students did not happen today because the Mahomet Seymour Education Association (MSEA) has been out on strike since 7 a.m.
The school board had offered a two year contract with 2.1% raises for teachers (step only), 2.5% raises for aides (step only) and 2.5% raises for other support staff. MSEA had modified their original demands to a new offer of a one year contract with 3.05% raises (1% plus step), 4.5% for aides (2% plus step) and 4.5% for other support staff.
After meeting with federal mediators on Tuesday and Wednesday night, the school board essentially guaranteed a work stoppage after their bargaining team unilaterally left the table without responding to MSEA’s offer. The board contends that their $1.5 million education fund and $3 million in working cash fund are for ‘rainy days’ for which the largest economic meltdown since the Great Depression does not apply. It was also recently announced that the district can expect nearly $700,000 from the Federal Education Jobs bill which is meant to pay teachers and support professionals. Any of these revenue streams could allow the district to settle a fair and equitible contract with the educators.
You can also read the News-Gazette’s coverage of the negotiations here and here.
UPDATE (8/20 @ 2:42 p.m.): A source with knowledge of the negotiations says that the school board and the union have reached an agreement. More details as they come in.
| ACLU asks federal court to lift ban on video-ing police
As an update to Rob’s query from a couple of weeks ago, here’s an excerpt from an ACLU press release, issued today:
Responding to a series of incidents in which individuals in four counties in Illinois have been charged with violating Illinois’ eavesdropping law for making audio recordings of public conversations with police, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today asked a federal court to rule that the First Amendment bans such prosecutions. The ACLU lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Chicago, argues that individuals (and organizations such as the ACLU) may make audio (and video) recordings of police who are performing their public duties in a public place and speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard by the unassisted human ear.
The case is of particular import because the law is being used to arrest and prosecute those who want to monitor police activity in order to deter or detect any police misconduct. In Champaign a few years ago, for example, a group of community activists attempting to document police practices in predominantly African American neighborhoods were charged with violating the Illinois eavesdropping law when they filmed and recorded police interactions with citizens in the public way. (The charges were dropped only after the installation of a new states attorney.) In Chicago, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez currently is prosecuting an individual for violating the eavesdropping statute by recording police officers.
You can download the pdf of the full complaint here.
UPDATE (8/20 @ 8:20 a.m.): The Chicago Tribune posted an informative article about this challenge last night, including a mention of the 2004 arrest of Martel Miller and Patrick Thompson for recording Champaign police officers. Thanks to reader ellipse for passing along the link.
Round Barn IGA to close as part of County Market buyout
Bummer. That was our primary grocery store. From the N-G:
CHAMPAIGN - The Jerry’s IGA grocery chain will close one of its last two stores in Champaign-Urbana and sell the other, along with its store in Rantoul, to the owners of local County Market stores, both companies announced Tuesday.
...
The stores are expected to change hands in 30 to 60 days, probably closer to 30 days, said Rich Niemann Jr., president of Quincy-based Niemann Foods, the company that owns the County Market stores in the area.
Downtown parking deck finally lives up to expectations…
...by which I mean, once, because of a city funded streetfest, and on a day that nobody had to pay.
On Saturday, July 10, during the Champaign Music Festival and celebration of the City’s 150th anniversary, a new one-day record was set for customers at the Hill Street Parking Deck. A total of 915 customers used the parking deck. This is nearly double the total of 464 set on June 20, 2009 during the Taste of Champaign event. There were a total of 537 cars inside the deck between 8 and 9 p.m.
In anticipation of a large crowd, parking deck staff was on hand to offer assistance and answer questions. A validation ticket and invitation to visit Downtown again were placed on each vehicle. City staff also distributed validations at the City tent during the event. Staff will continue to encourage people to visit Downtown and use the parking deck by providing validations during special events.
[...]
All of these events occurred on Saturdays, when the City does not charge for parking in the deck. Staff believes that as Downtown visitors become more familiar with the deck, they will tend to return and use it at other times.
Staff is also either completely delusional or completely full of crap. Thanks for spending our money so stupidly folks!
Don’t tell Cakes on Walnut, but…
...the Planet Money blog thinks we might be in a “Cupcake Bubble”:
“If I were playing the dessert market, I’d have shorted cupcakes and gone long brownies the minute “Sex and the City” went off the air. But if I’d done that, I’d be underwater today: The cupcake movement has only grown, while brownies remain inexplicably overlooked. The latest employment report from New York City only compounds my rhetorical losses. Employment in the restaurant and bar industry is picking up in the city — with particular strength in the cupcake business, according to the WSJ’s Metropolis blog.“
Cross-country bike riders in Champaign Tuesday
From Tom Kacich’s story in today’s News-Gazette:
A group of exceptional bicycle riders, many of whom are wounded Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, will be in Champaign-Urbana this week as part of a 3,696-mile tour.
The riders, whose trek is called Sea to Shining Sea, have undertaken the effort to pay tribute to service men and women and challenge perceptions about how Americans see disabled athletes. Some of the 19 cross-country riders have prosthetic limbs, while others with spinal cord injuries or without legs are using specially designed hand-powered bikes. They are from all branches of the service. Among the riders is Paul Bremer, the former diplomat who oversaw Iraq’s provisional government in 2003 and 2004.
They are scheduled to arrive in Champaign around 2 p.m. Tuesday. A welcoming ceremony will be held between 2 and 3 p.m. at Hessel Park in Champaign.
...
For more information, go to the website http://www.s2ssbikeride.org.
Thanks to Gary Cziko for passing along the link.
USA Today: Champaign growing, but not a “boomtown”
“We haven’t boomed at all, we’ve grown steadily.“
Click here for the full article which shows the importance of government subsidized economic “buffers” (namely college towns and state capitals) to sustainable population growth.
Carnivale Debauche celebrates the red, white and blue — and the pink!
According to today’s press release from Carnivale Debauche:
Carnivale Debauche is back and rocking the beer garden at Mike ‘N Molly’s! Carnivale Debauche, C-U’s new burlesque and vaudeville troupe, returns to the stage on July 2 with its enticing array of traditional carnival-style burlesque entertainment.
Get your Independence Day celebration off to an early start with music and dance inspired by the USO of the 1940s! Plus we are supporting one of our own — Ms. Powers herself — in her fundraising efforts for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Merchandise will be available for purchase, and raffle tickets will be sold for a great prize package. All proceeds from merchandise and raffle will go to support the 3-Day for the Cure. So come out and enjoy the red, white, and blue — and support the pink!
Along with the dancers of Fishnet & Feathers, scheduled performers include musician Indiana Josh, mentalist and fire breather David der Geist, singer Lisa Cerezo, poi spinner Luna Lumiére, comedian Matt McClure, and special guest band the Duke of Uke and his Novelty Orchestra!
The fun begins again on Friday, July 2 at Mike ‘N Molly’s starting at 9 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door. You can find out more about Carnivale Debauche by visiting them online.
Contact:
Lisa Cerezo
lisa@psychicjoker.com
Local bicycling safety video in production
From Jodi Heckel’s article in today’s News-Gazette:
The cities of Champaign and Urbana are collaborating on a bicycle safety video that will provide information to both cyclists and drivers on the proper ways to deal with various traffic scenarios.
They are working with a bicycle safety consultant with the League of Illinois Bicyclists, Donnie Miller, who has done bicycle safety training in Champaign-Urbana before. The cost of making the video is about $1,200.
It’ll come out in the fall, and it sounds like the video’s release will be followed with increased enforcement efforts for bicycle traffic laws a few months later. Thanks for the detailed report, Ms. Heckel.
Report: Huskers likely the next team to regularly defeat, humiliate Illini Football program
A source close to the Nebraska Board of Regents told Orangebloods.com the regents met informally Wednesday and have agreed to move to the Big Ten and that a formal announcement Nebraska is leaving will come Friday.
Click here for the full article.
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I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…
(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…
I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
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Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…
Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…
I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…
(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…
I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
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Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
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Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…