Morton Obiter Dictum

Morton's Memorial Day

2011-05-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day in Morton Illinois started with a terrific breakfast put on by members of Post 318 of The American Legion. The breakfast was well attended and veterans ate free in recognition of their sacrifice to our country.

At exactly 11:00am the ceremony began with a resounding rendition of The National Anthem by Heather Berger head of the vocal department at Morton High School. Heather gave the audience a real treat by singing not just the traditional verse we all know, but all FOUR verses of Francis Scott Key's song describing the defense of Fort McHenry in 1814.

The program continued with participation from Citizenship award recipient Jake Marks who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Kathy Reynolds sang freedom's song and medley of songs that included God Bless America.

The grand-daughter of Post 318 member, Jack Hirstien, Bretta read in Flander's Field.
Bretta will be entering the United States Air Force next month.

We were pleased that Of the four scholarships the American Family gave out this year, three of the recipients were able to participate in the Memorial Day Program. Megan Eastman read the Gettysburg Address. Ryan Wezieck explained the Battlefield Cross. Caitlyn Vandermeer explained the POW/MIA Table. Caitlyn is a Private First Class in the Illinois Army National Guard with one year time in service. It should be noted that she just graduated high school a couple of weeks ago.

The widow and Children of SSGT Paul Gene Smith were honored by the presentation of a Gold Star Banner in recognition of their loss to the war in Afghanistan. Incoming Post 318 Commander Bob Wertz made the presentation.

Pastor Jeff Johnston gave the keynote address.

Incoming Commander Wertz also read the list of War dead from Morton who died in the Civil War or World War I. Morton Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Jerry Davis read the list of World War II, Korea and Vietnam War dead from Morton.

American Legion Post 318 Adjutant and host for today's program, Larry Stimeling, read the list of American Legion post 318 members who have died in the past year.

Stimeling then announced that the Morton Veterans' Memorial Committee is starting its fundraising for a Veterans' Memorial to be built in Birchwood Park. Displayed were the concept drawings of the memorial and samples of the granite blocks to be sold to help cover the cost of the Memorial.

PFC Vandermeer then escorted SSGT Smith's family to the monument and they placed a wreath in honor of all our departed comrades.

Post 318's honor guard saluted the dead with a gun salute and Taps.

The ceremony concluded with a thank you to all the participants and those who worked behind the scene to make the program a success.
For those of you who were there .... Thank you For those who missed it.... hope to see you next year.

Memorial Day

2011-05-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Monday is Memorial Day.The weather is forecast to be good. There will be boats on the river, kids in the parks and the smell of grilled foods will permeate every neighborhood.

There will also be veterans in every community honoring their fallen comrades. Memorial Day Ceremonies seem to be gathering of veterans with a few non-veteran citizens thrown in.

Memorial Day is a date set aide to honor and remember those who have died in defense of this great nation. Somehow America has chosen to observe Memorial Day by celebrating the unofficial start of summer.

Look at the Sunday newspaper. Ads for Memorial Day sales for patio furniture, pools and other summertime items abound. Sure there is the usual list of Holiday closures for Monday. Perhaps there is an article on veterans placing flags in a local cemetery. There will be a list of Memorial Day activities. I am willing to bet that the crowd Monday morning at Wal~mart will be larger than the crowd at the local Memorial Day ceremony.

Why? Why can't we postpone the unofficial start to summer until after the morning ceremonies? Why do we have to have a "Memorial Day Weekend? with 3 days of beer and brats combined with roadside safety checks?
Why can't we give up a day of beer and brats for those who gave up everything for us?Why can't we have a single day dedicated to remembering and honoring those who have given their lives for our freedom?

A day of solemn remembrance, a day of thanks, isn't that the minimum we should dedicate to those who have given us our way of life by giving up their lives?

I am certain that between now and Monday Many well meaning people will utter those words I despise...."Happy Memorial Day"
Yes I despise those words. Memorial Day is never happy for me. I have too many memories of too many men who died in service to the United States to be happy. Memorial Day I think about these men. I think about their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families.

You want me to be happy on Memorial Day? Join me and my fellow veterans at a Memorial Day ceremony near you on Monday morning. Don't wish me a happy Memorial Day! Show some respect and honor for my fallen comrades. Do something most Americans don't do on the last Monday in May..... Honor those who have given the last full measure of devotion and made the ultimate sacrifice for us all.

Where will you be on the last Monday in May?

2011-05-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ah! The last Monday in May is on its way. What a wonderful day. Picnics, cooking out, boats on the water and kids in the pool. Summer is here! It just doesn't get any better than this !

What am I forgetting? Hmm .... The last Monday in May.....Hmm.......
Oh I remember... That is Memorial Day !

Memorial Day, a time to remember.
Remember Lexington
Remember New Orleans
Remember Gettesburg.
Remember the Alamo
Remember Tripoli
Remember Pearl Harbor
Remember D-Day
Remember The Frozen Chosen
Remember Hue
Remember the Pentagon on 9/11
Remember Beirut
Remember Baghdad
Remember Kabul
Remember the men and women who gave their all so that you can enjoy picnics, cooking out, boats on the water and kids in the pool.
Where will you be on Memorial Day this year?

The Morton American Legion Post 318 will host a Memorial Day breakfast from 7 to 10am with a ceremony to follow at 11. This year the ceremony will include a special announcement about a Veterans' Memorial for Morton.

I urge you to attend this Memorial Day and take a few minutes of your weekend to REMEMBER.

A ROYAL PAIN!!!

2011-04-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

William and Kate....
Charles and Di......
Who's invited?
Who got snubbed?
What is she wearing?
What is he wearing?

WHO CARES?

This is the United States not the United Kingdom!
If it were really important Walmart would be closed, there would be no mail delivery and the NHL would cancel their playoff games.

Since none of those are happening, why is every mainstream media outlet sending people to England to report on the Royal Pain of a wedding? Why do Americans think this is an event worth hearing about? The grocery checkout rag magazines and newspapers are flying off the shelves. Put the royal wedding in a headline and it will be gone in sixty seconds. Sort of reminds me of the time when everything in the stores had Martha Stewart on the label. That didn't last long till she washed out. They didn't learn from that.... they went to everything being Hannah Montana endorsed products. Everything from shoes to Mac'n'cheese had to say Hannah Montana. The retailers that fell for that took a big hit when the crap stayed in the stores for months.
But now it is William and Kate. didn't the colonists fight to get away from the rule of the Crown? So now our media is acting like the Crown is still in power in America when in fact it has no real power on the other side of the Atlantic.
Personally I will be happy once the wedding is history and we can focus on what really affects Americans. Idiocy in Washington, Idiots in Springfield an unbalanced budget that doesn't appear to be fixable.
But then neither is or main stream media.

So now that the school referrendum was defeated...

2011-04-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

What is next?

Will the school board go back to the drawing board and come up with a new (better) plan?

What happens to the kids who are being required to learn in an environment that is not conducive to learning?

How does the school district get around the mandatory PE every day for ALL students?

I can't answer these questions.

With the vote so lopsided 65% to 35% I have even more questions.

Did the voters vote no because they wanted a better plan?

Did they vote no because of the increase in property tax?

Did they vote no because they just approved a large sum for the new pool?

Or did they vote no for other reasons?

They air is full of questions and the School board needs to find the answers. Our children deserve the best education possible from what has long been one of the best school systems in the State. While what we have is still better than most, it isn't good enough for the school kids in Morton Illinois.

My challenge to the school board is to quickly find out why the vote went the way it did and change what was wrong so that ALL students in Morton's Public Schools get the best education possible!

**note two years ago I wrote about the school district and the schools here in Morton. What I wrote then stands today ...

WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE

We need to make sure it remains on the top. and we can not do that with 3 facilities that are over

crowded and one facility that is not hadicap accessible.

Cotton Candy anyone?

2011-03-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

The talk of the town this week has not been the upcoming referendum on the schools,even though this is a very important vote for all of Morton. No. Instead all of Morton is abuzz about Cotton Candy and her client. The former Superintendent of Public Works has reportedly admitted to visiting one Cotton Candy on more than one occasion. I am not here to judge him for his visits to Ms Candy. I question his doing so while on duty for the Village of Morton and his using a Village vehicle for his visit to Candy land. According to published reports the former Supt. admitted to being on duty and was pulled over in a Village vehicle. Perhaps a lawyer can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that in some jurisdictions a vehicle used in the commission of a crime can be seized by law enforcement and sold at auction. fortunately the folks 80 miles southeast of here didn't choose to keep our SUV. I guess this entire incident is a case of our tax dollars hard at work???? It is a bit ironic that this took place just 2 days after the village board met in closed session to discuss the use of village vehicles. Did I mention auction? In another bit of irony, The Supt. told the Candy Madam his name was Jim Roth. what hat did that name come out of and why? It is a shame but 99.9% of those I have spoken too are shocked yet happy that the Supt. has met his demise. He didn't seem to have many friends. Possibly because he was good at his job? Or possibly his demeanor was arrogant and 'It's my way or not at all". It is a shame to lose a good man over a piece of candy.

Weather the storm from afar.

2011-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

The winds are full of rumors. One of which I first caught with a Phil Luciano piece earlier this week. In his piece, the Luce states that there is a possibility that WHOI/WEEK new and weather may lose local representation in that the news and weather may be produced in Fort Wayne Indiana.

FORT WAYNE? I have been to Fort Wayne. I was never impressed.

But aside from my opinions of the city, there is the reality that our local weather forecasters (read that guessers) can't get the forecast right more than 5 minutes in the future. So we are going to add a time zone difference to the formula. OK .... Let's see here.... the 6 O'clock update will now be made at 5 O'clock.... Meaning it will be an hour old before we get it.

I am going back to the old time way of forecasting the weather, the weather rock
If rock is wet, it is raining
If rock is swinging , it is windy
If rock casts a shadow, it is sunny
If rock does not cast a shadow and is not wet, it is cloudy
If rock is white it is snowing
If rock is coated with ice, there is a frost
If rock is bouncing, there is an earthquake
If rock is under water, there is a flood
If rock is missing, there was a tornado.

I am fairly certain using a weather rock I will be more accurate than those who are paid to be wrong. It won't matter if they are in Peoria, Fort Wayne or Rio Linda.

DEALING WITH COMCAST CORPORATION

2011-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

"Comcast Corporation is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services." comcast.com about comcast

Well they may be a provider of communication products and services but they don't communicate well!

I made a call to comcast today. Checking on cable adapters that I had ordered 4 weeks ago. Before talking to a human the computer let me know that I was calling from my home phone and it had found the acount associated with that number. Excellent! That saves me a lot of time spelling my last name!

Because my problem was more complicated than the computer could handle, I pressed zero to get transferred to a human. I explained my problem. I ordered two digital adapters for televisions that do not have digital receivers several weeks ago but they had not arrived. I am calling to find out if they were shipped or if there has been a delay due to a high volume of requests.

Here is when the communication problem came apparent. I was asked for my account number. I did not have it in front of me. OK then can you give me the exact ammount of your last payment. No, I don't have that information either. Then can you give me the last 4 numbers of your ssn? Never mind we do not have that in our records. I am sorry sir but without verifying your account I cannot tell you about your account.

It was obvious she was reading from a script.

Hmmm you have my phone number it is associated with my account and you can't tell me about my equiptment order? No sir I can't.

At this point I ask for a supervisor. I am placed on hold while on hold I here a commercial in the background on my television stating that if there is a problem and we don't fix it on the first try we will give you a credit on your account. finally the supervisor gets on the phone.

How may I help you Mr Stimeling?
I want to see if the adapters I ordered were shiped as I have not received them.
I will need your account number for that.
I don't have it with me. Ma'am I am not ordering any equiptment or services I just want to know if they were shipped. I am trying to find out if they were lost or taken off my porch.
I am sorry sir but I cannot give you that information without your account number. Again from the script
OK so when I first called in the computer associated the number I am calling from with an account can you give me the account number associated with my phone number?
No Sir I can't do that
OK she is begining to sound like HAL in 2001 a space Oddesey and I am more aggitated that the laundry in my mom's wringer washer.

So I end the call with a promise to contact Corporate headquarters to request a credit on my account as I gave two people a chance to fix a problem and I got no satisfaction.

When my wife got back from doing whatever wives do when they leave the house, I asked here where I could find an account number.
Armed with the number, I called again. gave the number and was told that the package had been delivered on Feb 4 . OK I didn't get it what do I do now?
We will send you another package or you can go to your local office to pick up the adapters you need.
I would love to pick them up at the local office but it has been shuttered for several months.
OK we will send it to you but you need to call UPS and ask them to start a trace. Here is the tracking number.
Thank you

On to UPS
UPS How may I help you.
I never received a package that was shipped to me by Comcast. Here is the tracking number. According to your records it was left on my porch Feb.4 at 12:26pm.
Sorry sir comcast will need to start the trace on your package.
Comcaast told me to call you.
No Sir they will need to call us. but I will do the preliminary work up so that when they call we will have all the information we need.
Thank you Ma'am

Back to comcast
You need my account number again to tell you to call UPS and start a trace on your missing equiptment??? Come on now I am tired of the scripted call let's just talk here.
I am sorry I cannot talk about your account without your account number.

Time to find a new cable provider.

Mr. Mayor, Village Board are you listening? Comcast broke their contract when they closed the local office. When can we get a provider of Communication and broadcast services with a local office that can communicate without a script?

It has been awhile

2011-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

The Blizzard of 2011 is done and the snow is beginning to melt, FINALLY!
To the Morton Street Department ...... GREAT JOB!!!
My question is this .... Why were there so many people on the road during the blizzard. We were forewarned that it was coming and NO ONE was saying it might miss us. Yet there were people on the road. Even in the heart of the storm, people were shopping. WHY? Shouldn't you have gotten your much needed milk on Monday before the stores ran out? Who were the idiots trying to get fast food at McDonald's in the middle of a blizzard? If it were your kid working there wouldn't you have wanted the place to close so your kid could be home safe?
Throughout the storm the TV and radio were broadcasting the following message, " Stay at home unless it is an emergency stay off the streets so the road crews can do their job. IDOT, Tazewell County and the Village of Morton did a great job and should be commended. Sure, there were som points of contention but all in all they did a great job in the worst possible weather. Just another reason why I tell everyone from anywhere other than Morton, "Morton, It really is better here!"

Genius or Idiot

2009-08-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Christmas in the Pumpkin Patch, the theme for this years Pumpkin Festival, should be interesting. There have been many changes since last year's festival. Some of them subtle some of them dramatic. The two biggest changes are:

The changing of the parade route - the parade will now turn right on Third St left on Madison left on First and Right on Jefferson.
The moving of the entertainment out of the food tent - there will be some 642 chairs outside facing a portable stage.

The Parade route had to be changed to allow for rides to be put on Jefferson Street. This was needed to allow the Merchant's tent to be moved toward First St in order for the stage and chairs to be placed near the food tent.

Now all this sounds minor and may indeed result in a better festival atmosphere. I am open to the changes. Jen Daly has done a lot of work in putting together the new layout for the festival.

My prediction on this year's festival ......

If the weather cooperates, Jen Daly and the Chamber of Commerse will look like geniuses but if the weather is half of last year in terms or rain the geniuses will look like the village idiots.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, however perhaps the entertainment should have been put undre a bigtop???? Just a thought from a festival goer!

remembering the fallen

2009-07-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

Last year in May, I was responsible for bringing the Wall That Heals to Morton. I was happy to do it. It was a labor of love. I needed to do it; not for Morton but for myself. It gave me some closure that I needed.

recently I have been complaining about how little is made of the deaths of our military personnel compared to the mania brought on by the deaths of a celebrity. The Jackson Mania is a prime example. At the same time we had tv specials for Farrah, Ed McMahon and even pitchman Billy Mayes. There were several deaths in Afghanistan during the same period as the deaths of these celebrities. Which got the most press coverage?

I moaned and groaned about the priorities of Americans for a while. I even wrote about it on my other blog. It made me feel good................for about 2 seconds. Then I wondered to myself...What are you doing to honor our heroes? I read the daily press releases for the Department of Defence and then go about my business.

All that stops TODAY! Today I have begun a production that will honor our fallen throughout the world wide web. I have begun a project of making a website that will honor our fallen on the anniversary of their deaths. go to the site today and you will see the names of those whose deaths occurred on this month and date. visit it tomorrow and you will see the names of those who died on tomorrow's month and date. The page changes automatically. the same URL address is used no mater what the date is.

The site can be found at http://nam-vet.net/thisdate.htm

Morton is Interesting

2009-06-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Don't know if you saw it but in Wednesday's edition of the Morton Times News there was an article comparing Peoria and Morton. The article seemed to indicate that Peoria was more interesting than Morton.

Former Morton Times News editor, DeWayne Bartels, took the position that Peoria was more interesting. Current editor, Nathan Domenighini, felt that Morton was more interesting. The article was satire in nature, but I feel a need to reply.

Dewayne, it appears as if your definition of interesting includes criminal. You equate stabbings, shootings, burglary and death threats with being interesting.

I prefer a more conventional definition...... interesting (adj) arousing or holding the attention.

Most Mortonites would prefer my definition. So would most Peorians. An interesting person is one who has a story to tell. A story that captivates the listener. A story that most people would want to hear. Waving a gun or wielding a knife does not make you interesting. You may have captivated those around you but they don't want to witness the end of the story. They would rather be somewhere else!

Let me list some of the interesting people I know here in Morton.

1) The 2008 graduate from Morton High who has went on to Eureka College where she was named Freshman Student of the Year. Since her first year at Eureka she has been to England, Russia and Tokyo. A lot of knowledge and experience for someone not yet twenty.

2) The gentle man who served in Would War Two in the Navy. He was aboard the USS Liscomb Bay in November of 1943. On November 24th she was hit by two enemy torpedoes. The Liscomb bay went down in 23 minutes taking more than 600 men with her. only 217 men survived the attack. You want to hear about heroic efforts? Listen to this man.

3) Speaking of WWII, there is a local banker who has been a member of Morton's American Legion Post for almost 65 years. Plenty of history to be discovered in his story.

4) Three out of the last five years a Morton grad has been awarded an appointment to the Military Academy at West Point. These young men have stories to tell and they haven't even seen Combat. I pray they never will.

5) Peoria has many concerts this is true BUT the producer of many of them lives in Morton. I am sure he has stories to tell of his encounters with many performers.

6) I consider myself interesting and apparently so do you as I have appeared on the pages of the Peoria Times Observer as well as the Morton Times many times.

I lived in Peoria for 35 years. I was born and raised on the South Side. I continued to work in Peoria until I was 55. The last 15 years I worked downtown where I rubbed elbows with many of Peoria's movers and shakers. I know them and they know me. I have lived in Morton for over two decades now. I have become friends with many of Morton's movers and shakers. They are just as interesting as Peoria's. In some ways even more interesting!

True Mayor Durflinger would never propose that Morton become a test ground for concealed carry. But then who would have thought he would propose and get approved liquor sales at grocery stores?

Dewayne,I invite you to come back to Morton. Let me introduce you to some of our interesting citizens. After which you can take Nathan and me back to Peoria and show us the interesting people of Peoria. Like Willie York who is probably Peoria's most interesting person. Perhaps you will want to go down to the neighborhood where I grew up. It is now one of the highest crime areas in the city. Does that spark your interest?

In all seriousness, I will take Morton and her interesting citizens over Peoria any day!!!

Potter Pride and father pride

2009-05-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have said it here before. I will say it again. Morton Schools are something we can be proud of!!
I attended Graduation Ceremonies on Sunday. My middle daughter was a graduate. What a group of students. Their accomplishments is acedemia, athletics and music are unreal for a school of the size of Morton High.
Our schools are among the best in the State.
That said I would like to concentrate on a very small group of Morton High Students.
Six to be exact. These students have decided to serve our country after high school. Two will become Marines. Two will join the Navy. One will become an Airman in the Air Force. One will be going to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
For those of you who do not know, an appointment to West Point is not an easy thing to obtain.
It is one of the most exclusive school in the country and with good reason.
Congratulations to all of Morton's class of 09. Especially to Jacob Reisinger on his appointment to West Point.
A very special congratulations to my daughter from a very proud father.

a bit of beach boy trivia

2009-05-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Bruce Johnson of the Beach Boys was born in Peoria, Illinois at the Florence Crittenton Home for unwed mothers. My 18 year-old daughter met Bruce Thursday at the Beach Boy Concert in Peoria this past Thursday. During the show, Bruce told the audience where he was born. My daughter, Ashley is adopted. We picked her up from the Crittenton Home December 19th 1990.
She now feels a real connection to the beach Boys.

2009-05-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks is such a small word

I have just returned from a Beach Boys concert in Peoria, Illinois. I was the guest of Mike Love and Bruce Johnson. After meeting them backstage before the concert, My 18-year-old daughter (my wife was sick and couldn’t attend) and I found our seats. Great seats 10 rows back and center stage. Before the curtain went up, several beach balls were being volleyed about the Peoria Civic Center Theatre.
I was amazed at the crowd. Sure there were plenty of baby-boomers but there were an equal amount of 30 somethings. Everytime I looked at my daughter she was singing along with the boys. She knew the words to almost every song they sang. That shows the durability of an institution like the Beach Boys.
The concert was fantastic. Mike Love and Bruce Johnson have surrounded themselves with some very talented individuals who fit right into the Beach Boys style. Anyone who has a chance to go to a Beach Boys’ concert should indeed go see them. You won’t be disappointed.
As I said I was the guest of Mike and Bruce. How that happened is in itself an amazing story of how doing something for others comes back at you. Three months ago I sent an email to a fellow veteran, Lt. Bobby Ross. Lt. and I go back several years and sometime in that period he mentioned he knew the Boys. Well I had helped Lt. getting a claim through the VA maze. So I figured "Hey Lt., any chance you can hook me up?"
Lt. sent an email to a friend of his in Nashville Fred Vail. The Lt. put me on a pretty high pedestal as he has a tendency to do. My modesty would prevent me from taking credit for all the Lt. claims.
Still, I am a veterans advocate and I do help a lot of vets as a way to say thanks to my brothers and sisters in arms.
Fred took the ball and ran with it. Recently Fred was seriously injured in a car accident. Yet he continued to work at getting me a pair of tickets into the concert. On Friday he made the call to the Boys’ manager. Yesterday Fred sent me an email stating that I was all set for the Beach Boys. What a day yesterday was!
I had also succeeded in an effort to stop a group from charging people to view a replica of the Vietnam wall.
I got a double dose of GOOD VIBRATIONS!
Then there was the concert tonight. My only regret is that my wife was unable to attend. Yet even that was a positive as I was able to spend an evening with my middle daughter who is graduating High School on Sunday.
To Elliot Lott the manager of the Beach Boys: Thank you for the evening. I have nothing but praise for your group and their performance.
To Fred Vail: Sir, I am so very appreciative of your efforts especially considering your accident. For you to do this for a stranger on the word of a mutual friend shows that you are a man of honor. Thanks is such a small word, but is all I have.
To Lt. Bobby Ross my friend, my brother, my leader: You and I have been down the trail together for some time. I have watched your six and you have watched mine. We have accomplished much together. You have on many occasions brought tears to my eyes. Coming of Age . You have also been a source of encouragement. You have lifted my up on a pedestal I am afraid to fall off of. You have been there for me, as I have for you. I have been a source of inspiration for you. What is Memorial Day. I hope you can find somewhere to perform that this year as you did here last year. I am rambling as I don’t know how to thank you for hooking me up with Fred. Let’s just say that I will walk point for you anytime, any where and thanks for the R&R.
Larry Stimeling
Proud Vietnam Veteran
Veterans Advocate
Deputy National Commander of
LT Bobby Ross’ LRRPnet

Morton Pride

2009-04-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I was not born in Morton. I moved here in 1985. I grew up on the South Side of Peoria, a proud Manual Ram. When I moved here, I felt out of place. This is where the money is; not a place for a poor kid from the South Side, or so I thought.
My line of logic was faulty. Morton has welcomed me with open arms. After just a few years here I not only felt I belonged; I felt like I was a Mortonite all my life. Now I would never deny my roots are in Peoria, but my blossoms are here in Morton.
Morton is a great community with many assets those of us who live here tend to take for granted.
Our schools are among the best in the state!!! US NEWS & WORLD REPORT lists Morton High School as one of the nations "Best High Schools". (http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/illinois/morton_high_school) Take a look at the school district report card and see how our district and students compare to state averages. http://www.morton709.org/uploads/documents/about_us/district_report_card.pdf If that doesn't make you proud of the school district nothing will.
I haven't forgotten the extra-curricular activities. What can be said about the high school band that hasn't been said already? Let's just call them "EXCELLENCE personafide". Not only on the field but in their actions when representing the school and community where ever they go. our high school and junior high athletic teams represent us well with championships in regionals sectionals and in some cases state championships.
Our students were complimented by John Hosier, Bobby Ross and Gary Jacobson visitors to our community when the "Wall That Heals' was in Morton last May. Each had nothing but favorable remarks concerning the conduct of our kids while they were visiting the wall. These men have been to similar exhibits throughout the country and none had seen a community in which the students were as respectful and interested in the wall as the students here in Morton.

There is some talk of closing Jefferson Grade School. My children went through Jefferson. I live two blocks from the school. What happens to the district and its report card if Jefferson is closed? NOTHING!!! The kids going to Jefferson would be split between Grundy and Lincoln . A new school would need to be built nearer the edge of our projected growth area.
Let's have a look at Jefferson. It is old. It does not conform to ADA. there is no way a student in a wheel chair can motivate the multiple levels inside the building. The costs to update Jefferson are not cost effective. There are rooms inside the building that get too hot to be considered comfortable for learning.
Yes there would be some students that currently walk to school that would need bussed due to redistricting. As it is now my house sits within walking distance of three of the four grade schools in town. Only Brown is out of reach.
with all of this in mind, it is time to at least look into the posibility of closing Jefferson Grade School for a new and better school for our excellent students.