Keep Melon Days Alive!

Do you enjoy the Melon Days festival in Thomson over Labor Day weekend? Would you be disappointed if the festival was brought to an end?

We need your help!! Melon Days is in search of volunteers willing to help with organizing and/or the festival. Over the last few years, the number of volunteers has dropped significantly. We will not be able to have the festival this year if more people do not volunteer their time. Currently, there are approximately four members trying to put this year’s festival together. That is nowhere near enough. We are volunteering our free time & taking time away from our families & some even from our jobs, to try and put this festival together. We can’t do this alone and need help.

We feel it’s a great festival for Thomson and the surrounding areas. It offers affordable and different activities for families & people of all ages. The festival has proven to be a good way to give back to the community by donating towards scholarships and other community needs. It also offers opportunities for organizations in the area.

If you would be interested in helping with Melon Days and want to see it continue, come to our next meeting & vote yes to keep Melon Days alive. The next meeting is Tuesday, May 25th at 7:00pm at the Sunrise Restaurant located on IL 84.

Thank You,

Tiffany Tipton

2010 Melon Days President

Eastland Senior Award and Scholarship Night

Thirty-four Eastland seniors were honored at the 10th Annual Award and Scholarship Night held May 12, 2010. Local businesses, organizations, memorial funds, colleges, and individuals donated over $50,000 in scholarships. Departmental awards of excellence, as well as numerous other awards, were also presented.

A successful event such as this would not be possible without the tremendous support of area businesses and individuals. We would like to give a special thanks to the following scholarship sponsors: Andresen Farms, Boyle-Hoy American Legion Post 379, Brother’s Restaurant, Bushman’s Service, EHS Cabaret, Carroll Service Company, Clark Carroll Insurance, Cornerstone Credit Union, Country Financial – Rhett Coatney, the family of Darrell DeGraff, Delta Kappa Gamma – Pi Chapter, Diehl & Lott Construction, Inc., the family of Robert Dole, Eastland Board of Education, Eastland Administrators, Eastland Music Boosters, Eastland Parent Teacher Organization, Exchange State Bank, Dr. David & Lee Reese, First State Bank of Shannon/Polo/Lake Carroll,, FFA Alumni, Freedom Township, the family of Ruth Geary, the family of Ron Green, Dorothy Guentner, the family of Jeffery Hammer, Highland Community College, the family of Alice Hoak, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, Illinois State Barbecue, Isenhart Family, Lanark Ag Center, Lanark Chamber of Commerce, Lanark Community Club, Lanark Dental Clinic, Lanark Fire Department, Lanark Mutual Insurance, Lanark Lions’ Club, Lanark Masonic Lodge, Lanark United Methodist Church, Lanark Women’s Club, Meador’s Ag Service, the family of Sara Merchant, Mary Mether, the Bob Miller 5K Walk/Run memorial, Bill Moll & family in memory of Steven Moll, the New Persona Studio, Northwest Eyecare, Performance Learning Systems, Pheasants Forever, Prowant Construction Company, Rock Creek-Lima Township, the family of Roger Roethe, Rolling Hills, EHS Scholarship Committee, Shannon Fire Department, Signs by Foust, and the Standish House Bend & Breakfast, Pearl City Elevator, and Whiteside Area Career Center. Your generosity is astounding.

Anne Pilgrim

Eastland HS Counselor

Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

by Dr. George Watson,

http://www.aapsonline.org/

The Congressional Budget Office announcement May 11, 2010, that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would cost, over the next ten years, $115 Billion more, brings the total cost over $1 Trillion. Imagine—Congress and the President spent a whole year jamming a 2,309 page monster down our throats on the pretense of “eliminating fraud, waste and abuse (in the delivery of medical care) at a lower cost”. This same Congressional Budget Office, using the contrived numbers given by Congress, had previously said Obamacare would REDUCE federal deficits by $143 Billion. I smell FRAUD.

Fraud is defined as deceit, trickery, cheating, and intentional deception or dishonesty. That describes not only the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), but also the 1000+ page Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. One barely turns the pages of these despicable creations before the FRAUD becomes evident.

Ask a laid-off aircraft worker if his health insurance was portable. All of the accountability requirements fell on the hospitals and doctors’ offices. No accountability for the people who wrote and passed that wasteful bill. Now we have the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act already costing more than the charlatans promised it would cost. That is FRAUD and their own Congressional Budget Office confirms it. Do you remember, “That’s what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so the American people can see what the choices are.”? Or we will have “the most ethical Congress in history”? Some people say, “It is just campaign rhetoric.” This U.S. Veteran calls it FRAUD. And more examples are Charlie Rangel, on “leave of absence” from Chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee, remembering some taxes he didn’t pay and just a million of net worth he forgot to report. And John Conyers of the House Judiciary Committee, whose wife was recently sentenced for legal problems as a Detroit Councilwoman. There is a whole lot of deceit, cheating, deception and dishonesty. Perhaps Senator Ben Nelson and Congressman Bart Stupak will come clean and share how much arm twisting, extortion and bribery (enhanced interrogation) were exerted on them to get them to abandon their principles.

Waste is defined to destroy, to use up, to squander, and to make weak. That sums up what 1000+ pages of HIPAA and 2,309 pages of Obamacare are doing, and will do, to the most innovative medical system in the world, to the individuals who have to pay for what these wanna be aristocrats have squandered, and to America that we love. These bureaucratic plunderers will cause doctors’ expenses to rise to keep up with all the computer information gathering for the government, taxes on medical hardware will drive those prices higher, and, in the end, the patient will get it with higher costs for the “Affordable Care” that was promised and not delivered.

The truth is, they want control of you, your doctor, your bank account—to abuse you—“to use wrongly, mistreat, to revile”. Using noble sounding titles to gain broad public acceptance, they used the desires of the people to take over one sixth of the economy. You will buy your insurance or pay a fine to the IRS. National rules will be implemented to standardize and streamline health insurance claims processing. Ask someone who is on Medicaid or a doctor who accepts Medicaid how well that program is run. More government input will make everything worse, not better. As President Ronald Reagan said, “Government is the problem, not the solution.”

You ask, “What can I do?” The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, www.aapsonline.org has fresh, workable ideas that benefit patients and their doctors. Seven years ago, they showed me how I could be the doctor I dreamed of being when I started medical school—like my role models, Dr Burket and Dr Donley, focused 100% on the patients, free of the entanglements of one-sided insurance contracts that restricted patients’ options.

AAPS has filed suit against the unconstitutional “individual mandate” and we plan to win, just like we did with Hillarycare.

http://www.aapsonline.org/

Back in Service     

Everyone I talked to during the past two weeks I was out of service said they enjoyed my letter and missed seeing them in the paper. Apparently it’s the City Council and a couple of department heads that object to them so I’m Back in Service by Popular Demand.

Savanna has now reached the point where the Mayor has tried to threaten and intimidate one of our local businessmen by saying “I can make your life a miserable hell if I want to” and I have the power of any sheriff around.”  When I was a police officer, threats and/or intimidation were illegal. Not only is he trying to threaten and intimidate, he’s using his elected office to do it.  Apparently, the local businessman is a bigger person than the Mayor and has chosen not to pursue it any further.  I guess I’m not as big a person, because if the Mayor had said the same thing to me I would have signed a Police Complaint the day he did it and let him go before a judge and explain what the hell he’s doing.  This time, I didn’t misquote anyone; there were two others in addition to the businessman in question who heard him say it.

Truth be told, I knew my letters concerning the New City Hall would do no good.  The City was going to go ahead with the project no matter what anyone said.  They started tearing down the inside of the building almost from day one!  It was a done deal then. No one cares what the voters in Savanna want.  What bothers me, however, is if there was no money for the streets or sewers or sewer plant where did they get all of the money for the New City Hall?  If they were taking it out of their budgets and putting it aside, maybe their budgets were too high in the first place and should be reduced by that much next year. You can bet if the City ever had to sell that albatross, it would be a cold day in Hell before anyone offered $600,000 for it!!  Every cent in the City coffers belongs to the taxpayers.  Fiscal Responsibility means prioritizing and funding essential services and projects before considering any others.  The key word here is ESSENTIAL.  Streets, sewers, sewer plants, water supply and quality are essential; the New Village Hall is not.

On a lighter note, after a long fight, the Savanna Skate Park is finally becoming a reality.  The Grand Opening is currently set for June 5th.  Thanks to all of the businesses who made donations.  You will all be individually recognized after the Opening on the 5th.  Thanks to all who worked behind the scenes to make this possible.  Thanks to Paul Hartman and Jack Fosdick who were instrumental in getting the Park finally moving forward.  Thanks must also be given to Kurt Dreger whose tireless efforts brought this project from just an idea to the beautiful Skate Park you will all see on June 5th.  Special thanks has to go to Senator Mike Jacobs who secured the Grant for the Skate Park and greatly assisted in clearing the roadblocks that seemed to surface all too frequently. If it weren’t for him, the Park would be being built in another community as I’m writing this letter.  This Skate Park will be a great attraction not only for Savanna’s youth, but also for the youth in all of the surrounding communities.

The Fourth Street Project is progressing nicely.  Again, thanks to Senator Mike Jacobs who graciously allowed the City Council to move the Grant money, originally requested for repairing Longmoor Avenue, to the Fourth Street Project.  And thanks a third time to Senator Jacobs for contributing money to the beautification project at the West Carroll Primary School on Wacker Road.  I hate to say this; well no I don’t, but Mayor Stebbins, Senator Jacobs belongs to the same group of politicians you criticized that caused me to start writing letters in the first place.

At long last, some of the properties are being cleaned up.  I don’t know if some of the property owners took it upon themselves to do something or if the Police Department had something to do with it.  I would like to think it was a little of both. However, there is still a great deal that needs to be done.  It will be a shame when Senator Jacobs attends the Grand Opening of the Skate Park and looks across the street to see a house that is being remodeled and has been looking like that for a least a couple of years.  How long do the neighbors have to put up with looking at an eye sore like that?   Anyway, if we can just get the City Council to show some fiscal responsibility and put money where it belongs instead of in frivolous projects, maybe we can turn the corner and finally do something to help this town realize its full potential.  It doesn’t have to die and by God we shouldn’t let it!

J.D. Gundlach

Savanna, Illinois

Getting To Know Our President

Just this past week I received several e-mails about the current occupant of the White House that your readers may be interested in.  This is information not to be found in the New York Times or on TV.

The first item concerns the G-20 summit in London last year.  Did you know that our president arrived with an entourage surpassing the queen’s, including 500 staff members (among them 200 Secret Service agents), six doctors, the White House chef and kitchen staff plus all his own food and water?  (They left the kitchen sink behind, in case you’re wondering.)

Mr. Obama also brought along 35 vehicles, four speech writers and 12 teleprompters.  (As Dale McFeatters of Scripps Howard News commented, he didn’t want to be at a loss for words.)

The American delegation also came with Marine One, the president’s helicopter, plus a fleet of identical decoys to ferry him from Stansted airport to downtown London.  And of course the presidential limo was not left behind.  Generally referred to as The Beast, the ultimate in heavy armored transport, it is reinforced with ceramic and titanium armor, a tear gas cannon, night vision devices and its own oxygen.  It’s also resistant to chemical and radiation attack, sort of a “mobile panic room,” as one reporter put it.

Anyone care to guess what all that cost us taxpayers?  It probably would have been cheaper to pay for all the other world leaders to come to Washington.  In these financially trying times, when most Americans are struggling to stay employed so they can make their monthly mortgage payments and keep up with their utility bills and taxes, wouldn’t you think our president would show a little fiscal restraint and “lead by example,” as his wife claims he does (see below), by reducing wasteful government spending?

And doesn’t the immense scale of such a retinue suggest that he is either a supreme narcissist or an extremely insecure man, just the opposite of the messianic image the American media has created for him?  President Truman used to stroll down Pennsylvania Ave. by himself and chat with anyone who wanted to talk to him.  Can you imagine Barack Obama doing that?

The second item concerns Obama’s last trip overseas.  The First Lady left just after their visit to France, instead of going with him to Saudi Arabia and Turkey.  In fact, she has never accompanied him to any Arab country.  Laura Bush went to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Dubai.  Why didn’t Michelle go, too?  Is it because her husband is a Muslim and by Muslim law he can’t bring his wife into countries that accept Sharia law?  Is that also why he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia?  A signal to the Muslim world?

When attorney John W. King heard about this, he contacted a friend who is a Middle Eastern scholar and expert, Dr. Jim Murk. Here is his explanation.
“An orthodox Muslim man would never take his wife on a politically oriented trip to any nation which practices Shari’ah law, which includes Saudi Arabia. This is true and it is why Obama left Michelle in Europe or at home when he went to especially Arab countries. He knows Muslim protocol; this included his bowing to the Saudi king. Obama is regarded as a Muslim in these countries simply because he was born to a Muslim father. Note that he has downplayed his Christianity--even spoke of his Muslim faith with George Stephanopoulus --by not publicly joining a Christian church in D.C., but simply attending the chapel or services at Camp David. He also played down the fact that the USA was a Christian country and said, unbelievably, that it was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, which is nonsense. He has also publicly taken the part of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. Finally he ignored the National Day of Prayer. He is bad news; he is God’s judgment on America.” 
King continued, “Have you wondered why Barack Hussein Obama has insisted that the U.S. Attorney General hold the trials for the 911 Murdering Muslims Terrorists in Civilian Courts as Common Criminals instead of as Terrorists who attacked the United States of America?

“Think about this: If the Muslim Terrorists are tried in Military Tribunals, convicted, and sentenced to death by the Military Tribunal, by law of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, as President of the United States, would be required to SIGN their Death Warrants before they could be executed. He would not be required to sign the death warrants if sentenced to death by a Civilian Court. Think about the Muslim Jihadist, Major Hassan, who slaughtered his fellow soldiers at Ft. Hood, Texas. Major Hassan did not want to go to Afghanistan and be a part of anything that could lead to the deaths of fellow Muslims. He stated that Muslims could not and should not kill fellow Muslims.

“Is the motive for Barack Hussein Obama’s decision to make sure he doesn’t have to sign the death warrants for the Muslim Terrorists? Why would he, as President of the United States, not want to sign the death warrants for Muslim Terrorists who attacked the United States and murdered over 3,000 innocent United States Citizens on 9/11? Could it be that he is forbidden by his religion to have anything to do with the execution of Muslims?”

The third disturbing item I received was a video of a speech our First Lady gave in 2008 at a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Delegate luncheon.  She was talking about HIV testing and how, on a trip to Africa, she and the President were trying to get people there to get over their “homophobia” and get tested.  “Barack has led by example,” she said (presumably by getting tested himself) but then she dropped a bombshell by admitting publicly that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. These were her exact words: “When we took our trip to Africa and visited his home country in Kenya…”  Kenya?  I thought he was born in Hawaii.

Richard O’Connor

Pearl City, IL

The President’s Citizenship

This letter is written for Democrats and Independent voters who are doubtful as to whether or not President Barack Obama is a natural born USA citizen.

First, go to -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_citizenship_conspiracy_theories

This website contains 33 pages and 234 references proving President Obama was born in the United States.  The information stopped cold the Hillary Clinton campaign from dropping the “birther” rumor that Candidate Obama was not an American citizen.

Quoting from the website:  “A birth notice for Barack Obama was published in both the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspapers on August 13th and August 14th, l961, respectively, listing the home address of President Obama’s parents as 6085 Kalanianaole Highway in Honolulu, Hawii.”  This information was reported to the respective newspapers and verified by the Hawaii State Department of Health to be true and correct.

After numerous inquiries, on July 29th, 2009, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin sarcastically pointed out that they did not think President Obama’s parents, along with the Hawaii State Department of Health, had conspired to pass along false information intending to clear the way for the baby Barack to someday be elected president of the United States!

Unfortunately, this data will not convince the Republican party that President Obama was born in the United States. Since they will not research and accept the truth for polical reasons, they will very probaly stay the minority party.

Donald G. Siedenburg

Mendota, IL

Publisher’s Note: 33 pages and 234 references “proving” President Obama’s citizenship, but no actual Birth Certificate. I purchased a copy of my birth certificate from Lake County years ago. I needed it to register for the draft, and to get my driver’s license. It was easy to obtain, and I think it cost me $25. President Obama has chosen to spend upwards of $2 million to fight citizen’s lawsuits to produce his birth certificate. I am not a “birther,” Mr. Siedenburg, but please tell me how the above scenario makes sense.

What Makes Morrison Famous?

Dear Editor:

Wednesday, May 5, I came out of The National Bank at about 1:10 pm. There was a man coming from the west on the sidewalk. I said “hi” to him. He asked me if there was anywhere to get a map of the area. He said he had been to the City Building and they told him to go to the Chamber of Commerce building by the bank. He had been there but it wasn’t open.

I said, “Let’s see what the hours are there.” We went by the door of the Chamber building, but the hours weren’t posted so that we could notice. I said that maybe I had an Illinois map in my car so come with me and I would look in the glove box. I had two of them so gave him one to take with him.

Well, as we talked he said he had travelled all over the United States and Europe. He was from the state of Idaho, was 81 years old and loved to travel-not by interstate but by the so called “backroads” of America. This trip he was coming from Idaho travelling to Maryland. Along the way he was stopping to visit people he had met on his many travels.

Getting to the point of my letter, he asked me a puzzling question that I was not really certain how to answer. Since we were on Main Street, and on many lamp posts there are signs stating “Historic Morrison”, he posed a question. It was “What makes Morrison so “historic”? It made me really think. I said, “Do you think the three story old buildings make it historic?” He wasn’t really impressed. There are old buildings in lots of small towns.

I guess I really didn’t know. How many of you on the city council, Chamber of Commerce, or general public really have an answer to that question. Did someone nationally famous come from Morrison? Did a famous architect come from Morrison or design some of the main street buildings? Maybe, when we are writing ordinances for historic preservation, we should really think of what makes something “historic”.

The Route 30 Lincoln Highway is historic in itself as being the first road across America from New York City to San Franciso. It doesn’t go through Main Street of Morrison. As the general traveler that just happens on Morrison to rest or find a map, does Morrison speak for itself with its appearance? Apparently not. I guess the streetscape did not speak for itself to this individual.

Why does it take a complete stranger to make a person really think? What really does make Morrison historic? Is it a piece of land (like our city council has stated), the streetscape (like the historic preservation committee has stated), an incident, or a famous person? We all know that “beer” made Milwaukee famous-what is our claim to glory? Anyone???

A questioning citizen of Morrison,

Marti Wood

Guest Commentary . . .

Something Doesn’t Add Up

By Adam Andrzejewski

When it comes to Illinois politics, something just doesn’t add up.

Last week, the Illinois House voted down landmark school choice legislation introduced by Sen. Meeks (D). This decision denies 22,000 children from Chicago’s worst-performing and most-overcrowded elementary schools the opportunity to transfer to private or parochial schools.
Traditionally, Republicans have led on school choice issues - vouchers and charters - but last week, they failed to step up. Twenty-six Republicans voted no and the bill failed to pass by only 12 votes.
True reform will never come to Illinois if “leaders” are afraid to lead.

However, the Illinois General Assembly did take a step in the right direction by passing a forensic audit of Medicaid, which represents 25% of the state budget. Yet Speaker Madigan refuses to support legislation to conduct an audit of the remaining 75%. 
According to a study conducted by The New York Times, nearly 10% of Medicaid spending is fraud. This means the forensic audit could potentially save Illinois $1.5 billion.
A study conducted by, Dick Simpson, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that nearly 5% of all spending in Illinois is waste, fraud or corruption. This means a forensic audit of the remaining 75% ($39 billion) could potentially save Illinois taxpayers $2 billion.
Speaker Madigan would rather support Gov. Quinn’s 33% tax hike, which would cost already struggling Illinois families an extra $500 a year. A forensic audit would cost $5.
Supporting a tax hike over a forensic audit, doesn’t add up.

To learn more about HR 1057, please visit openthebooks.com. 

The future of Illinois depends on resolving these issues. If there was ever a time to get involved and make a difference, that time has come. 
Adam Andrzejewski is the Founder and President of “For the Good of Illinois,’ and former candidate for Governor of Illinois.

Capitol Report

By Jim Sacia, State Representative, 89th District

“What a freaking mess”. That was the headline in Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax (what some in Springfield consider the ‘daily bible’) on Friday, May 7th…our scheduled adjournment date.

I have never received more angry, scathing emails than those I have received over the past week, castigating the General Assembly for failing to pass a budget. How could I not vote for a tax increase, or fail to support a plan to borrow almost $4 billion more to cover state contributions to the pension systems?

When did any of us see this 2100 page monstrosity of a budget plan? It was posted, literally a few short hours before it was called in the Senate where it passed on a party-line vote due to their supermajority. The Speaker didn’t call it in the House. He did call a similar borrowing bill that required 71 votes for passage. With only one vote needed from our side of the aisle, they would have had the super majority in the House. It fell on its face with only 57 votes…less than half of the House. As I would have said in my former profession, “that’s a clue”. I am not a partisan, and you know that. Good people on both sides of the aisle could not even hold their noses and vote for this stinker. To quote Capitol Fax again, “This was without a doubt the most top-down, opaque budget product ever produced under the statehouse dome.”

Last year I got on board and voted to borrow the state’s $3 billion contribution to the pension systems with a promise that we would not have to do that again this year, and that Governor Quinn would cut $1 billion in spending. As today’s youth would say “hello”, where are the cuts? They didn’t happen. Oh, and by the way, in my short eight years in office, the pension obligation has grown from $35 billion to now more than $100 billion. Sure, why not? Let’s borrow some more. We now have a bond rating of Aa3, the second worst in the nation.

The state must have increased revenue and fewer entitlements if we are to survive. Revenue increases automatically if we have rid ourselves of ludicrous entitlements we can’t afford. How about combining the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Toll Highway Authority? Eliminate paid positions on state boards and commissions. Did I mention that the Governor just okayed more than $332 million in state union pay raises over the next two years? What??!! Didn’t I just agree to take twelve more furlough days?

You know my anger over the free rides for seniors program. It’s the absolute poster child for Illinois’ unnecessary entitlements, and it shows the rest of the country how unrealistic Illinois state government is.

I know we can fix it…but not without good minds getting realistic.

As always, you can reach me, Sally or Barb at or e-mail us at . You can also visit my website at www.jimsacia.com. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.