THE CHARTER SCHOOL INITIATIVE

Hello readers and particularly anyone interested in Charter Schools!

I'm inviting you to an event next Thursday, November 5th at the Civic Center in Peoria. WRITE THAT DOWN!!! Now, you can already tell this is long, but read the whole thing. I MEAN IT!

Now that it's on your calendar, let me explain what it is. For those of you who don't know, I work at Peoria Housing Authority. I recently took a bus trip with my boss to Chicago to learn more about the Peoria Charter School Initiative. It was a life changing experience, I cried the whole day, and was then asked to join their communication board. I could go on and on about what an eye opening experience it was. The Charter School Initiative is a grassroots effort started by local community members. Some are former principals, business leaders, parents and grandparents. They all have the goal of bringing a charter school to Peoria. Here are a few things you should know:

Charter Schools are public schools, so they are free.
You do not have to be "gifted." It is open to absolutely anyone, just as any other public school.
So what's the difference? Charter Schools offer a different approach to learning. 75% of the teachers are qualified... the rest of the time your students are being taught by experts in their field. For example, maybe a surgeon from a local hospital comes in to teach a class that is medical related. It's very hands-on learning. And school is never over! Parents come later and help students with labs, people hang out in the computer labs and do their homework with each other before going home. It's an entire different environment where they actually want to be at school. That has a lot to do with a big emphasis on culture... which is complicated. But trust me.
Parents are required to participate. Teachers call every parent or visit in person once a month and not just when something bad happens. They point out progress too.
There is a HUGE emphasis on college. College is not optional after charter schools. They start teaching you from 5th grade that you should think about what you want to be and where you want to go to school. In fact, in high school there are entire year-round mandatory classes dedicated to college, how to pick one, how to qualify, ACT prep, and how to apply for financial aid.

I was shocked with the students I met in Chicago. They were mature, well spoken and had such passion about learning and going to college. The schools had 100% graduation rate, 100% college placement! With numbers like that, we can't afford NOT to bring a charter school to Peoria.

Charter schools have a proven track record of success and we are robbing our students if we don't give them the option. District 150 has to approve the charter. The vote is November 23rd.

HERE'S THE BIG NEWS!!!!

Thursday, November 5th at 5:30 PM, 20 students from a charter school just like the one we want in Peoria will be at the civic center so parents, teachers and the community can ask them anything they want to. Don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself and then come let your opinion be heard November 23rd. The students we met were inspiring. They were our tour guides, and mine actually said his old school was a joke. He didn't have to try to pass, he just had to show up. He said his charter school creates a different culture where learning is expected and high expectations are consistent. He wanted to try so he could keep up. He's been accepted to more than a dozen colleges and he admits he may not have even graduated if he had stayed at his old public school. The school walls were lined with "The Wall of Fame".... all the seniors' pictures and underneath... where they are going to college. I could go on and on but this is a novel already.

It doesn't matter if you have children or not, if you have children in District 150 or not, this is a positive change for the future for this entire area because we will be sculpting skilled and educated employees for the future. They will be future business owners and contributors to central Illinois. It is our job to make sure they have opportunities for excellence that they may not be finding in their current school system. I am not suggesting we don't have great schools already in place, but everyone learns differently and this is just an additional option for parents and students who don't feel what they have now is working. Please come hear what this is about. The students will tell the stories so it won't be some boring podium speech. We expect the panel to last about an hour. Then you make up your own mind. If you can come, let me know with a simple rsvp email. We'll try to get a head count. Thanks for reading!!!!

- Meghan

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

I recently went back home to Peoria for a whole week! That's tough time to get off in the news business.

I can honestly say everything is better in Peoria. It just is. I don't know how to explain it but it's a feeling I don't get anywhere else I have ever lived or visited. Moving to South Carolina was a journey, a giant leap of faith and something my husband and I felt we should do to grow in our careers. I don't regret the decision, but being back in Peoria sure does solidify by decision to return and make it my permanent resting place. The funny thing is... I'm not the only one! I know so many people who left looking for bigger and better things, only to find themselves and realize they wanted to be back in Peoria. It's a city full of history and it has such a promising future. I'm not sure if the people who live there even realize what Peoria meant for the whole country as far as trade and growth and exports. Did you know Chicago was once part of Peoria County?

Peoria has always bucked national trends when it comes to real estate, business development and even popular network television programs. And I think it's great that Peoria sets its own standard for everything. There is no city like it and I hope I can find a career there where I can contribute to the city's growth and prosperity because...

I definitely want to play in Peoria.

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN RUIN LIVES

Don't get me wrong... facebook, myspace, twitter.. they have a purpose and they work for those purposes. But they also give people an outlet to do a few other things that can be hurtful. I know people who use it to make others jealous or spy on an ex. Even if they're not "friends" with you, they can look on your friends pages and still see what's going on in your life. A girlfriend sees a picture a guy was tagged in with some pretty girls and all of a sudden, that's a fight. Maybe it's warranted, maybe it's not. But it has changed things dramatically. Then there are the times there is nothing vicious or mean about something you see... except that someone close to you seems like a different person and they seem to be posting things behind your back. They haven't done anything wrong but somehow it feels like a secret because you learn things about them you didn't know had you not looked at their "page." And what's worse, is they have a whole community involved in that part of their life... all which is foreign to you. It's awkward and uncomfortable and infuriating. I wish people would use these sites for what their meant for... keep in touch with old friends, use it as an outlet to post pictures and tag and all that good stuff. But remember that no communication is better than the one where you sit next to a friend or loved one and talk to them... or pick up a phone and give them the details of your day instead of posting them in tweets. Most importantly, do not allow anyone to feel like they are left out of your life because of what you post on the internet.

BLAGO'S IN THE JUNGLE BABY!

Just when I thought the ousted Illinois Governor couldn't possibly get any more camera time... NBC wants him for a reality show called "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!" That's right... impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich wants to sweat it out in the Costa Rican jungle. One problem though.. he is currently not allowed to leave the United States. His defense attorney is asking a judge to lift that rule and allow him to be part of the show. I guess I can't blame Blago for wanting to do the show. His political career isn't looking good... and he does enjoy being in the spotlight. I'm not sure where else he would go from here. NBC says the show dumps 10 celebrities in the jungle to test their skills at adapting to wilderness. Thoughts??

The Issue of "Sexting"

If you are new to the word "sexting" it is the act of sending explicit texts or pictures through a cell phone. It's very popular among teens and unfortunately even younger minors. As it stands, teens across the country have wound up on sex offender registries because of scenarios like this: 17-year-old dates a 16-year-old... the girl sends her boyfriend an explicit picture of herself. They get in a fight and out of immaturity, he sends it to her entire family. Police get involved... and he is charged with distributing child pornography. He winds up registering as a sex offender and his neighbors get email alerts that they are living next to a child predator. There are a million issues here. First let's start with the end result...
Should a 17-year-old be on a sex offender registry for a picture his girlfriend sent him? Probably not. I remember what it was like to be 16 and I am pretty sure that most girls sending out picture of themselves know exactly what they are doing and like the attention. Is it immature? Absolutely. Should he have sent it on to her family? Absolutely not. But let's take a step back for a minute. There is a bigger issue when minors are sending pornographic pictures and texts to each other. As if there isn't enough pressure on teenagers, girls now have to compete with each other via cell phone??? This is an issue parents need to address and monitor. I know she's not paying her own cell phone bill. That means PARENTS: You have some control. PLEASE USE IT! And please talk to your kids about sexting and the repercussions later in life. Not only could their boyfriend get mad or jealous and send it to anyone in the world... but those pictures could pop up one day when your teen tries to get a job, run for office, or any other time they come across someone in life who wants to humiliate them.
This is a tough issue for me because although I think there should be consequences for forwarding a naked picture of someone... I also don't think boys like the example above should have that shadow cast over them when the girl never should have sent the picture in the first place. There has to be another way.
Lawmakers in Vermont are currently trying to legalize teen "sexting" so that teens in this situation won't have the stigma of being a sex offender. However, when we make it legal... it makes it okay for minors to send either other sexual images. We also can't say that's okay. I don't know what the solution is, but I will say... it starts at home. Parents take heed.
If anyone else has any brilliant suggestions, feel free to post!

SUPER SECRET FAKE COP CARS

On my way to work almost daily I hit the breaks because I think I see a car that might be an officer. They are often in the corner of a used car lot, or an empty parking lot. However, they are facing the opposite direction, parked in the grass, and do not seem to be a car that is for sale or in the parking lot for any purpose. Upon closer inspection, these cars are definitely deserted and often beat up and might not even run. It makes me seriously wonder if troopers and police scour used car lots or other places of opportunity, notice a car that may look like a cruiser in the dark... and ask them to park it that way so it looks like someone is staked out. I guess if that is the goal, it works... because I slow down every time. But now that I've discovered this, I notice them more and more! Look around on your next drive, tell me if I'm crazy!

Where Are The Jobs?

Working in news, we obviously report every job fair imaginable right now. So many people are without work, my husband included. So we have these news releases, 1400 jobs... 1500 jobs... 600 jobs, etc. But there are still so many people without work! An HR recruiter actually told a local paper there are businesses here that needs jobs filled that can't do it because there isn't anyone qualified. She claims too many people do not have any computer skills. I'm sure there is some truth to that... and to those people, I say: get the skills! If you don't have a computer, ask a friend or neighbor to show you how to use it. Go to your local library. Having said that, I think her statement is completely untrue. I can name 20 people off the top of my head that are looking for jobs and have superb computer skills. I wonder if some of these companies are posting a lot of jobs for the media attention, and only hiring for a smaller portion. Obviously I can't prove that & of course I could be wrong. However, my husband has more skills than the average applicant and hasn't even had an interview... inside our outside his field. He's been told by several people, "Your resume looks great, but we're actually on a hiring freeze." This is from companies with several jobs posted. They claim they are posting the jobs so that they have some decent resumes, a "short list" if you will... once they can hire. I say, BOO! Don't post jobs if you can't hire for them. My husband's best option right now is a paper route. That's more than fine with him, but he would have taken a paper route a month ago had he known none of these other jobs were actually available. Just venting my frustrations... let me know your thoughts!

SPEEDY CHURCH READERS

Do you ever go to church or even some other large gathering where everyone recites something at once? What is with the people that insist on going their own speed... which is obviously a very different speed than anyone else? It's very strange. They always happen to be sitting right behind you and they also like to talk louder than everyone else. That way they can try to recruit speed readers to go at their pace and thus create two groups of readers, like a row row row your boat kind of thing. It's kind of funny, also kind of annoying. I find myself watching someone else's mouth up front by the priest so I can try to stay with the group and rebel against the loud and aggressive speedy readers. It's very tough! Then all of a sudden, you're tryig to read, lip-read, and block out the intense sound of the speedies. Lord help us!!!!

WHEN RECESSION HITS HOME

Layoffs that have been spiraling out of control in recent months have hit home for my husband and I. 11 positions were cut from our news station, and he was one of them. The struggle now is handling wedding bills and home improvement costs (see broken pipe story below) while trying to find a job that remotely comes close to his former pay scale. It's a boat millions of Americans are in right now and our only hope is that this is a blessing in disguise... An opportunity that will allow him to pursue something he can once again be passionate about.
I've had a lot of people say to me, "I'm surprised it's hitting news." But they shouldn't be. Advertising dollars pay for news and when the car dealerships aren't selling cars, they can't afford to advertise, therefore news stations lose money. Everything in our economy is a domino effect... A constant reminder of how much we all rely on each other. When one of us falls, we all fall. I think it's an eye opener for everyone complaining about bailouts. I don't know how I personally feel about bailout money because sure... Banks and auto makers and other large corporations made a lot of mistakes that got themselves in the boat they're in now. However, look at the aftermath. Once again, when one of us falls, we all fall. The fallout of the auto industry and banks that have collapsed is evident across the world. I do not have any answers as to what it will take to fix this, but I don't think it will happen any time soon.

THE WRATH OF FROZEN PIPES

My husband and I recently returned from an out of town trip where we were gone for six days. We found a note on our door saying "call me asap, i cut your water off." So we called the man... Who told us over the weekend several homes in our neighborhood had pipe problems and when they were at our neighbor's house, they were working on the water flowing out the back of his home, when they heard water at our house. He described it as Niagra Falls coming out of our back siding. We obviously weren't home so he turned our water off in case there was damage on the inside. Well, there was. Our living room ceiling was bowed down with water weight and our brand new carpeting underneath was wet. We thought the problem stopped there, but when the experts came out, they water tested 5 rooms... All were soaked. When they ripped up the floors we saw all the water and it was horrible.

Because it sat for three days, it had time to soak through even the dry floors. So the areas that looked fine to us were full of water underneath. We had dryers and humidifiers set up for days. And now we're preparing ourselves for the rehabilitation. I'm not looking forward to it, but it could have been worse. We made it out without damaged clothes or any significant furniture damage. We mostly just need new ceilings, walls, and floors! Come to find out the builders did not insulate the outside pipes properly and it's the same story for most of the homes in our neighborhood. We took all the right precautions before leaving town, but it didn't matter. I believe a lawsuit is in the works against the builder... Should be interesting!

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE GPS

I am all about GPS systems. In fact, I recently purchased one. But I fear they are leading drivers into a sense of mindless wandering. I call it obsessive compulsive gps disorder... Or OCGD. You probably know someone with OCGD. Symptoms include pure panic if the GPS is not nearby and fully charged... Setting the GPS when you are three blocks away from your home and know where you're going... And any other obsessive behavior when it comes to the device. Sure, they are helpful when you are traveling, in an unfamiliar area, or even a familiar area, but want to scope out what's near you for food, gas, atm's, etc. But there are people who set it NO MATTER WHAT. They could go to the corner gas station, and they search it in the gps and set it before taking off. It worries me that these people are taking their OCGD to such a level that they will become incapable of driving without it. If the electronic voice you've named Monica, or Janice, or Lucy... Does not tell you to "stay right" or "recalculate" if you've missed a turn... Will you drive indefinitely wondering where you are, where you're going, and what your name is??
Maybe that's a little extreme, but still... Don't be annoying! Do not set your GPS when you don't need it. Maintain your ability to drive.. and make u-turns... And veer left all by yourself! Thank you kindly.

HANNAH'S HOPE

She found light at the end of the darkest tunnel.
It's a story about a teenager who's level of faith is inspirational. She battled cancer through high school and even in her hardest times... Thanked God for choosing her. She has shown incredible strength, bravery, and hope while facing a death many of us would wallow in. A story as incredible as Hannah's tells itself, but it is equally important for the storyteller to allow her inspiration to shine. This story by News Channel 7's Connie Legrand touched my heart in a big way and I hope it will reach you as well. This story is only three minutes long and will stay with you a million times that.
Just click to catch a glimpse of Hannah's Hope.

EXCELLENT BIRTH CONTROL

This is from a press release from Christina Elston. She writes the Health-E blog on Parenthood.com. I read this and thought, "whoa"...

Your precious new bundle will cost you a bundle, and bring you both joy…and anxiety! It's estimated the average family will spend more than $10-thousand dollars on child-related expenses this year - much of that on medical and child care!

I do not have children but I would dare to say that is a conservative figure. Add up clothes, food, school activities, birthday parties for classmates, trips to chuck e cheese, the list goes on.... and of course medical costs...
I bet your children take in much more of your salary than that! Anybody feel like guessing how much their child costs them a year?

I WANT MY KIDNEY BACK...

There's a story out today on CBS News where a man is suing his wife during divorce proceedings... Because he wants his kidney back! He donated a kidney to her several years ago when hers were failing. Then a couple years later she had an affair and filed for divorce. He says he's hurt, angry and humiliated. He at least wants from her whatever the value of his kidney is because it saved her life. I think his lawyer is planning on more than a million dollars. This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this. Obviously, no judge will require her to remove the kidney, but I do wonder if he will be compensated for making such a sacrifice just to be the victim of infidelity. The claim is pretty out there, but wouldn't you feel the same? Wow, so many variables going on here...

I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Hear from the broken-hearted "want my kidney back" man here.

GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Let's start by listing a few I know I can keep:
1. Eat more ice cream.
2. Find a church that I like.
3. Be a good wife to my new husband
4. Encourage my love of cooking
Now the tougher ones:
4. Get active in some way.. working out, dancing again, etc.
5. Find a way to be near my family & friends
6. Finish my house!

Old-Fashioned Love

I watched a piece a few days ago on an 80-something year-old man who says the cure to his wife's Alzheimer's is cuddling. He's an inspirational individual who met his one true love very young and says his advice to other couples is to crawl in bed and cuddle as much as possible. It all sounds heart-warming, but is there any truth to it? Doctors say yes! They say touch can help patients like his wife, and she has certainly shown a dramatic improvement since he began holding her every day.

An article for the Boston Globe states the following:
"Rita's agitated behavior may be improving because Sol's touch is decreasing her levels of cortisol - a stress-related hormone, said Lynn Woods, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing."

You can watch his story here:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/touch-may-counter-alzheimers/1258649488

Stories like his are captivating, not only because it's so wonderful to suggest human touch may actually help her condition, but it's an astonishing love story. It got me thinking about the older couples I know in my life. My parents, for example, starting "going together" in 8th grade! My mother went out with him to make another boy jealous and says "he just kind of grew on her." He walked several miles out of his way to pick her up and walk her to school every day... through snow, sleet, whatever. My older brother first proposed to my sister-in-law the first day of kindergarten! I was talking about this with a fellow producer who said her parents are high school sweethearts and every year return to the place they had their first date in their hometown. I sincerely hope love is still like that now. It seems all the amazing love stories are from times far away from our own. They tell stories of parents, grandparents, maybe aunts and uncles. I wonder if the rules of love are changing...

Perhaps the way the world is today creates a whole new medium for people to meet and fall in love. The internet, of course, plays a huge role. The need to go to college probably makes a difference as well. People were married earlier, started families earlier... all out of high school. Would those same couples have stayed together through the college years? I certainly hope so, but I think our way of life today creates a hard atmosphere for old-fashioned love. I hope everyone can still find it somehow. I know I have : )

RETAIL BREAKDOWN

It's no surprise the economy is a mess and retail outlets are suffering. I, personally, spent more this holiday season than any other I do believe. I didn't exactly keep track but I spent more on my nieces and nephew this year because they're getting older and the stuff they're into costs more. My husband and I also make more than we did last year at this time, so it seemed to make sense. But the same is not true for most people. I did notice a lot of people walking the mall, but not many people were checking out. Lines were not long, things were not crazy. I have to say Christmas shopping was not stressful and I actually enjoyed it. The future of this country, though, scares me. The fear for most people is the worst part because everyone will pull in the reigns just in case they end up on the chopping block or get laid off. It's the smart thing to do but it won't help the economy any. We've backed ourselves into quite a corner, or "they" have or whomever. Regardless, I have a feeling we are all about to see some things that will make us very uncomfortable. We'll no longer be on top, seem so untouchable, or live beyond our means. A large reality check is in store for us all. Working in news, I obviously have fears of my own. My news company has seen layoffs and there is a sort of cloud looming over us wondering if there will be more and if it will affect the news department. This is a bad time for news right now. Not only are we struggling with the internet, and people changing the way they get news, but newspapers are struggling. Most stations own newspapers, so cuts must be made across the board to make up for those losses. Right now, my husband and I are thankful to have a job, any place, anywhere. Here's to hoping for all of you as well!

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

I tried to see some holiday lights in South Carolina during our first Christmas away from Illinois. I must say everything you see here is small potatoes compared to the Festival of Lights in East Peoria. You really can't get much better than what they do. The lights we went to see were made to be a pretty big deal, but it was a lot of blow up decorations and I really felt like I was driving through Creve Coeur. Most of the decorations could have come from a local store... And although there were a ton of lights, it was nothing special, a lot of trees lit up, etc. It made me really miss home. Be thankful if you are in the Peoria area this holiday season! Although I can't complain about the 68-degree weather we had Christmas Day : )

HANDICAPPED PARKING

It's always been a pet peeve of mine when people park in handicapped spots and they're not handicapped. It seems to happen more around the holidays. Parking is a nightmare, so people think they are somehow better than everyone else and deserve to take these spots. Especially when crazy holiday shopping is happening, should these spots stay open for those who really need them. Then there are the people who have the little handicapped tag because they often transport a family member who can't walk far. Those people are not with them, but they use the spot anyway. They bother me too. Don't take advantage of your loved ones' disabilities. Is it so horrible to walk a little? I don't think so. I think I should become one of those citizens who is able to write tickets to people like that. I would go crazy & spend a lot of my time busting these people... LOOK OUT!

ELDERLY ATTACKED

Today we covered a story about a home invasion where a 19-year-old was accused of breaking into the home of an elderly couple. The 80-year-old man jumped up to defend his wife and was beaten for his wallet. It breaks my heart to see an elderly couple, still best friends of course, be treated this way. It seems more elderly people are being targeted for robberies lately because they are most vulnerable. It's a despicable truth that makes you sick to your stomach. I don't know how anyone, especially the teenagers who are usually doing things like this, can find it in themselves to hurt someone who would never be violent back. They often steal the wallet and then beat them.... When they could steal it and just run away. It's bizarre and sad and I feel like they should maybe be punished more harshly for attacking someone who is unlikely to defend themselves.