The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dear Editor,
Hello, This letter won't be as timely as it could be because we get our Quill a little later than those in the La Harpe/Stronghurst area but it was nice to see David Hobby's smiling face on the front page.
I had the opportunity to live in La Harpe for about 2 1/2 years and went to school and played football (he played, I mostly watched) with David.
He was always smiling and had a good word for you and was a genuinely nice guy unless you were the opposing nose guard.
I don't get back there as much as I'd like but I have wonderful memories of David and all the folks I know from that area. In fact there was this one time when David and I were going...I better not.
Alan Lay
Mascoutah, IL
Dear Editor,
Where does our food come from? Most people would say the grocery store. But does the grocery store actually produce that food?
The grocery store is not where food comes from:it is just where it is distributed.
In reality, far too many people are unaware of the role that American agriculture plays in their daily live and what it really takes to have food on their dinner table.
Not too many generations ago, most people worked on the farm and had friends or relatives involved with agriculture.
Today, that is no longer the case. We are so far removed from the farm, we forget who makes it possible for us to have the things that we have and that is why I am writing.
Agriculture is responsible for providing the necessities of life, such as food, fiber, clothing and shelter. It is time all Americans recognize that contribution!
American farmers are working harder than ever and it shows. Today, each American farmer feeds more than 129 people.
And the need for food in the United States is dramatic. Agriculture is this nation's #1 export and vitally important in sustaining a healthy economy.
And it is not just the farmer who makes our food possible.
The entire agriculture industry, from the trucker who hauls the commodities from the farm, all the way to the grocery store, these are all vital links in a chain that brings food to every citizen and millions of people abroad.
We have a vital link right here in Warren County with Farmland Foods.
Frankly, it is easy to take agriculture for granted in America. Our food is readily accessible and safe.
For this, we are unbelievably fortunate. But that doesn't mean we don't have an obligation to recognize how it's made possible.
It doesn't mean that we should take it for granted.
March 20th through the 26th was National Ag Week. It was a good time to reflect and be grateful for American agriculture.
It is also a reminder to thank our farm families for their dedication for the working the land and providing food for our families.
Sincerely,
Carol Gibb, Manager
Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau
Dear Editor,
I wish to express my condolences to the families of Celesta Turnquist and Evelyn Parrish, two ladies that I very much admired.
I worked with Celesta at Hamilton-Miller Grocery from 1954 to 1957. I haven't worked with anyone who was so conscientious as Celesta. When she put up grocery orders for me to deliver to homes in town, Biz told me to check that the order was complete.
After a couple of weeks of delivering I quit checking anything that Celesta put up because there was never anything missing. Celesta could do anything in that store.
We had a manually operated elevator in the back of the store that was controlled by ropes and gravity. When the elevator was upstairs and loaded with goods the ropes were used to release the brake and then gravity took over.
When that loaded elevator started down it was quite a thrill ride. A lot of the personnel wouldn't operate the elevator and would call for help. If I could pretend that I didn't ear them calling, Celesta would get the elevator down.
And when Celesta loaded it herself, she would put so much weight on it that it was scary when it descended especially, if I was on it. Celesta would jump into any situation that needed fixing and fix it.
Evelyn Parrish was the La Harpe High school secretary the four years that I went to school there. John Rodeffer was the Principal.
Whenever any of us boys (Class of "57) were summoned to see Mr. Rodeffer (who was a great guy, himself), we always figured that we could get a lighter sentence by using some soft-soap and change the subject to sports.
But, if we were sent to see Mrs. Parrish, we knew that we were going to have to use all of our skills of persuasion and evasion if we were going to get out of there alive.
I, and the other boys, spent a lot of creative energy and powerful explanation hoping to convince Mrs. Parrish to not call my mother to check if the signature on the note excusing Wally from class Monday morning was genuine when signed "Wally's Mother".
I know that she knew those signatures were forged. But she got a few weeks of pretty good behavior from us with that hanging over our heads.
And those were great lessons for me. That a little compassion can get a good deal more than a lot of punishment.
Celesta and Mrs. Parrish were models of hard-working, upright, caring, and loyal Mid-Western women and it was my privilege and honor to have known them.
Sincerely,
Wally Johnson
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Dear Editor,
Last year, Illinois lawmakers strongly endorsed the wisdom of investing in early childhood by allocating $30 million as the first installment of the Governor's proposed three-year plan to expand early education by $90 million.
Now is clearly not the time to back away from the commitment of helping more young children arrive at school safe, healthy and eager to learn.
The second-year installment - a $30 million increase in the state's Early Childhood Education Block Grant - is essential to serving thousands of at-risk preschoolers who desperately need an extra boost and to ensuring that existing programs receive a much-needed cost of living adjustment to maintain their high-quality programming.
The Governor and Illinois legislators will spend the next few weeks and months negotiating spending priorities for the new state budget.
Education is at the top of everyone's list of priorities and there are a number of good ideas competing for attention.
As lawmakers know, a preponderance of research shows that young children who receive high-quality early education do better in school academically.
In addition, they are less likely to drop out of high school, less likely to have run-ins with the law and less likely to need costly special education services.
What's more, a new report issued by the National Institute for Early Education Research boasts that Illinois is a "state to watch" with an impressive 9 out of 10 ranking when it comes to the quality of early education.
Investing in early education also is the best way to ensure that children read by third grade.
Research continually shows that to prepare children for reading in the early grades - particularly children most at risk of school failure - we must ensure that they are exposed to high-quality language and literacy environments in their homes, child care settings and preschools.
This sound investment provides a solid foundation for closing the achievement gap, ensuring school readiness and preparing our youngest learners for success.
Investing in early education also is a smart fiscal move. Research conducted by Arthur Reynolds at the University of Wisconsin shows that every dollar invested in high quality early education saves about $7 in costs.
And no less an authority than one of the world's leading economists - Dr. James Heckman, a University of Chicago professor and the 2000 Nobel laureate in economics - endorses the notion of investing in the early years to make a meaningful difference.
In tough economic times, Dr. Heckman has written, "The real question is how to use the available funds wisely.
The best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young."
As providers and supporters of early education services funded under the state's Early Childhood Education Block Grant, we know that families in our community are counting on the Governor and our state lawmakers to stand by their commitment to early education during this legislative session. Fulfilling their commitment to investing in early childhood, beginning at birth and especially for children at risk of school failure is vital for the school-readiness of our community's youngest learners.
Sincerely,
Rachael Hamilton
Stronghurst