Those Before Us 9-16-09 Editor's Column

Perhaps this will sound a bit morbid, but each time I look at an obituary - especially those of senior citizens - I can’t help but think about what the world lost with that person’s passing.

I sit and wonder about the things that each person accomplished while on Earth and what kind of impact it had or who was inspired by it and what that meant for those who followed in their footsteps.

Then I get to thinking, am I taking advantage of the people in my life who have done great things or have great stories to share about their life experiences?

The best example of this that I can cite are my parents. There is a lifetime of experience that they have and things that even I have never heard about, but I’m sure many lessons that I could apply to my own life.

In that regard, I do try to glean what I can from them when they have advice or when they share a story that I haven’t heard before.

After all, why shouldn’t I? While the popular response is to suggest that people my age think we know everything there is to know already, I take no shame in admitting that there are a lot of things that I have yet to do that my parents, grandparents and many of my family members have done first.

While generational gaps will provide plenty of moments that my parents will need my knowledge, I know for a fact that I have asked more questions of them than they have of me.

The fact of the matter is, there is a wealth of knowledge resting directly in the hands of the generations that have come before us, whatever the age.

While there is a great deal of history to learn about from books and what we hear about in school, there is also a great deal of it that we can learn from the people closest to us who actually lived it and were part of history.

That being said, I would encourage everyone to take the time and ask someone who is your senior about his or her life and what happened in it. Perhaps you’ll hear about a great accomplishment that you never knew about. Maybe you’ll hear about a new perspective regarding a historic event.

Don’t let the knowledge and experiences of those before us go without being shared. After all, we are the ones who will carry on the stories and the memories.

And remember, with each new story, be sure to enjoy the view.

Correction to 9-9-09 Editorial

In the Sept. 9 edition of the Mahomet Citizen, the editorial regarding annexation incorrectly indicated that residents not living within the village limits did not contribute to the schools that their children attend. This information was incorrect in that village residents and non-village residents alike pay school district taxes on their properties, especially if a student is attending a school within the district. The statement indicating the contrary was made in error and the Citizen regrets this error.

Annexation Shouldn't Mean Alienation - 9-9-09 Mahomet Citizen Editorial

Among the issues that have surfaced over the recent weeks in the town of Mahomet has been the desire of many area residents to not be annexed into the village limits.

Their feelings are so adamant that they have rallied together to confront the village administration about possible plans to bring them into the village using forced annexation (annexing a property that is surrounded on at least three sides by village property or property within the village limits).

They have petitioned and they have spoken, as well as emailed their concerns, taking full advantage of their rights to free speech.

However, that still does not address the issue at hand, which is, should their request to remain unannexed be honored? Or should they come to terms with thought of being part of the village of Mahomet?

On the one hand, you have residents who moved to Mahomet and purchased the properties that they did because it wasn’t in the village and they could take advantage of the property as such (no leaf burning, no village taxes, independent water and sewer, etc).

Many individuals at the village meetings contended that had they known they would have been annexed, they would not have purchased their properties for the very aforementioned reasons.
In short, if they wanted to be part of the village, they would have purchased property within the village.

On the other hand, however, you have the village, which is contending that bringing these previously unannexed properties into the village limits will bring with it a unity that a community such as ours needs to thrive.

Additionally, what about the people living in the village limits who live - at times - directly across from those who do not? They pay village taxes while people who are sometimes a matter of feet away pay nothing yet receive the advantages of village services like snow removal.

Then you have the schools, which are arguably one of the most important aspects of this community. They send their students to the schools (as they should) but don’t aid in maintaining them with their property taxes.

It isn’t just about the money, either. Perhaps there is an issue that is to be added to the next election ballot that could have major implications to all residents - village and non. Non-village residents are encouraged to lobby for their own particular point of view and get support from voting members of the village, but if they are given the opportunity themselves to become voting members, they would rather not.

It’s easy to be content in a place that you call your own, especially when you don’t have to deal with the interference of outside sources.

But how much of an interference is it really to have the village that you are benefiting from telling you that they want to make you part of that community and they want you to be part of a village that is whole, not scattered in pieces.

If it’s the tax issue, let’s be honest, no one wants to pay taxes, especially if they’re being added onto what we already pay. However, there comes a point when responsibility falls upon us to do what is necessary, even in cases when we would otherwise disagree completely.

Perhaps it’s the rules that would have to be followed once becoming part of the village that leave a bad taste in so many mouths. The burning issue itself is something that has caused a stir in this regard, leading many people - both village residents and non - to express their continued outrage with the process. However, like many changes, this too will require some adjustment that we are all very capable of making.

Whatever the case may be, there may be many people against the idea of being annexed into the village of Mahomet, but from what it ultimately boils down to is taking the time to be a complete citizen of this town and that means taking the good with the bad and acknowledging responsibilities that have been laid before us.

With as much contempt as the issue has been met with thus far, the result will be a village that epitomizes its title and the essence of what we often call it: A community.

Stop Complaining 9-2-09 Editor's Column

I’m fairly confident that everyone, everywhere, could complain about something at this very moment.

Some probably are too, which is funny to me considering so many people say that they “can’t complain,” when they are asked how they are doing.

However, the truth of the matter is, we can complain and many of us do so on a regular basis.

Some of us complain about our jobs because we feel undervalued, underpaid, overworked or just plain tired of the place.

Others complain about our financial situations and talk about all the things we wish we had, implying a sense of entitlement.

And, still more complain about the various people around us as though we epitomize what it means to be a model citizen.

However, as someone who says “I can’t complain,” on a regular basis, I’d like to think that we really don’t have any reason to.

There will always be those moments at our jobs that make us want to scream, but that comes with the territory. It’s not like we grew up to expect everything to be peachy all the time, so to expect things to work in our favor at all times is simply unreasonable on our part.

Then there’s the money issue. It always seems to be a case of “I never have enough of it,” or “I wish I could get more of it,” when in reality, the only things we should be concerned about paying for are our bills.

There are so many people that barely make enough or have enough income to support their families with food or to make their house payments or to fix their cars so they can get to work, yet I hear on a regular basis, people who are mad about not being able to buy a television or an Xbox game.

Really? Is it that important? Or can you survive just fine without it?

Finally, we come to complaining about people. It took me a while to learn this, but the only people whose opinions should matter to us are the ones we care about.

People we have just met don’t know who we are or what we stand for. They don’t know how hard we work or anything about our values. That’s why we brush them off and worry about the people who do matter in life, like our wives, husbands, parents and siblings.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. I challenge you to write down what you complain about this week and put that list away. In a month, review them and ask yourself whether or not it was worth complaining about.

And remember, as you go down a new road today, enjoy the view.

When Our Lives Imitate the Forces of Nature - 8-26-09 Editor's Column

As I headed home last week, I found myself in the middle of a metaphor.

Driving south on Staley Road, I looked out each of my windows to see what
appeared to be a perfect split in the weather to the east and west.

The skyline of the east was what every summer evening should resemble - a
beautifully orange sunset representing the close of another day. To the
west, however, the sky was dark with daylight torn asunder by the storm
that had occurred that day, complete with beautiful lightning and raucous
thunder.

And there I sat in my car, driving the dividing line between these two
extremes.  I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I thought of how it
represented so many lives.

Depending on who you talk to, life will often be described as walking the
edge while trying to maintain balance without falling.

On the one hand we have the days, weeks or even months that are filled
with what seem like nothing but clouds.  At times it feels like the road
that we are traveling is never ending in its revelation of setbacks and
roadblocks, and the beautiful sky in the distance seems like it is always
just out of reach.

On the other hand, we often experience times in life where the high never
seems to end. We get caught up in a whirlwind that seems to take us from
one great experience to the next on a ride that never seems to end.

At that point, despite the impending clouds on the horizon, we often
become consumed by our own joy and can take our situations for granted.

Now, I don’t mean that we should never enjoy the sunshine when it heads
our way, nor do I mean to imply that we should live thinking that each day is
murkier than the last.  Instead, we should pay attention to the details
that we encounter as we drive down this road of life, experiencing both
the good and the bad while driving between them.

A great example of this application would be the new school year and the
students beginning their journeys.  At some point, they will all
experience the good and the bad, but either way they will eventually find
themselves headed in the right direction.

The point is, life is meant to be experienced, and every now and then
we’re going to veer towards one side of the road or the other.  But if we
maintain our focus and keep our eyes forward, the dark times will
eventually end and the sunny days will always be fulfilling.

For better or for worse, enjoy the view this week.

Defining Our Own Actions - 8-19-09 Editor's Column

For many of us, the things we do in regards to our jobs or our hobbies
come, as the saying often goes, “naturally.”

We do things that we enjoy, things that we think we might enjoy, things
that makes us feel good and things that give us a rush.

However, what about the things that make others feel good?

This is where I think it tends to get interesting, mainly because it is a
point when a lot of the aforementioned reasons start to intertwine with
one another.

What brought me to this conclusion was a discussion with a friend of mine
about the things she has experienced by way of others that have touched
her life and the lives of those around her.

Based on her experience and the deeds that have been done, they were not
done with the goal of praise in mind.  They were not done with the
expectation of repayment.  They were not done to impress.  They were
simply done to be done because it would help someone else.

She then posed the question to me about why I do what I do (why I enjoy my
job as a newspaper editor, why I involve myself in certain things, etc).
And from there we both came to the conclusion that it is out of caring
that I do what I do.

I care about the content that goes into this newspaper; I care about the
things that I involve myself in; I care about the people that surround me
in my daily life enough to take the time to do a good job if I can provide
it.

What that means is that even though we might chalk up our actions to
enjoyment or curiosity, a lot of what we do on a regular basis is due to
the fact that we care.

For example, a business in a small community is contacted by a local
organization about a problem that said business could fix.  Though the
business could charge the same rate it charges other customers for the
work - and rightfully do so - it considers the goal of the organization
and the financial strain that the work might provide.

At that point, the business tells the organization, we will take care of
you - don’t worry about it, and takes care of the work.

The business knows that it didn’t have to help.  The business also knows
that it missed an opportunity to make a profit from a willing customer.

However, that’s not what is most important to the business in this
instance.  Instead, the business is more interested in doing something
good for an organization that it believes in.  While there may be some
praise after the fact, that is not the primary goal.

In the end, it all boils down to the business caring about the
organization’s mission enough to see past the value of a dollar or the
value of praise and to simply see the value of friendship and caring.

Now, while I cannot disclose the actual names, I can tell you that the
story of the business and the organization is true and that the feelings
are real.  I only wish we could see more of it in our every day lives.

There is so much have and have-not in the world - even in Mahomet - that I
am confident that every person in the village of Mahomet could do a single
gesture of good will each week and could cover all 52 weeks in the year
and still have things left over to be done.

There are opportunities all around us to show that we care and to show
that we value people other than ourselves.

For some, it may be as simple as getting involved with a local food bank
or working with the homeless on the weekends through an outreach program.

For others, maybe it is giving of your money to help someone who is
struggling because of unemployment, health issues or other circumstances.

Whatever the case, we may be a world of individuals, but we are also
individuals who can work together to create better lives for future
generations through the simplicity and profundity of caring about someone
other than ourselves.

Take a moment to consider what you have done for another person out of a
pure desire to be helpful and show that you care about that person.  If
you’re having trouble, you’re not the only one.

Those moments that come out of what most people call “the goodness of our
hearts,” are exceedingly rare in a society that is focused on the next
move to get ahead.  However, I suppose that by being so rare, they become,
in turn, exceedingly special when they do happen.

The question now becomes, how are you going to impact someone in a special
way this week?

Cornbelt Adds Policy

Due to an error in this week's Citizen, part of the Cornbelt story on Page A1 was cut off and not continued as labeled. The Citizen apologizes for this error and will be re-running the story in its entirety in the Aug. 19 edition.

As a supplement, below is the entire story that will run next week.

By JONATHAN SWIGART
Citizen Editor

The Cornbelt Fire Protection District board of trustees implemented a new procedure on Aug. 5 as they tried out a new public participation process that hopes to allow more input on issues that they feel are vital to the district.

Cornbelt Fire Protection District (CFPD) board president Derrick Odle said the idea came from his own concerns about addressing issues with the board and seeing how public participate was handled in the past.

"I felt like, if I had to bring a topic up, it would have to wait until next month's meeting and if something came up during the meeting, I couldn't get an answer until the next month,” he said.

"We developed the public participation policy that allows the public on every item or aspect that we're talking about, they can ask a question right then and there and get their answer."
Even during the first meeting with the new policy there was some public curiosity on a number of issues.

"[It] was a great example of how that can go back and forth and as an elected official 'hey I didn't think of that, that was a good point,' and allows me to just get another view point and vantage point,” said Odle

Back on Board
Recent public outcry concerning the dismissal of two firefighters based on their ages was laid to rest following an explanation of a new age policy meant to prevent safety breaches and ensure that firefighters are not dismissed prematurely.

One of the firefighters, John Harpst, was the subject of a Lettter to the Editor printed in a July edition of the Mahomet Citizen. According to Odle, that issue has been resolved.
"John Harpst is back with the fire department."

Though he could not release the name of the other firefighter for personnel reasons, he did say that that person was also back with the department.

Causing the issue to be addressed was the precaution to maintain a lawful demeanor at the CFPD.

"There was an Illinois State Statute that was set out with a mandatory age requirement [for retirement] at the age of 65. That has been changed many times since the statute was written,” said Odle.

"We had a letter from our attorney that stated 'yes, that is true, there is a state statute at the age of 65,'" he said.

"The angle that we failed to research it at was, does it affect all firefighters, and it depended one what classification; were you paid, career, paid on call, volunteer, not realizing that it does not affect the volunteer fire side at this point in its current language as it did early on in the statute when it first was written."

Odle admitted that it was a difficult decision considering Harpst's time spent with Cornbelt over the years, but given the situation, obeying what the law dictated was the top priority of the department and the board.

"It was a terrible feeling that we had to enact this state statute, but we elected to follow the law and we felt like we were following the law at the time that was in front of us and we researched it and had our attorney research it a little more and she came back an said 'yeah, it does not apply to volunteer firefighters.'"