Clark Park Conservation District

[UPDATE: The City Council voted against the proposed conservation district. From today's News-Gazette (full article with even more information here):

Champaign council rejects conservation district for Clark Park neighborhood
In a 6-to-3 vote Tuesday, the city council defeated a bid by some west Champaign residents to incorporate more than 200 area homes into a conservation district...

Council members Greg Stock and Alicia Beck, who voted for the measure, criticized the application process and urged the council to look at single-family zoning restrictions currently in place.

Stock, Beck and Matt Gladney — a resident of Clark Park who also voted yes on the measure — agreed that the conservation-district application should have been approved based purely on its merits and how it conforms to the language of the ordinance...

But for the rest of the council, it appeared a conservation district was not the right way to deal with issues brought up by Clark Park residents.

Council member Clarissa Fourman said she had decided to vote "no" before Tuesday, condemning what she called an "elitist conversation" that ultimately diverted a year's worth of planning and development department attention to a "healthy neighborhood" and away from "unhealthy neighborhoods."]

The No Giant Houses issue in Champaign has taken a leap further into local government. From Julie McClure's SPLOG on Smile Politely:

Champaign City Council will decide on Clark Park Conservation District proposal next week
...
Homeowners in the Clark Park area are concerned with the City of Champaign exploring the possibility of allowing larger homes to be built on the smaller lots in their neighborhood.

A group of these concerned homeowners formed a steering committee to apply for Clark Park to be designated a Conservation District. This is not quite as intense as a Historic Preservation District, but it would put some restrictions on new construction or at least slow down the process and subject it to more scrutiny.

This proposal has passed through the first two steps in the process: the Historic Preservation Commission and the Plan Commission, and will now face a vote by the City Council this Tuesday.

More information and links at the full article here. The issue information page from the City of Champaign website has a nice rundown of the governing basics and timeline. Here's a quick excerpt:

The City Council vote on this matter is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.  The City of Champaign welcomes input on this matter–including correspondence, phone calls, protest forms and petitions–up until the meeting date.  Citizens will have a final opportunity to share verbal comments with City Council at the meeting (limited to 5 minutes per individual)...

A Conservation District is a specific geographic area containing a concentration of historically or architecturally significant structures that contribute to the visual characteristics or distinctive atmosphere of a neighborhood. The significance of the structures within a Conservation District does not rise to the same level as the significance of designated landmarks or Historic Districts, so the criteria for approval are correspondingly less rigorous. A Conservation District imposes some limitations on a property owner’s ability to modify the exterior of their structure or build or demolish structures in part or in whole.

[Updated: originally posted 1/11/2019 at 9:49pm]

Urbana School Board Superintendent Search Concerns

Today's News-Gazette followup of the Urbana School Board meeting had a bit of an ominous lede:

Urbana school board narrows executive search firms down to 5
A school-executive search firm with a history of "mishandled" searches and a former employer of interim superintendent Preston Williams are among five candidates the Urbana school board is weighing as partners in the district's search for a new superintendent.

After deciding last month to bring in an outside search firm to aid the process, board members plan to invite representatives from prospective firms — including Ray and Associates; School Exec Connect; McPherson and Jacobson; the Illinois Association of School Boards; and Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates — to deliver presentations about their services.

The presentations won't cost the district anything, Williams told the board, and can be done in open meetings for the public to attend.

Full article here. More on that search firm's issues from the Daily Herald article:

Suburban firm has history of mishandled searches for school superintendents
A suburban firm paid to find superintendents for public school districts nationwide has mishandled several high-profile searches in recent years, including its failure to learn that a Des Plaines schools chief who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in November faced similar accusations at his previous job.

Schaumburg-based Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates -- one of the country's largest educational executive search firms -- brought school boards candidates despite questionable pasts not discovered until ink dried on employment contracts, according to a Daily Herald review of the firm's searches.

The controversial superintendent hires have involved local districts in Des Plaines, Naperville and Highland Park, as well as school systems in the states of Minnesota, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas.

Hiring a superintendent -- the administrator who oversees day-to-day operations of schools -- is a school board's most important job. Picking a district's chief executive has consequences for students, educators and taxpayers, who in some of these instances funded the searches, then foot the bill for costly separation agreements when the hires didn't work out.

Yet despite the ramifications, the searches can be shrouded in secrecy, with few or no public records demonstrating what school board members knew about a hire or an accounting of search firms' work.

More at the full article here.

Girls Who Code... at the Library

A new Girls Who Code program has started in Champaign. The program attempts to close the gender gap in technology by providing youth education opportunities (such as the one at Central High School here). From the News-Gazette yesterday:

Champaign library's Girls Who Code class aims to reformat gender gap
...
To try to help close the [gender gap in technology], the library today will begin offering a Girls Who Code class for sixth- through 12th-graders.

The organization was founded by University of Illinois alum Reshma Saujani.

"Girls Who Code was founded to close the gender gap in tech," said Michelle Sawicki, the library's adult services manager. "So for us, wanting to expand workforce development in Champaign and looking at what a library can do, this was a natural fit."

The library will host 15 free sessions every Tuesday from 3 to 4:30 p.m., right after Edison Middle School lets out next door...

The class has room for about 18 girls, and it was already filled up by last week. Those who didn't make the cut can still sign up with the library to be put on the waiting list.

Sawicki said the library is planning to offer more Girls Who Code sessions in the fall, perhaps at a later time to accommodate more schools.

More at the full article here. Contact information for more information here. Sign up page at the Champaign Public Library website here.

Urbana Ward 3 Appointment

 

In a followup of the application and decision process for Urbana City Council's Ward 3 alderman seat (more on that here). The appointment was required to replace Aaron Ammons Urbana alderman seat after he won the Champaign County Clerk race. WCCU had a video segment on the appointment available here. From yesterday's News-Gazette:

Daughter of Urbana's first black alderman sworn in as Ammons' replacement
...
On Monday night, Shirese Hursey was sworn in as the newest council member, filling the seat vacated by newly elected Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons and formerly occupied by her father, Paul S. Hursey...

Hursey will serve out Ammons' term, which ends on May 3, 2021.

Mayor Diane Marlin said her decision to pick Hursey from a field of five applicants was the hardest she's had to make as mayor. She said she chose Hursey because she'll be "an articulate voice for the residents of Ward 3," having so far advocated for the creation of neighborhood associations and watch groups and for a full-service grocery store.

Hursey said she learned to have a civic mindset from her advocate parents, both members of the Ellis Drive Six, the group that asked the Urbana school board to integrate black students into predominately white schools. She remembers her parents always trying to get people out to vote and looking for ways to be civil servants, including each of them running for mayor of Urbana.

Now, Hursey will work toward her No. 1 one goal: to bring a grocery store to Ward 3, an issue she first brought to the council last fall.

More information at the full article here.

Unit 4 Admin Raises

The Unit 4 School Board has apparently put off raises for administrators that raised some eyebrows earlier in the week. From the News-Gazette on Monday:

Raises for Unit 4 administrators on board agendaIf the school board signs off on Superintendent Susan Zola's recommendation, some Unit 4 district officials could soon be in line for 4 percent raises.

The agenda for tonight's first board meeting of 2019 includes an item calling for raises for "all eligible administrators," retroactive to July 1, 2018.

Asked by News-Gazette Media which administrators would be eligible for raises, Champaign schools spokeswoman Emily Schmit said the list would not be made public until after tonight's meeting.

Full blurb here. The next day after the meeting the followup appeared to shed some light on what the concerns might have been, especially in light of the recent struggles between the Teacher's Union and the district on their latest contract (more on that here). From yesterday's News-Gazette:

Champaign school board puts admin raises on hold; no word on why
...
School board President Chris Kloeppel said the item would appear on a future agenda but didn't specify when. Questions from The News-Gazette about the raises, who they would affect and why they were delayed went unanswered by the district.

The district's announcement of administrative raises came after months of controversy between Unit 4 and the Champaign Federation of Teachers, who decried a "top-heavy" approach to district management during contract talks last year. Despite the issue being tabled, CFT Second Vice President Michelle Anderson gave a statement during Monday's meeting, citing a recent state law that caps raises in the last four years of an educator's career at 3 percent and penalizes districts who provide end-of-career raises higher than that.

"CFT had to work hard to help our off-schedule members receive a 3 percent raise," she said. "The administrators are under the same guidelines as teachers — this demonstrates your questionable priorities."

Full article here, with more details on other board items. Board minutes and agenda available at the Unit 4 Board webpage when posted.

Public Safety Roundup

Champaign County Crime Stoppers have a new initiative to encourage more tips on crimes involving guns. WCIA had a video segment on the initiative here with video of their press briefing here and information sheet here. The News-Gazette had a quick blurb on it as well:

Champaign County Crime Stoppers unveils 'Gun Bounty Reward' initiative
After the slew of recent shootings, Champaign County Crime Stoppers is upping the ante for people who give information regarding gun-related crimes.

In what they're calling a "Gun Bounty Reward," anyone who provides Crime Stoppers with information leading to the arrest of a person who used a gun during the crime will receive $1,000.

"A shooting incident will occur, the police will go out and sweep the neighborhood, and no one allegedly knows anything," said John Hecker, president of the organization's board. "We're very hopeful that this program that we're announcing today will provide the incentive for individuals to come forward anonymously — I want to underscore that, because we've gone to great lengths to assure the anonymity to provide that information to law enforcement personnel."

Full blurb here.

Urbana Police Department is taking some crime reports online in certain situations. Video segment from WCIA here. Quick explanation from that page:

The police department is now taking your crime reports online.

The catch is that there's only a handful that apply. Those include drive-offs under $150 in motor fuel, retail thefts under $300, criminal damage to property under $500, theft under $500.

Police say for crimes when there is no meaningful and specific information available, reports will only be taken via web reports; if you have information like names, or complete license plate numbers, an officer will come take a report in person.

The local Police Training Institute described an optional 10 hour course on training police officers on "Policing in a Multiracial Society." From a News-Gazette interview last week:

In today's world, especially post-Ferguson, we know that racism is something that exists in America ... so we need officers that are culturally competent.

We want to increase the officers' awareness of their own social identities and their racial beliefs. ... We want to increase their knowledge about certain theories and research related to the intersection of police and race.

These are things like implicit bias, color-blind racial ideology, what are microaggressions, institutional racism and the socio-historical experiences of racial minority communities.

We want to develop officers to be able to think about this critically and apply this knowledge to their everyday policing.

Full interview here.

There were also a couple recent related posts on public safety including Local Flu Updates with hospital restrictions and a regional spike in influenza like illnesses. Another post was on the expansion of training opportunities for fire departments throughout the area with limited resources and budgets via the Cornerstone Training program. And finally there was a News-Gazette article on school zone safety in the area today that involved tracking cell phones that was a bit odd, but gave our local school zones a "D rating" somehow.

Local Flu Updates

There was a regional spike in influenza like illnesses (ILI) in the area and flu levels remain higher in the Champaign region. From the News-Gazette last week:

Four area hospitals restricting visitors amid uptick in flu cases
Four area hospitals are imposing visitor restrictions starting today due to an increase in flu cases.

Both Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center have begun limiting the number of visitors to two at a time in a patient room.

OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville and the two Carle hospitals are also restricting visitors to age 18 and older and asking that anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness or flu refrain from visiting patients.

Carle hospitals are further requesting that visits to patients in isoloation due to flu  be limited to those vital to the patients' well-being.

Carle has recently seen about a 7 percent increase in flu cases over the same time last year, according to Carle spokeswoman Jamie Mullin...

The Illinois Department of Public Health typically starts calling on hospitals to begin visitor restrictions when flu reaches the widespread level, meaning outbreaks have occurred in at least half of the regions in the state.

As of late December, the level of flu-like illness being reported by providers in the Champaign region was higher than those levels reported in the other six regions in the state, according to IDPH data.

More at the full article here. The spike has leveled down some, as you can see from the latest data (available here from the Illinois Department of Public Health and explanation of "MMWR weeks" here):

As usual, health officials strongly encourage people who can get a flu shot to get one to protect themselves and others from the misery, lost income, but also tragedy like the recent death of a three year old.

Urbana City Council Ward 3 Applicants

A decision is imminent for Aaron O. Ammon's replacement on the Urbana City Council, representing Ward 3. The applicants made statements at the most recent Urbana City Council meeting (video available here). The News-Gazette covered the meeting in Tuesday's paper:

Finalists make their case to fill Ammons' seat on Urbana council
The search for Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons' replacement on the Urbana City Council is over, and Mayor Diane Marlin will decide Monday who will take his place and represent the city's majority-black Ward 3.

Marlin announced Monday that at next week's council meeting, she will choose among five residents to fill the council's vacant seat: Elderess Melinda Carr, the Rev. Courtney Caruthers, Josh Acree, Shirese Hursey or Stacie Burnett.

Following his Nov. 6 election to the county clerk position, Ammons began holding community meetings to find residents interested in replacing him on the council. On Monday, he said he has had multiple conversations with the applicants — except Acree — and urged Marlin to pick a woman, saying he believes "there should be another female voice on the council."

Full article with excerpts of their statements here. Full video of the statements here on the Urbana City Government website. The News-Gazette also had some Q & A with the applicants in today's paper on gun violence, historic preservation, housing development, and their top issue:

What's your No. 1 issue?

Carr: Making the city work for the people. The city can't function without the people.

Acree: Urbana really needs to focus on the budget and bringing in more tax revenue from different sources, whether that be housing or business development. We need to work with the existing business community to make sure we do it smart, and give them what they need to succeed while also not throwing citizens under the bus.

Burnett: I would like to see more minority-owned businesses and an increase in minority home ownership on the north end. It would help stabilize some of the issues in Ward 3.

Caruthers: To raise the quality of life in the third ward by giving our young people a safe place to recreate, getting proper developers to come to this area and bring business, encourage people to seek higher quality education and better after-school care to help parents out.

Hursey: I would really like for there to be a full-service grocery store in the north end. When I was growing up, we had two — one in Champaign and one in Urbana, both IGA grocery stores that closed down. There hasn't been a grocery store in the north end since I was probably in junior high school.

Shutdown Local Effects

Various local and county services are facing delays, closures and complications due to the partial federal shutdown. Here's a few examples from the local and county level:

Local farmers are facing various challenges and delays from trade-war bailout applications to commodities pricing. From the News-Gazette Wednesday:

Farmers get more time to apply for bailout funds
...
Champaign County Farm Bureau Manager Brad Uken said closing the local FSA offices is "kind of a big deal."

"A number of programs that are initiated at the federal level are then implemented at the local level through that office," he said. "When they're closed, they don't get implemented or administered."

He said that has affected the trade payments and the processing of farm loans for the coming year.

The local USDA offices in west Champaign have been half closed and half open.

The FSA and Rural Development are closed, but the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has its state headquarters in Champaign, is open, state spokeswoman Paige Buck said...

Farmers have also been indirectly impacted by the absence of reports from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which drive commodity markets and help growers decide what to grow and when to sell their crop...

The NASS has already said a slew of reports scheduled to come out Friday will be delayed, even if the shutdown ends before then.

Full article with more information here. Research dependent on federal funds and agencies has also been affected. From Tuesday's News-Gazette:

For federal researcher, government shutdown impedes office, maternity planning
...
LeRoy is a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Central Midwest Water Science Center at 405 N. Goodwin Ave., U, where 40 to 50 full-time employees have been furloughed because of the shutdown...

Employees are allowed to check email for a short time once a day, she said.

They've received one partial paycheck since Dec. 21 that included work done before the shutdown. LeRoy isn't sure what will happen with the next one and said they haven't gotten any word about potential back pay...

Meanwhile, at the UI, more than 30 federal employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research service have been directly affected by the shutdown, according to Professor Adam Davis, head of the Department of Crop Sciences.

Davis said last week that at least nine USDA researchers who are affiliated UI professors were furloughed. But with all scientists and support staff members included, the number totals 31, Davis said Monday.

"This indirectly, and negatively, affects dozens of UIUC graduate students and post-docs who conduct research in these labs," he said.

Full article with more information here. This article was following up on another that highlighted the mixed bag of effects on the University, with some mitigated by the partial nature of the shutdown. The longer the shutdown drags on the more complicated and problematic it becomes, however:

UI mostly unaffected by government shutdown — for now
...
Students can still get loans and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid as usual, although they could see a delay if extra documentation is needed from the Internal Revenue Service, said Dan Mann, UI associate provost for enrollment management...

The bigger issue is research funding, especially if the shutdown drags on.  Among the science agencies affected are NASA, the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Geological Survey, and Environmental Protection Agency...

Money for current research grants has already been disbursed, but the authority to spend it could be affected if the shutdown lasts more than 30 days, said Bill Gropp, director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications...

Davis said the larger worry is the potential delay in submitting, and reviewing, new research proposals. Federal granting agencies typically post new requests for proposals for new research opportunities at this time of year, but many are now closed, Davis said.

If the shutdown lasts for a month or more, "it may cause an issue with the next round of grant competition," agreed Evan DeLucia, director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, which works closely with the recently furloughed agricultural researchers.

Full article here. Various State and local social programs could face interruptions and complications as well. The proposed reentry transitional housing program mentioned in a post earlier this week is also facing possible delays due to the shutdown's effect on the department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the Housing Authority of Champaign County.

These are just a few examples and this is certainly not an exhaustive list. One thing you learn very quickly following local government is how intertwined local programs can be on multiple sources of funding, including federal grants and agencies. The Illinois' State budget impasse or a federal government shutdown aren't just some furloughed bureaucrats in Washington D.C. It people losing medical care, kids going without food, access and opportunities in education lost, homes lost, and lives threatened. They're your neighbors and fellow citizens right here in your community.

Cornerstone Training

Imagine someone you love is driving through a small town on their way to visit relatives over the holidays and they get hit by a drunk driver. Their chances of survival depend on the training and efficiency of local fire department personnel to extract them from the wreckage and get them life saving medical treatment. The Illinois Fire Service Institute's Cornerstone Training program (brochure information here) helps bring that training to fire departments across the state for free.

Today was the unveiling of specialized equipment training trailers that will be distributed across Illinois and mobilized from regional training centers. The IFSI is the State's fire academy and its 28 acre campus is located right here in Champaign south of the University Research Park. IFSI trains over 64,000 students across Illinois and 11,000 in the the Cornerstone Program. The new trailers will make $174,000 worth of training equipment available as part of that training for departments with limited resources. One big highlight is the "big red door" training tool that has a cornucopia of entry training widgets that range from industrial to household scenarios and replaceable wooden blocks to simulate the resistance involved to bypass or break through:

The most recent Cornerstone Program brochure goes through the various skills and scenarios that it brings to train departments throughout the state, including volunteer fire departments that sometimes have very limited resources for training and equipment. At the unveiling Fire Marshal Matt Perez was credited with making the additional trailer project and funding possible via grant money and business partners. From the News-Gazette's preview of the event last week:

Four trailers and equipment for them were purchased with $175,000 in state of Illinois money secured by the state fire marshal’s office. Fire Marshal Matt Perez was instrumental in lobbying for and getting the funds.

A spokeswoman for FSI said the money is funneled through the institute’s “Cornerstone Program,” which delivers fundamental training to local fire departments, Mutal Aid Box Alarm System divisions and Mutual Aid Associations.

Full blurb here and followup coverage here. Tim Meister of the East Central Illinois regional training center read a letter from the Mattoon fire department thanking them for the training. He explained the difference it made in having the tactics and readiness to deal with a particularly emotional and life threatening vehicle extrication. He highlighted the confidence in knowing exactly how to tackle the situation with the resources available to give the victim a fighting chance to survive.

An IFSI advisor, Brian R. Brauner explained to me that the training they receive goes into so many possible scenarios and complications that it led to his first fire experience being undramatic, "That was it?" It's worth remembering that these dangerous life or death scenarios may be the worst day of our entire lives, but firefighting personnel have to deal with those scenarios efficiently and tactically daily. Behind the Culver's and Arby's on South Neil Street in Champaign, thousands of people are training for your worst possible day.

That training has just become a little bit better and more accessible to fire departments throughout the State, for free, including rural and volunteer fire departments. This often includes the efforts of firefighters who take time away from their families to help out in other areas. It includes volunteers and some uncompensated work to help save lives for that day. Someday it might just give someone you love a fighting chance too.

Champaign and MTD Transportation Updates

First on the MTD's federal grant applications for 2018 from the News-Gazette a couple weeks ago:

MTD misses out on another federal grant for downtown development
The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District lost out in its second bid for federal funding this year for the massive downtown Champaign development project called The Yards, but MTD officials said they plan to try again next year.

The district applied for two $25 million federal grants in connection with an expansion of its Illinois Terminal building, part of The Yards development.

District officials learned in September that the MTD wouldn’t receive one of those grants, a 5339 facilities grant, then got word this month that it also wasn’t on the list for 2018 federal BUILD grant funding...

“Although we didn’t receive a BUILD award this time around, the expansion to Illinois Terminal has tremendous support from our area legislators,” said MTD Managing Director Karl Gnadt.

“We intend to apply again,” Gnadt said. “It took us four attempts to be awarded the TIGER grant for MCORE, and the outcome has been transformative, especially on campus.”

More at the full article here. And the latest update on MCORE from the Champaign City Council meeting this week:

Resident asks Champaign City Council for probe into CorruptCU.com claims
...
In other business, the council approved details for the latest phase of the MCORE road project, which will see Wright Street and Armory Avenue repaved.

Up to this point, the project was funded by a federal TIGER grant, but the rest will come from local money in the form of matching funds.

Total cost for "project 4" is about $13.2 million, and construction is expect to start in March and end by December 2020.

Full article here. More on the MCORE phases here at the project website. Phase map below:

Parkland Parent Lab Collaboration

A local education collaboration is available for free to area parents who want a boost to help their kids learn better at home. From the News-Gazette last weekend:

New 'Parent Lab' program aims to help kids by teaching their elders
...
A new "Parent Lab" set to launch in early February is designed to teach parents in north Champaign how to help their children with schoolwork and improve their own literacy in the process.

The free program is offered through Parkland College Adult Education's Project READ program, in conjunction with the Champaign Public Library's Douglass Branch and Champaign Unit 4 schools.

Parents will work with volunteer tutors to become familiar with the skills and content that their kids and grandkids are learning in school, focusing on math and reading.

Parent Lab sessions will run every Monday evening from Feb. 4 to May 20 at the Booker T. Washington STEM Academy library, 606 E. Grove St., C.

On the second Monday of each month, parents will visit the Douglass Branch next door for special sessions on using educational technology, research tools, career development aids and other library resources helpful to families.

An information session for Unit 4 parents interested in the program is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Douglass Branch Library, 504 E. Grove St., C...
For more information, email ProjectREAD@parkland.edu or call 217-353-2662.

More information at the full article here. Additional program and contact information at the Parkland website here.

Moms Demand Action in 2019

Tuesday night was the Moms Demand Action first meeting of the New Year. They also have their daytime meeting Wednesday at 9am for those who missed the regular evening meeting. Here's a quick overview from a previous post:

Moms Demand Action is a national organization for reforming gun policy with a local chapter here in Champaign-Urbana (facebook page here). They have regular monthly meetings and other events, but their main focus heading into the midterm elections is supporting what they call "Gun Sense" candidates. Gun Sense is a shorthand for what they view as common sense solutions to gun violence. More information on that at the Everytown for Gun Safety website on the subject.

Tonight's Meeting:

A slate of Unit 4 school board candidates introduced themselves and answered some questions. Elizabeth Sotiropoulos explained how they were running as a slate of candidates in the upcoming April 2nd municipal elections. Vote by mail applications are already available: information here, update on online request problem here.

Michael Foellmer described his anxiety dropping off his daughter at school in the current environment worrying about gun violence. He described his platform as being whole school, whole community, and whole child. He emphasized the need to address the full spectrum of issues kids face in education today.

Jennifer Enoch focus was on equity issues in schools and dealing with the modern segregation issues and their effect on outcomes throughout the educational process. She described her work on a school's equity committee and concerns about the recent teachers union negotiations that led to her decision to run for the school board. One specific concern she mentioned from the teacher's union proposal involved concerns that the board was using active shooter training negotiations as a bargaining chip (proposal here from the related Smile Politely article). This view was disputed by incumbent board member Kathy Richards who asked for her incumbent colleagues running for re-election to have an opportunity to answer questions at a future MDA meeting.

Elizabeth Sotiropoulos then explained her interest in running for several years and her roots in the community. She highlighted both her own education and the educational firm she manages, Illini Tutoring and Academic Coaching, and the challenges faced by parents and students of Unit 4. On the issue of gun violence she highlighted the need to address racism and racial segregation and its role in gun violence in our communities. She also highlighted the need for training and resources to prevent suicide within our community in general, but our schools specifically.

In the Q & A portion the candidates all opposed efforts to arm teachers as a solution to school shootings and a general opposition to opening up the state to such measures at the state level and via pressure in the Illinois Association of School Boards. There appeared to be a general consensus to improve racial sensitivity training, including implicit bias training for staff. An emphasis was made for leadership from affected communities and a need for their concerns to be really listened to and their experiences taken seriously.

The overall idea for violence was to address the underlying causes and to remove the need for armed and otherwise extreme defensive measures while navigating the need for preparedness in the event of a tragedy in the mean time. Active shooter training, non-lethal weapons, and panic buttons were discussed, but also the need to address the dangers of letting fear and anxiety add to or create more trauma. A representative from Truce noted that for solutions to be realistic our appreciation of the danger needs to be grounded in objective reality.

The rest of the meeting mostly ran through the status updates and upcoming events. They'll be confirming an "advocacy day" to lobby State representatives next month. At the state level they're still pushing for the Gun Dealer Licensing reform from the last legislative session. Federal legislation on universal background checks is being floated with the new Democratic Congress and they're looking to educate and build momentum to overcome the political barricades of an otherwise overwhelmingly popular concept.

They are liaising with the campus Students Demand Action and otherwise reaching out to other local organizations and government bodies (e.g. TRUCE and the City of Champaign) towards their goals to reduce violence in the community. The Champaign-Urbana Area Project quickly explained their need for diverse support from the community after the training and collaboration (more on that at an older post here). They explained that their ability to prevent violence depends on all lines of communication from the community.