JSIS: Kentucky Governor Inserts Foot-- Barbara Bush

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff.

1.  KENTUCKY GOVERNOR INSERTS FOOT--  This guy sure wouldn't get my vote next election.  He blames striking teachers for kids getting into drugs and getting raped because of the strike.  What an idge.

2.  Barbara Bush--   Sure sorry to hear that she is not long for this world.  Of all the recent First Ladies, I respected her the most.  Not many ladies can say they were married to a U.S. president and was also the mother of one.

A Wonderful Woman and a Dumb Governor.  --RoadDog

JSS: Werewolves of London-- End of Waukegan Strike-- Boat Out of the Water-- Miserable Halloween Here-- $3 Gas

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1. WEREWOLVES OF LONDON--  I'm listening to one of my Halloween cassette tapes and just heard "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon.  This song now always reminds me of the one that our music teacher made up during the 1994 Round Lake Teacher Strike to "honor" our "illustrious" school board prez.

2.  END OF WAUKEGAN STRIKE--  I was glad to find out yesterday that the Waukegan, Illinois, teacher strike finally ended, after four weeks.  We were planning on walking the line with them yesterday.  This would have been our fourth time out with them.  So much reminded me of our strike exactly 20 years earler.

3.  BOAT OUT OF THE WATER--  Monday, we took our boat out of the water and to the marina for winterizing.  We were able to get out on it 45 times this past season and it should have been a lot more except for all this crummy cold from all this Global ______.

4.  MISERABLE HALLOWEEN HERE--  With 38 degrees for a high, rain and snow as well as 30-40 mph wind.  I tell you, I can't take much more of all this Global ______.  I feel sorry for the Trick-Or-Treaters out tonight.

5.   $3 GAS--  Hard to believe, but gas prices actually dropped to $3 here in northeast Illinois yesterday.  Most will call it $2.99, but at $2.99.9, that' still $3.  It made me excited as I didn't think I'd ever see it that low again.  And I especially hate the GRBs at Big Oil for making me think $3 was CHEAP!!!

Just Some Stuff.  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "That and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee."--  Tell that to Starbucks.

Twenty Years Ago: The Round Lake School Teacher Strike Begins

Hard to believe it has been that long, but twenty years ago, October 17, 1994, Liz and I woke up and drove to Round Lake.  This time it was not to teach, but to walk the picket lines as after years of concessions to the school board and administration, it came time to pay the piper as it were.

The school board never negotiated in good faith in the months leading up to the strike and the months after it began.  It was their intention to "Break the Union."  That didn't happen.

We ended up staying out on the picket lines until December 13th, our first day back in the classroom.  That is 38 school days that we missed, the second longest in Illinois history.

The Union stood strong and weathered the attack and in the end received most of what was sought.

Today, Liz and I are going to drive to Waukegan, Illinois, and walk the line again, this time for the Waukegan teachers as their strike enters its 11th day.

I found my "Don't Tread On me" flag that I carried throughout the strike and it will once again float over the Tread Upon.

It Was Quite an Experience, One That No Teacher Should Have to Go Through.  --RoadDog

Walking the Line...Again: Waukegan Teacher Strike

This past Monday, October 6th, Liz and I drove to Waukegan, Illinois, about 30 miles away, and relived something that happened to us 20 years ago.  We walked the picket line with the Waukegan teachers as their strike entered the third day.  Today is the beginning of their 6th day and it looks as if it is going to be a long strike as the board and administration only gives lip service to any negotiations.

This sure brought back memories of the Round Lake teacher strike of 1994, which started on October 17th and went on for 38 days (and I'm not talking overall days, they were actual days of school that were missed).

I have often said that if there ever was a teacher strike nearby that I'd walk the line, but the only one since I retired was at Richmond, Illinois, where kids in our subdivision go to school and I was in North Carolina at the time and it was a short strike and over by the time I got back.

We walked to honor our strike and especially for our president during the strike, Terri,  and Kim Kearby who died this past year.

More to Come.  --RoadDog

The Man Missed the Point

From the September 12th Chicago Tribune "CPS students a voucher away from unreal schools" by John Kass.

Mr. Kass is a columnist in the Chicago Tribune and very anti-Chicago Teachers Union as is the Tribune.  Of course, he got a lot of fodder from the recent strike.

CTU President Karen Lewis, at the beginning of the strike said that "real school" would be closed.  Kass starts off with "Real school?  You mean that public system where four of 10 students don't graduate?"

He then visits a South Side school, Leo High School, where 100 percent of the students graduate and are accepted into college.  It is a Roman Catholic  all-boys school that draws from a poor neighborhood made of mostly black students.

He goes on to paint what a wonderful place it is with its 160 students and $7,500 tuition.

I am sure Leo is a fantastic school as I gather from the column.  It would have to be with that number of students and that amount of tuition, especially considering that parents pay that amount above what they pay for the public schools.  Even if they get assistance in the tuition, these are parents that actually are really involved in their children's education.

If the Chicago Public Schools had this kind of parental support (and not those who are great at mouthing their concerns but not willing to back it up), I can assure you, the public schools would do much better.

Plus, I have to believe there is at least some sort of a selection process to get into Leo. You don't just show up and get admitted as in the public schools.

But the public schools do not get to "cherry-pick" their students.

Let's see, here's a student committed to doing well in school with parents who back him up.  Hey, I want that kid in my class.

It's a Parental Thing.

Been Out Boating-- Part 2

Later, Wednesday, we went out again with my buddy Frank. We did a slow cruise over to Electric Harbor for their $1 Johnsonville brats, but, they weren't running that special anymore, but got a a cheeseburger and fries for $2.50. Always enjoy sitting out there at the great gazebo with views the whole length of Fox Lake.

Thursday, we took a two hour cruise down the Fox River to the Broken Oar for lunch. This is also a great place to visit. They have specials everyday, like a big veal parmesan on spaghetti for $6.95 and 16 oz drafts for a buck. Starting next week, they will also have dollar burgers.

You can eat indoors or outside. Weekends they have live entertainment, but we won't go. If you aren't on a motorcycle, you become a second class citizen. They really cater to the bikers. I was the very first person to provide entertainment back in October of 1994, the weekend before we had our two month long strike. in the Round Lake Schools. Now, that is a real long time for a school strike, but that is another story.

Quite a few trees are starting to change into full fall foliage. Looking at lawns and cattails along the river really showed how high the floods of late August got. They are all two-tone; brown below flood stage. We saw several white herons by the lock and dam.

Both times we went through the lock, they waited for us to no wake it up to the gate. Very nice of them. Otherwise, it is about a thirty minute wait. Then, there's that nice slimy rope to hang onto while the water goes up or down, always a favorite thing to do.

There is a big sign telling boaters not to tie off their boats while in the dock. I asked the attendant if he'd ever seen anyone do this. He said he had. Dumb boaters.

Stopped at Kief's Reef on the way back (by the Illinois Highway 176 bridge). They also have outside entertainment on the weekends. We liked the pontoon boat up on the land that they used as the stage.

We also went out Friday afternoon and did a float before stopping at Baja Benny's to meet up with some friends.

Have to Hurry Up and Go Boating as the Season Quickly Wanes. --RoadDog