The New Jim Crow Author, Michelle Alexander in Peoria

The HuffingtonPost.com identifies Alexander as: a longtime civil rights advocate and litigator. She won a 2005 Soros Justice Fellowship and now holds a joint appointment at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Mortiz College of Law at Ohio State University. Alexander served for several years as director of the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU of Northern California, and subsequently directed the Civil Rights Clinics at Stanford Law School, where she was an associate professor. Alexander is a former law clerk for Justice Harry Blackmun on the U.S. Supreme Court, and has appeared as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is her first book.

Three loaded guns in a pizzeria that has never been robbed?

I totally understand the need to protect ones family from the threat of a gunman. Personally, if I were to be so fortunate as to get a person with a gun to leave my property without hurting anyone, I certainly would not chase him down the street. I would count my blessings and call the police.

I know the Agatuccis are a well connected, much loved family, but does that make running through the street exchanging gunfire with a fleeing suspect okay? Even if Peoria did have concealed carry - what the Agatucci's did is outside of what is allowed with concealed carry. What the Agatucci's did was vigilantism. Do we really want to condone that Peoria? If the Agatuccis can get a bye on this, I would suggest that everybody who lives in the area of a "hot spot" need to get guns, load them up and prepare to start running down the people who are terrorizing our neighborhoods.

If it's open season on thugs-just say the word & we can all load up.

Interesting tidbits from the Agatucci's recount:

...in nine decades of business, Agatucci's Restaurant never had been held up.

....Dan Agatucci calmly grabbed a gun kept in the restaurant.

..."I had a clear shot, but I didn't want to take it if I didn't have to. I never felt like I was really threatened. I think he was just looking for money and wasn't going to hurt anyone."

Dan Agatucci chased the suspect out the door and fired a shot into the air...

Tony Agatucci grabbed a gun and ran after the gunman, as did his father...

Jim Agatucci, who runs the kitchen also grabbed a gun and ran after the gunman...

They chased him west on West Gift Avenue, firing several shots. Source

Shooting up Peoria continues to be a favorite past time

Since the last tally: Peoria has had another homicide; 11 more reports of shots fired; numerous reports of armed robberies and stick-ups of citizens; and a report of a group of armed men dressed in black roaming Trewyn Avenue.

Once upon a time I believed that the only news was what I heard reported on the news, or read in the newspaper. However, after spending some time listening to the local police scanner, I know that stories DO GO UNREPORTED...

TWO STORIES PJS MISSED From Eye in the Sky
Armed robbery at Acatucci's restaurant

November 21, 2010
Agatucci’s Restaurant on university was robbed last night and the owner got into a gun fight with robber. Several shots fired. Robber was caught several blocks away.

Shooting on Dries Lane

November 21, 2010
Second story man was shot in leg by the bingo hall on Dries Lane.

Peoria man's head grazed by bullet
Posted Nov 20, 2010 @10:00 PM
The Peoria Police Department's special response team was called to a Central Peoria residence early Saturday after a man was grazed by a bullet.

Man shot in hands on Southwest Adams Street
Posted Nov 17, 2010 @ 09:19 PM
Police were investigating a shooting that occurred about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday near Harper Oil, 3203 SW Adams St.

Peoria grand jury indicts couple in shooting
Posted Nov 17, 2010 @ 07:42 PM
A South Peoria couple faces charges for their alleged involvement in a botched robbery that left a man shot in the side.

Man apprehended in Peoria shooting
Posted Nov 12, 2010 @ 06:43 PM
A South Peoria man was arrested Friday in connection with a shooting earlier in the day.

Man shot, killed in gas station fight
Updated Nov 11, 2010 @ 10:15 AM
A man released from prison almost a year ago allegedly shot and killed a Peoria man during a Tuesday night fight at a Circle K gas station.

Peoria man sought in gunplay/chase
Posted Nov 08, 2010 @ 06:40 PM
Police are looking for a man suspected of recent gunplay who also was arrested earlier this year on a murder charge but let go after a witness refused to testify before a grand jury.

Man shot, drives several blocks to call for aid
Posted Oct 27, 2010 @ 11:36 PM
Police said a man was in "critical but stable condition" after being shot about 9 p.m. Wednesday near West Millman and South Webster streets.

Man walking on Millman shot in his thigh, calf
Posted Oct 27, 2010 @ 09:46 PM
A 30-year-old man was shot in the leg Tuesday night after leaving his mother's house.

Police look into reports of group of armed men
Posted Oct 26, 2010 @ 09:12 PM
Police are investigating reports of a group of armed men walking at about 9 p.m. Monday in the 2700 block of West Trewyn Avenue.

Gunshots reported twice in same South Peoria area
Posted Oct 23, 2010 @ 11:04 PM
Gunshots were reported fired on consecutive nights in a two-block section of South Peoria. Police were called to the intersection of South Westmoreland Avenue and West Humboltd Street about 9 p.m. Thursday after witnesses reported hearing multiple rounds, according to a report.

Few details on shots fired from red Monte Carlo
Posted Oct 18, 2010 @ 11:22 PM
Details remained murky Monday about shots fired Sunday night outside a home at 2119 N. Underhill St.

Help Peoria High School win computers

There's a lot of good information in the District 150 Newsletter "Remarkable Times". Finally, the fully staffed PR Department is being put to work doing the things they should be doing. The visibility of the Superintendent, along with Stacey Shangraw being available to make a statement whenever the District is in the news, goes a long way towards the District looking like they are on top of things.

Peoria High a Finalist in National Competition for New Computers

Peoria High needs your vote! Students and teachers from around the country submitted amazing stories about their schools and how a new computer lab could make a big difference. Now it's time to choose who will win The School Pride Web Competition brought to you by Windows 7. Last week, a panel of judges picked the top five finalists for the competition and Peoria High was announced as one of those finalists. You can go online to vote and support Peoria High, with the submission "Empty Computer Lab." Voting ends on November 29th and you can submit one vote, daily. Source

African-Americans at-large

Usually I'm not one to expect that just because a candidate is African-American that they should automatically be expected to speak directly to the interest of that community. However, I think that hard working folks in inner city Peoria are dealing with such dire situations (what with all the crime and joblessness), that they deserve some kind of honorable mention by all candidates, especially those of the African-American persuasion.

They are all African-American; from North Peoria; and running at-large for the Peoria City Council. They have all made initial statements, but to date, only one of the three candidates have even come close to possibly touching upon anything that may be close to the problems that currently plague Peoria’s African-American community. The only problem is that he is an incumbent and many feel they have learned their lesson.

Gloria Cassel-Fitzgerald, is retired from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She has been inducted into the local African American Hall of Fame Museum; she has run for 5th district city council, at-large city council, and the District 150 BOE, all unsuccessfully.

To most Peorian’s in the inner city, Cassel-Fitzgerald is best known because of ACT Bending & Steel, a tubular products manufacturing company her father founded in 1970. The family business, which was once located on South Adams Street, was one of the longest running and most successful black businesses in Peoria, before going bankrupt in 2001.

Fitzgearldisms: “I think Peoria needs new ideas. I think my background would bring that.” “I’m known throughout the city.” “There will be people that will vote for me.” “We need to do what is best for the whole city.” Source

A former principal in Absolute Risk Management, Andre Williams sat on the Board of the Community Construction Outreach of Peoria (CCO). From COO's website: "COO is a community-wide, non-profit organization made up of owners, construction and business leaders, trade organizations, and civic and community organizations whose vision is to create “A community transformed through leadership, increased economic opportunity, innovative education, and diversity.”

Mr. Williams, a pastor, is originally from Peoria, but just returned to Peoria, from Atlanta, about 4 ½ years ago.

Williamsisms: “I want to help us develop a vision on who we want to be 20 years from now, 50 years from now.” “We’re four times the size of East Peoria, we should think more regionally and that our competition is St. Louis, Indianapolis and Chicago.” Peoria …should focus on having “one conversation,” not “two different conversations about economic development.” “The fact is, we all live in the same place and we need to all work together and move toward one conversation.” Source

One of the originators of the idea for the parental responsibility ordinance, Eric Turner is the incumbent in this trio. In the past, Turner’s stated goals and objectives included the development of neighborhoods by cleaning up streets, rehabbing housing and creating a focused approach to upgrading communities.

Turnerisms: “Cracking down on crime while ensuring citizens feel safe with their police department.” “… a vibrant City center surrounded by clean and safe neighborhoods for all citizens.” "The problem is, we haven't had a property tax increase in 14 years." "The park district and school district have raised taxes almost every year. If we have had ongoing tax increases, we wouldn't have as much deep of a deficit as we do now." In support of the liquor license fee increase proposal..."This is where the major market is at." This one-time-a-year fee is really not that much." Source

The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking

Recently I have been doing a little research on girls, health and education. I thought back to when I was growing up and remembered how I ALWAYS had sports to occupy my time. I was a regular "Sporty G" (sports girl). I was a gymnast, dancer (tap, jazz and ballet), basketball player (point guard that could strip you before you knew what happened), high jumper, hurdler, a pompom girl/choreographer and I jogged (a lot). Sports gave me incentive to watch my weight, stay strong, get good grades and strive to win. I didn't get pregnant until I was a grown woman, happily married, gainfully employed with a career and ready to stop traveling. We wanted and planned for our child.

Info in my Google search reminded me of an advertising campaign Nike had about fifteen years ago entitled “If you let me play.” Of course the ads drew my attention, because I'm a Girl AND they advocated the benefits for girls and young women participating in sports. Personally, being a Sporty G, I have always been more of a "Just Do It" type of girl, but anyway the ads were thought provoking.

I was pleased to find that the Nike foundation is now focusing on education - their latest effort is known as the Girl Effect. The Nike Foundation (supported by Nike and the NoVo Foundation) is trying to raise up adolescent girls in poverty-plagued, developing regions of the world. I'm thinking we could use such efforts right here in our own poverty-plagued Peoria.

The Girl Effect’s Web site asserts that when a girl becomes better educated, this helps them as well as “their families, their communities and their nations.”

Data on the site illustrates that positive changes can come in areas like health - the more schooling mothers get, the healthier their infants and children will be; and income - an additional year of secondary school will increase a girl’s wages by 15 to 25 percent. Check out the video...

The GirlEffect.org

OUR kids can't read: Will you help?

I was stunned to see the statistics in the November 9, 2010 New York Times article entitled "Proficiency of Black Students Is Found to Be Far Lower Than Expected". It hurt my heart to think about the magnitude of what we are dealing with.

Recently as I sat listening to students read to me, I realized I have to find a way to do more. I volunteer two days a week at a local District 150 school to read with students. This is my fifth year. I read with 4 students for 20 minutes each. Ideally, a child should probably read at least 20 minutes per night.

It started out selfishly - it was a way to be at the school; I could observe my student and I could help out. Win-Win. But I never lost sight of the fact that in many cases, the twenty minutes I was giving a student to read, may be the only time they had an adult, other than a teacher, sit with them and encourage them to read.

Read the article below and think about it...

Black kids can't read: What are you prepared to do about it?

The statistics in the November 9, 2010 New York Times article, "Black Boys Score Far Behind White Students," leave one speechless. According to the report entitled "A Call for Change" released November 8 by urban schools advocacy group the Council for Great City Schools, only 12 percent of black males are proficient reading at grade level reading while in fourth grade, compared to 38 percent of white males.

The statistics do not look much better when comparing for poverty as measured by qualifying for school lunches. Poverty does not seem to answer the question because, according to the report, poor white males do just as well as black males who are purportedly not in poverty. Looking forward, things don't get better. The article states:

President Obama stated: "One of the best anti-poverty programs is a world class education." I wholeheartedly agree. We know that people learn in different ways and many have different styles of learning, but there is no excuse on the part of our country, teachers and parents for the abysmal performance of our young men in education. The ability to read and do very basic statement analysis is crucial in just about every area of life. If one cannot read, they will not make solid, well-informed decisions. The likelihood of being deceived by contracts or any type of written agreement, multiplies when someone is a poor reader.

Armed with these new statistics, we must take action as a community and nation. We know that black male dropouts lead the country in terms of incarceration and that this trend will continue to increase. The high cost of sustaining a prison system -- in desperate need of reform -- is illogical and fiscally impossible. We need to conduct a national dialogue on how to get to the heart of criminality and truly start intervening at the first sight of risk factors. These traits unfortunately start before the child is ever born. As a strategic forecaster, I'm tempted to bury my head in the sand as I look forward.

So let's look at our options. Black males who drop out of school are likely to live in long protracted periods of poverty. They will pick up skill-sets often involving a criminal lifestyle. More than likely they will spend time in jail or prison, leading to the wrong type of schooling. We are faced with mounting crises in the black community and the days of deflecting simply will not work.

We can no longer trust in a savior that will emerge and fix our problems. The deliverers will emerge within our community. Mentors, coaches, parents, grandparents and professionals from all walks of life will say, "Enough!" The question is: How unbearable must this situation become?

We know that we should mentor young men and women in all areas of life, but we also have to send this message: "If you are unable to take care of children, it is unacceptable to have them. Stop!"

We have a plethora of "baby mamas" and daddies in all communities -- black and white -- who do not have the wherewithal to raise healthy kids. The 40 percent out of wedlock rate is a national crisis. We have to read the writing on the wall -- enough is enough. Unfortunately some can't read it. Those who are literate have to start reading it for those who can't, and teach them a better way.

Film quotes on public education

Here are quotes taken from various documentaries focusing on public education...

“Waiting for Superman”

• “You wake up every morning and you know that kids are getting a crappy education right now ... Oh, I don’t think they are; I know they are.” -- Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the Washington, D.C., school system

• “Either the kids are getting stupider every year, or something is wrong in the education system.” -- Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone

• “Your children and future generations are on the bridge of that Titanic, and everyone is going to drown.” -- Davis Guggenheim, director of “Waiting for Superman”

“The Cartel”
• “It is a crime. It’s not terrorists that are going to destroy America. It’s urban public education if we don’t do something about it.” -- Joe Williams, Democrats for Education Reform

• “The teacher tells the parent, ‘Oh, this is a good school.’ When I said, ‘Lady, your kid can’t read or add two and two. What do you mean it is a good school?’” -- Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City



“The Lottery”
• “The problem is not the parents. The problem is not the children. The problem is a system that protects academic failure.” -- Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Charter Network (Harlem Success Academy)










“The War on Kids”
• “Kids need to feel safe, not only from other students, but they need to feel safe from the administration and from teachers. And often that’s not the case. Teachers are allowed to bully kids. Administrators are allowed to bully kids.” -- Olga Yatzus, child psychologist

Good showing locally by African-American Women in November 2 election

Jehan Gordon Illinois House 92nd District
Incumbent state Rep. Jehan Gordon, D-Peoria, easily won re-election Tuesday for a second two-year term to the 92nd Illinois House District seat. The 29-year-old Ms. Gordon, won by beating out Republican Peoria City Councilman Jim Montelongo. Final Numbers: Gordon 62% - Montelongo 38%

Ms. Gordon was the first black woman to win the 92nd District when she was first elected in 2008; and the second woman to represent a district that includes the southern two-thirds of the city of Peoria, including Downtown, West Peoria, Peoria Heights, Kickapoo and portions of Bartonville and Limestone Township. Source




Mary McDade 3rd District Appellate Court Justice retained her seat. She was less than popular because of her decision and consequential defense of reducing the prison sentence of Dione Alexander (a/k/a “the Woodruff High School shooter”) from 24 to the minimum six years. Final numbers: 26,174 Yes - 11,186 No.

Judge McDade, the first African-American to hold public office in the ever progressive Peoria, was elected to the District 150 BOE in 1968 and served a five-year term that ended in 1973. She was president of the board in 1972-73. During that time she was part of the effort to desegregate the schools, to increase the number of minority teachers, and to include multicultural textbooks, and she personally worked diligently to try to stem the tide of what she considered “exponentially-increasing expulsions”.

She is also a co-founder of the Human Service Center; and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Peoria Public Library where she served three years. Source

County Board District: 3 Lynn Scott Pierson, Democrat. Twenty-four year incumbent Lynn Scott Pearson, 68, of Peoria was challenged by Republican Karrie Alms, 51, of Peoria. Final numbers: Pierson 783 - Alms 319.

Mrs. Pearson, a retiree of Caterpillar, Inc., has an extensive background of community service. She has served as President of the Board of Directors for Friendship House and Chairperson of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. She has also served as a member of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program Advisory Council and the Peoria County Democratic Women Committee. District 3 is all in the city of Peoria and includes Downtown and northeast along the river, with boundaries of Knoxville, Nebraska and Glen Oak Park. Source


County Board District 1: Bonnie Hester, Democrat. Mrs. Hester ran uncontested and has spent 35 years in the public sector: 25 for the Peoria City/County Health Department and most recently as Program Assistant for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

Before her retirement from the Health Department, Mrs. Hester served on the Health Care Committee for Peoria County Employees and as president of local union AFSCME #3665. She was president for 14 years. District 1 boundaries: Rt. 116 in City of Peoria south and city and township limits. Source

County Board District 5: Rachael Parker, Democrat. Mrs. Parker ran uncontested and is currently employed by the City of Peoria as a Development Specialist in the Department of Economic Development.

Mrs. Parker was elected to the District 150 BOE in April, 2007, to serve District 2. She is also a small business owner with two home based businesses. She will be required to forfeit her seat on the BOE in order to serve on the County Board. Source

Honorable mention:
Recorder of Deeds: Evonne Fleming, Democrat.

Evonne Fleming has worked in the Recorder's Office for 21 years. She ran on the platform of improving the indexing system to be more user-friendly, protect historic information and increase office morale. Final Numbers: 20,585 Fleming - 29,337 Horton.

Unfortunately for Ms. Fleming, we Peorians are notorious for our belief that family members should inherit elected positions, which makes it no surprise that Fleming would loose to Republican Nancy Horton, who was appointed to the post in March, after the Jan. 29 death of her husband, former Recorder Brad Horton.
Source

District 150 students arrested for fighting in school

Here it is folks - the news you have been waiting for...

Several Peoria High School students were arrested after a lunchtime brawl in the school Wednesday.

The initial fight broke out just after noon. Some of the teens were led away in handcuffs, while others were released to their parents.

Further information is not yet available. Peoria police referred questions to District 150 officials. Source

Actually, I am pleased that these knuckleheads were arrested. Hopefully the other trouble makers will take this as NOTICE that fighting will not be tolerated by the District. Good for you PSD#150PD.

Get out and VOTE!

I went to vote this morning and had to wait in a short line.

There were two people in front of me (an elderly couple) and nobody behind me for about five minutes.

We made small talk. Two booths opened, the elderly couple went to vote.

Right before they left, another elderly woman walked up. Another booth opened up. The person working at the polling place called the elderly woman next.

The elderly woman corrected her. I voted.

I will be taking other people to vote throughout the day.

BOE - Special Meeting @ 5:30 tonight

Anyone care to speculate?

AGENDA ITEMS

A. CALL TO ORDER – 5:30 p.m.

B. ROLL CALL

C. MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION

PERSONNEL 2(C) 1 Appointment, discipline, performance, dismissal, employees; (3) Appointment to Public Office; (11)Litigation.

D. ADJOURNMENT