Letter to the Editor: Ok...time to make a statement. Some parents in District 41 are up in arms because the school board has decided that a book, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" should not be available at Hadley Jr. High, and I applaud those on the board, namely Andrew Ellis, for voting this way. This all began when this book was available for student 'consumption' in an English teacher's classroom library. There is now a 'witch hunt' for school board members who voted to have the book removed, and some are calling it censorship and infringement of freedom of speech. The vote to remove the …

By Harley Jordan, President, Board of Directors, B.R.Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County As the pace of our lives moves faster and faster and the demands on our time increase, the ties to our community become even more important. A strong community provides us with a stable base that helps us deal with the pressures of daily life. At the Y, strengthening community is our cause, and in northwestern DuPage county, the B.R. Ryall YMCA provides an anchor to our community that gives all of us —regardless of age, income or background—the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. At the B.R. Ryall…

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor sent to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@Patch.com. Dear Editor, I am an eighth grader at Glen Crest Middle School and I attended the meeting on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at Hadley Junior High where the board members of district 41 invited residents of Wheaton and Glen Ellyn to come and voice their opinions about the board’s decision to buy land from Wheaton College to build a new middle school even though Wheaton College made it clear they were not open to selling their property no matter what. At the end of the meeting on April 3rd…

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. ------- Local elections are important and impact residents.  On Tuesday, April 9, District 502 taxpayers will vote to fill two seats on the College of DuPage Board of Trustees.  This board is the governing and policy-making body for our community college. Although District 502 accounts for only a small portion of our property tax bills, 40% of COD’s budgeted revenue comes from local property taxes. For Fiscal ’13, this amounts to $105,575,476, more than from any other single …

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. --------- Fellow High School District 87 Residents, District 87 Board member Tom Voltaggio deserves our gratitude. As you know, the reputation of our educational system plays a large role in the attractiveness of our community. Our schools consume about three quarters of our property tax bills. For more than 20 years, Tom has been instrumental in maintaining the balance between providing the best education for our children and the burgeoning costs required.  Tom has donated …

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. --------- Dear Fellow Glen Ellyn Glenbard High School District 87 Voters: Tuesday April 9, 2013 is Election Day, and I urge you to cast your vote for our fellow Glen Ellyn resident TOM VOLTAGGIO for the Glenbard High School District 87 School Board. Over most of the last 22 years Tom has served this district as an impartial leader who has, most importantly, offered a message of fiscal responsibility and commitment to quality education. Glenbard 87 is the third largest high …

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. ----------- I am writing to recommend Tom Voltaggio for the Glenbard High School Board of Education. Since his initial election in 1991, Tom has been an outstanding board member with the essential balanced position. He is wholeheartedly responsive to the needs of the young people in our educational system. He is also a responsible and conscientious steward of our community resources. As the father of four, he has always been particularly sensitive to the importance of …

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. To the Editor: As we prepare to elect four members to the District 87 Glenbard High School Board of Education, it is important to remember that school board activities encompass a wide range of educational, legal, personnel, financial, facility and public relations issues.  Many of these matters are interrelated and require the ability to sort out facts, evaluate them in light of policy objectives and respond to the community with honesty, fairness, and integrity.  The proper …

Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. ---------- To the editor: I am submitting this letter in support of Tom Voltaggio for the High School District 87 Board of Education. Over the past 20 years, Tom has been a first-class District 87 board member, with a keen understanding of the issues facing our district as well as an invaluable knowledge of the board and its history. His pragmatic approach to solving District problems has always been refreshing, as has his ability to offer creative alternatives to difficult …

To the Editor,  Tom Voltaggio is a highly respected leader in our community, a position which he has earned through untold hours of public service at District 87 over the past 20 years. His history on the Glenbard board has been an exemplary one, as he has been the steady voice of reason, lending his sound judgment and management skills to a variety of crises and challenges. There is no question that his presence on the Board has been invaluable, with District 87 students and taxpayers being the beneficiaries.The vast District 87 community is fortunate that he still has a passion to serve. I …

Glen Ellyn Patch accepts and publishes letters to the editor emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com. ------------ “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” The lyrics to this Louie Armstrong classic play loudly in my thoughts during daily travels throughout Glen Ellyn. It is an honor to be Village President of this exceptional town of fine people. To maintain our quality of life and grow the village to its full potential, leadership requires integrity, objectivity, communication, accountability and putting Glen Ellyn and its customers, the taxpayers, above all…

Patch accepts and publishes letters emailed to Local Editor Charlotte Eriksen at Charlotte@patch.com ----------- To the Editor: In virtually every community survey which towns and villages periodically conduct, two hot topics routinely head the list of residents’ concerns . . . property taxes and quality education. What is not as often acknowledged is the manner in which those two subjects are so deeply intertwined, or the added irony that heavy responsibility for both essentially rests within the hands of one group of people . . . the good citizens who sit on our local boards of education. …

I am writing in support of Robert Friend for District 87 School Board re-election. Bob is just completing his first term on the District 87 Board.While Bob's public record speaks for itself, he also brings a special kind of personal caring to his position.   I have known and worked with Bob on various community efforts over the past decade - Bob not only wants what's best for District 87 students - he also takes the time to get involved with them and get to know them.   He has chaperoned Glenbard East's Post Prom effort for the past 2 years, and has helped with Valentines for Vets and …

I would like to thank everyone involved in the MEF/flour + wine project, your teams and all the other people that made this fundraising initiative so amazing.. and amazingly successful! The MEF, the students, teachers and administrators, will benefit in a different way, possibly from a stronger community belief and stronger community ties. We all hope to see MEF moving in a direction of strength and sustainability; I hope the new energy we created this year will propel a wonderful program onward and upward.     We began this initiative with a goal of $5,000; and while some thought that was …

Dear Editor, Stimulating a child’s creative thinking and tapping into a young person’s imagination are as vital to the lifelong learning process as math and reading. And now, Google is making it a little bit easier – and a whole lot more fun – for us parents to encourage our kids to tap in to their creativity and think outside of the box. Doodle 4 Google is a nationwide contest that will end with one lucky and talented winner having their “doodle” featured on the Google homepage and receiving a $30,000 college scholarship for themselves, plus a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school. …

Recent mass shootings are hitting too close to home. My sister lives just outside of Aurora, Colorado. One of my cousins shops in the Clackamas Mall in Oregon and another cousin attended Virginia Tech when the shooting occurred there. A good Glen Ellyn friend is friends with the parents of the little girl who was the sole survivor of her class in Newtown. I cannot sit still any longer. If this is not the moment to change things, then what will the next moment look like? Even today, Representative Roskam does not support universal background checks for firearm purchases or any other gun …

Glen Ellyn Patch welcomes letters to the editor and letters to the community. Letters may be submitted for consideration to Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez at maryl@patch.com. Dear Editor:   This past weekend, volunteers across America participated in the National Day of Service and selflessly gave back to their communities. From volunteering at after-school programs to picking up litter in a state park to countless other worthwhile efforts, we would not be the nation we are without the kindness and generosity of the unsung heroes among us.  There was simply no better way to honor Dr. King’s …

The following is a letter in response to Dr. Ann Riebock’s, Glen Ellyn School District 41 superintendent, opinion letter in the January 10th, 2013, Glen Ellyn News.   As parents of Glen Ellyn District 41 students and active members of the community, we agree with many of the sentiments expressed by Dr. Riebock in her January 10th letter and would like to express our gratitude toward the members of the District 41 Think Tank for their hard work to ensure that our schools continue to evolve appropriately.  However, the tone of Dr. Riebock’s letter suggests that we are a community resistant to …

Congress: Job Half Done? While it was good to see some solution to the 'fiscal cliff' situation from Congress, does anyone really question that Congress has only completed half of the task before them?  The Obama Administration calls for a 'balanced approach' but only really desired to address increased revenues.  We all know that revenues alone will not solve the problem. I agree with my Congressman, Peter Roskam of the 6th District, when he calls for curbing 'out of control' spending.  Roskam believes that the only way our economy will rebound is to put in place a strong economic foundation…

Dear Editor, I am a retired teacher with a vested interest in protecting the integrity of all publicly funded pensions. I am also extremely frustrated that there has been so little consideration of the real underlying problems our State faces: an unfair state income tax structure, an unwillingness to accept reality with regard to a sales tax on services, and an unrealistic repayment schedule for our pension debt. Illinois is one of only 7 states in the nation which employs a flat tax and, until the recently enacted temporary increase, at 3% for individuals was dead last in the rate imposed. …