Editorial

Council Should Reconsider Its Vote on Relocating

All nine aldermen know by now that a number of citizens, including Mayor Lorraine Morton and former mayor Jay Lytle, do not believe that selling the present Civic Center and relocating is a good move. The previous City Council voted unanimously to move from the Ridge Avenue building, but since then the sentiment to keep the Civic Center has been increasing.

Studies and counter-studies, proposals and citizen comment abound - although we have heard few, if any, citizen voices support selling the building. There are costs involved in staying - the rehab will be expensive. But Council should not underestimate the cost to the community of losing the presence that the former Marywood Academy offers as a Civic Center, the detriment to the neighborhood if the site, or the building itself, should become another residential development.

We would ask each of the aldermen to hold a ward meeting or otherwise poll the residents of their ward to ascertain what the citizens of Evanston think - and then to reconsider the issue on the Council floor.
We understand that constructing a new building is a heady idea, but retrofitting an old one could be just as exciting and worthwhile.

Vote -

Hardly anyone in Evanston needs to be urged to vote. We live in one of the cradles of women's suffrage, and, if there was ever a model for an activist community, it surely would be Evanston. But with the leisure of voting early, we hope no one will let Election Day, Nov. 7, slip past without exercising the precious right to vote.

The binding referendum to increase the real estate transfer tax by 20 percent, or $1 per $1,000 of the sale price - which this paper has endorsed as one important way for the City to create and maintain affordable housing - is on the ballot. There are election contests for state and county offices, including those for local representation in the state's General Assembly.

But these days it is not enough that we vote - we must vote properly. Carry proper identification to the polls. Even if you have voted at the same place for years, there may be new election judges who may not know or recognize you, and they have the obligation to verify identification. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the procedure; do not be embarrassed to return to the voting booth if you have over-voted or under-voted.

Our democracy has been chilled and weakened by the present federal administration. Feeling discouraged by the choice of candidates or believing your candidate is so safe that he or she does not need your vote are not reasons to stay away from the polls. One sure way to help this country regain its vitality is to vote.

- And Consider Campaigning

The first of two workshops conducted by the Public Service Challenge will be held this weekend. The Public Service Challenge is an offshoot of Leadership Evanston, which for years has fostered community leadership by offering a "course" in Evanston - its social and political history and nuances, its institutions and traditions. Many successful candidates for local offices are graduates of Leadership Evanston.

The Public Service Challenge is an even more practical set of workshops intended to nurture potential candidates for next spring's local elections. Particularly important are elections for the two School Boards.

Schools are the heart of any community, and Evanston demands excellent, well-managed, high-performing schools. Our schools will continue to face substantial challenges over the next few years - unfunded federal mandates, declining enrollment, financial squeezes and the likelihood of curriculum changes - and School Board members will be in the front line of addressing these challenges.

Board meetings can seem divisive and citizen comment, vituperative - all in the passionate dialogue about the direction of our schools and the best way to educate our children. All these can lead some to think that serving on a School Board in Evanston is a thankless task.

We think instead it is a noble one. The future of this community lies in the education and preparation of its youth, a job we believe belongs to the public schools. We need people who are willing to put the vision of educating children above the anger, the needless personal attacks and pettiness that sometimes mark School Board meetings. That is the challenge of public service.

A Vote, A Voice

By Charles Wilkinson

"It's that time of year ..." I may be humming a Christmas staple but, despite the static and overload of Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas advertising these days, the holidays are not on my mind; the first Tuesday in November is. This year, more than ever, the voice of the many, whatever it eventually may say, needs to be heard, if only to offset the barrage of politi-speak, even more rampant than holiday hype, that has been abusing us lately.

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but the voice of the many would not exist without the voice of one plus one plus one plus ... each one needing to be heard. The power of democracy belongs to all who are qualified to vote, to voice their minds about the quality of government that impacts so many parts of their lives. I state the obvious because a friend recently told me he is so disgusted with every level of politics he will not vote this year, letting his silence speak for him.

I know him well enough to understand his feelings, which mirror my own. At the same time, I let him know I neither understood nor accepted his reasoning. Two years ago he felt the same way but voted ultimately for a third-party candidate because he, my friend, genuinely cared about environmental issues. Despite his frustration this time around, I know he will probably do the same, if only because he knows there is no count to measure silence after the polls close.

The last presidential elections left a lingering cynicism in the minds of many voters, but that is neither reason nor excuse to shun the voting booths this time around. In this imperfect world politicians seldom live up to or follow through on the lofty rhetoric of their platform promises. Likewise, the political machinery is ever vulnerable to party-interest tinkering. In a democracy the feelings that an election was fair generally belong to those who win. That is, as they say, the nature of the beast.

But a vote is a vote is a vote and ... a voice. I did not tell my friend he had a "civic duty" to get to his polling place. In my mind, that is the least of reasons to vote - a specious argument that short-circuits a genuine want and need to be heard. Voting is more than an obligation; it is a privilege. It is more about voice than numbers.

Ideally, one voter's voice should not simply echo an other's. Rather it should represent a mind informed about the issues before it and, without apology, cast a vote that speaks for itself. Even those committed to one particular party should not shortchange their integrity by neglecting to think for themselves. Voting a straight ticket may be efficient but not necessarily intelligent. True loyalty is not blind.

Our country needs the sound of every voter's voice. To vote by silence is to throw part of one's power away, a part that is essential to the workings of democracy and to the ideals and dreams of every American, What a voter does on November's first Tuesday is a privilege that deserves integrity, honesty and an appreciation for a country that is open to and forever in need of the sound of one's truth.

Terror, Terrorism, Terrorists

By Peggy Tarr

A few weeks ago, when I was trying to exit through my back door, a young man, seated in a rocking chair, blocked me from getting out.

Terror filled my very being. My heart became a "glub, glub" in my chest, and my stomach knotted up like someone had punched me. I decided that this was not the time to act scared, so I politely asked him if he could move a microwave oven he was using as a table so I could get past. He moved it enough for me to climb over it. I thanked him, and as I started toward the steps, he asked me if I had anything to eat. I didn't. He then asked if I could give him any money. I told him I only had $2 and a bus pass. He could have the $2. As I started down the stairs, he said, "Don't tell anybody I'm up here!" "Uh-huh," I responded, forcing myself not to run down the stairs.

So ... who was filled with terror? Was an act of terrorism committed? Who was the terrorist? Certainly, I was filled with terror, and from my point of view, this young man committed an act of terrorism and was therefore the terrorist. But he probably had a different take on things. He had found a safe haven, protected from the elements, and even a chair to sit in, and then I had entered his world. I learned that an order of protection barred him from being within 25 feet of my building.

He was/is a drug addict.

Every day, people are victims of terrorism in their real everyday environments through television, radio and movies with their depictions and warnings about aging, lack of health care, debts, the weather, pollution, wars, medications, pediophiles, murders, robberies, taxes, crooked politicians, cancer, sociopathic bosses, etc. Who then are the terrorists?

Below is a terroristic exercise. Start out with the word "TERROR", then add more and more TERROR to it. It just goes on.

Of course, you can do the same exercise with the word, PEACE.
T TE
TERROR TERROR
R TERROR
R TERROR
O TERROR
R TERROR
E
Terror - an instance or cause of intense fear or anxiety;

Terrorism - the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce;

Terrorist - a person who terrorizes or frightens others.

Letters

Shame on District 65 Board Members
Editor:

As a community member who has criticized District 65 for the poor performance of African-American students and questioned the success of the Two-Way Immersion program (TWI), I was delighted to see the results of 2006 ISAT and IMAGE scores released at the Oct. 16 School Board meeting.

The dramatic improvement in minority academic achievement on last year's testing demonstrates the success of the teaching strategies that have been implemented over the past five years. There was a similar spike in achievement for the District's special education population.

These improvements continue the steady upward trend in achievement we've observed since 2002, while maintaining impressively high levels of white student achievement. Congratulations to District 65 teachers and principals, parents and students, staff and central office administration.

Shame on District 65 Board members for their lackluster acknowledgement of this success during the Board meeting. Apparently the Board is more interested in continuing its feud with Superintendent Murphy than enthusiastically thanking our teachers and principals for a job well done.
-- Susan Greene

Vision, not TWI,Is the Real Issue at D65
Editor:

You ran a brief article in the last issue about a petition circulated at Washington School and presented at the last Board meeting. The petition represented the views of many (but by no means all) of the parents who live in the area immediately surrounding the school - the parents for whom Washington is a neighborhood school.

But Washington is not now, nor has it ever been, strictly a neighborhood school. Washington is the largest K-5 building in the district and the population from the attendance area alone could not begin to fill it.

Your readers should also know that the petition was not circulated to all Washington families and that a request from one parent that the petition be shared on the school listserv was ignored or denied. It was not translated into Spanish, despite a longstanding practice of translating all school and PTA communication for the 40 percent of our population that is Spanish-dominant.

Families of children who ride the bus were not shown the petition. Of course, it is unlikely that these other constituencies would have signed it since, although they are very much a part of the Washington community, they are not in the "neighborhood." So, while the petition represents a legitimate voice at Washington, it is only one of many voices.

The real issue for Washington School and all District 65 schools is the lack of clear educational vision emanating from the current administration. We've been down this road every year for the past eight years and the program placement issue has raised the same larger issues again and again and again:

• Do we want a language academy?
• Should we have more K-8 schools?
• Should we have more magnet schools?
• Should we have fewer magnet schools?
• What are the pros and cons of limiting access to magnets based on neighborhood?
• Are families fleeing the District - either by moving out of Evanston or by moving their children to private schools?

We all know from experience that the common response of any community asked to accept any new program in their midst will be "we support the goals of your proposed program, but don't change our school," or "not in my back yard." This response has been standard, whether the program was TWI, ACC, Special Ed or ESL - with the result that some of the students at greatest risk have been bounced around from school to school from year to year.

Individual school communities are largely unable to see the big picture and, under this administration, have learned to operate under the "those-who-scream-loudest-get-what-they-want" principle. Since this is an issue that reaches beyond any individual school community, we need a leader who can articulate and implement a clear vision and a long-term plan based on sound educational data.
-- Kristin Brown

Test Scores Have Improved at District 65
Open Letter to the D65 Community:

The preliminary results of the 2005-06 Illinois achievement tests were presented to the Board of Education on October 16. These results are very encouraging and reflect the hard work of our students and teachers. They also reflect the community's support of our teachers and students. The full report is available in PDF format on our District 65 homepage (www.district65.net). Below are some highlights from the report.

Higher levels of student achievement continue to be demonstrated by our assessment results. District 65's student accomplishments in reading and mathematics continue a trend of academic improvement seen over the past several years. Students who historically excel in District 65 continue to do so.

Importantly, significant numbers of students who historically struggle in District 65 are now demonstrating higher levels of academic achievement.

An example of significant growth in mathematics achievement is the increase in the percent of eighth-grade African-American students meeting standards from 25 percent in the 1998-99 school year to 75 percent in the 2005-06 school year. Similarly, improvements are seen across all grade levels when looking at multi-year comparisons for students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs), Hispanic students, and our low-income students.

Like the mathematics achievement profile, there is significant improvement in the area of reading. The increase in the percent of eighth-grade low-income students meeting standards from 39 percent in 2003 to 71 percent in 2006 is illustrative of our improvement in reading achievement. Progress is also evident in the multi-year comparisons across grade levels for African-American and Hispanic students, and students with IEPs.

Finally, in both reading and math, there is significant improvement in the achievement results for Limited-English-Proficient students.

Multi-year commitments of programmatic resources and staff efforts are reflected in these achievement results.

Additionally, partnerships and support from local institutions such as the City of Evanston, Northwestern University, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, the McGaw YMCA, the Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston Township High School, the network of community organizations that supports educational programs for our students, and our elected officials in local, state and federal government are also critical to this success.

It is with sincere appreciation for the support from the entire school community that I present these accomplishments of our students for the 2005-06 school year.
--Hardy Murphy, Ph.D Superintendent of Schools

Talks Should Have Included City-NU Committee
Editor:

Alderman Cheryl Wollin's recent letter chastises her constituents for not knowing her position on the proposed rezoning of T1 and T2 districts in the neighborhood adjoining Northwestern before we notified our neighbors of these negotiations. In fact, she kept the entire matter secret from her constituents despite the mandate of the federal consent decree that settled Northwestern's lawsuit over the Northeast Evanston Historic District and that established a committee to hold public discussions of land use issues involving Northwestern's properties in those zoning districts.

Ald. Wollin and I are members of the Committee, whose activities are not restricted to its regular meetings.

Northwestern failed to disclose its pursuit of changes to the T1 and T2 zoning at the Committee's meeting on Sept. 21.

Ald. Wollin learned of the secret negotiations a week later but never told the community representatives on the Committee. Rather than lead this effort to protect her ward, Ald. Wollin criticizes it. Nor was Ald. Wollin any more forthcoming when she was asked for her position on the secret zoning negotiations. Instead, she refused to answer my specific inquiry until after the Oct. 9 City Council meeting. By then, of course, it was clear which way the wind was blowing.

Since then, Ald. Wollin has said she opposes any change to the T1 and T2 districts, and that any such changes should be discussed publicly by the City/NU Committee. That's good. But when secret negotiations to rezone our neighborhood occur, we shouldn't have to ferret out the truth on our own and then cajole grudging post hoc support from our alderman.

The next time someone proposes to sell out your constituents, Ald. Wollin, just say "no."
-David E. Schoenfeld

"Yes" Vote on Referendum Will Help Maintain Diversity
Editor:

I am both an Evanston resident and executive director of Evanston's Housing Options, an agency which offers affordable housing and services to adults with chronic and persistent mental illnesses. In both of capacities, I support the Housing Referendum to be voted upon on Nov. 7.

Evanston is a place of rich cultural and economic diversity, and for this I am proud. I wish for my children to grow up in a neighborhood that values diversity. I myself support Evanston's diversity by helping Housing Options to better serve its residents, in turn bettering the whole Evanston community. With the cost of living and housing on the rise, many Evanston workers are unable to afford to live in the community where they work and people who have grown up here are unable to return to live in their hometown.

This problem must be addressed and resolved. This referendum represents the first step in the achievement of this goal. The funds resulting from the referendum will serve as seed money toward the true resolution of this issue.

Affordable housing is important to many individuals. I have seen first-hand how some of these individuals, mainly the residents of Housing Options, have contributed positively to their community.

Housing Options is one of the few Evanston organizations that offers affordable housing, and one of the very few that offers it to adults with chronic and persistent mental illnesses. Housing Options' residents are active members of this community, working, volunteering or attending college here.

Given the opportunity, many individuals from diverse backgrounds could contribute positively to this community by becoming vibrant and active members of it, like those I have witnessed at Housing Options. This opportunity is contingent upon the availability of affordable housing. Supporting and encouraging a diverse community makes Evanston a better place for our generation and those that will follow.

As a homeowner, I am aware of the minimal consequence this referendum will have if and when the day comes to sell my home. I will be more than happy to take this small tax increase into consideration when pricing my home.

I would recommend that every Evanstonian who values the diversity of this community to support it on Nov. 1 by voting "Yes" for the Housing Referendum.
-- Alexander Brown

Neighborhood Schools Are Cornerstone of Success
Editor:

It may be that we have turned a corner in D65, apparently to the chagrin of the Board. But as Dr. Murphy acknowledged, this was the result of dedicated teachers, a supportive administration and engaged school communities. Rather than build upon this communal success, we're now being asked to dismantle it.

Our children will face a future of global markets. As an immigrant, a bilinguist and a business person I welcome any efforts the administration can make to enable them to take part in that competition. But a language academy? Our global competitors are not frittering away their time on Tennyson and Greek. They have focused their energies on the math and science fundamentals, which truly do represent the global language of our age.

Choice Schools? Research on the choice-school lottery system in Chicago showed that it was not the choice schools that led to individual success; it was the fact that the children who were chosen to attend were motivated to succeed. Children who entered the lottery but were unsuccessful were just as likely to excel as those children who were successful in the lottery. Sticking kids on a bus does not magically transport them to higher achievement, regardless of whom they sit beside in class.

We want our children to take part in the global community, but how do they even know what community is if we undermine one of its key ingredients, its schools? Whether it's a language academy, a choice school or just a faded magnet, these institutions cannot be but poor surrogates for genuine communities. Our children cannot take part in the global community if they cannot understand the language of our technological age. They cannot contribute to the global community if we do not provide them with the keys to unlock their own talents. They cannot even grasp the notion of the global community if they grow up in a town where the foundations of our communities are broken up.

We need to build on our success, and our community schools are the cornerstones of that success. Don't reverse the process now!
-- Michael G. Ennis

Vote Against Schakowsky
Editor:

I have been working as a Democratic election judge in Evanston for the past twenty years. This election I will not be voting for Janice D. Schakowsky to continue for another two years in congress. I will cast my vote for her opponent, Michael P. Shannon, whom I don't even know.

The reason why a Democrat will not vote for a Democrat is simple: Just try to get help when you need help in cutting red tape from the congress lady's office. That goes as well for the other three office-holders who share space at 820 Davis St.

I was refused help from all four political leaders because I told a lady who works in one of those offices two years ago, that if Ms. Iris Johnson, who for many, many, years was an aide to the congress lady, would run against Janice D. Schakowsky for that office, that I thought that Iris Johnson could win.

I met Iris Johnson many years ago at the Evanston Civic Center. I came there needing some help. I walked into Ms. Johnson's office and was greeted with a smile and respect. She asked me why I had come to her office and I explained my problem and the help I was seeking.

Mrs. Johnson went right to work on her telephone and got me what I needed in less than thirty minutes.When my meeting with Mrs. Johnson was over, she got up, shook my hand and said if she could ever be of help again that I should come back.

The people at 820 Davis need to get some lessons on how to treat their constituents from Ms. Iris Johnson. So to all my fellow Democrats, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006, take your time and think before you cast your vote for a candidate in the ninth congressional district. What happened to me may someday happen to you.
--John T. Poleski

Veterans Should Wear Medals to Show Patriotic Pride
Editor:

General George Washington had it right when he turned over the victorious Continental Army and said: "This new nation owes these men who procured our freedom a debt of gratitude."

As the secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), my job is to fulfill that debt of gratitude. But there is even more we can do as Americans, and that is to honor and thank our veterans and encourage them to be openly proud of their service, sacrifice and accomplishment.

In that spirit of gratefulness, VA has launched its Veterans Pride initiative where we are asking American veterans to proudly wear their military medals and decorations on Veterans' Day, Nov. 11, 2006.

We hope they will also wear them on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, and that it will become a tradition in America.

Our goal is to inspire the American people to recognize and honor the military service of their fellow citizens, and to engender a greater sense of pride and satisfaction on the part of the veterans for what they have done for our country.

We are urging all veterans to pin on their military medals and ribbons on Veterans' Day, especially when participating in festivities and parades, but also in just going about their regular activities of that day.

The Veterans Pride initiative shines a bright light on millions of our fellow citizens who have answered the needs of our nation both in peace and in war. Each veteran's medals tell a story about his or her service. This initiative will also help stimulate interest in our veterans' service and the sacrifices of their families, neighbors, colleagues and fellow community members. We hope to bring our veterans' stories home to all Americans this Veterans' Day.

The Department of Veterans Affairs "Veterans Pride" campaign website, http://www.va.gov/veteranspride/, describes the program and offers important information and guidance about how veterans can be informed of the medals they have received and how they can obtain the medals they earned during their military service.
To America's veterans I say, " Wear your medals over your heart with pride this Veteran's Day, and let your fellow citizens know that you served."
-- R. James Nicholson,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Council Should Not Stay Course on Selling Civic Center
Editor:

It is remarkable in how many ways recent actions and activities by members of the Evanston City Council - all Democrats - mirror the actions and activities of members of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress. Of course, there are huge differences in the impact these actions and activities have on all of their constituents, but many of the methods used are surprisingly similar.

In the drive to "stay the course" on their untenable decision to sell the Civic Center site, we have had our own version of dubious evidence, arrogance, misleading statements and secrecy.

Our Council made its decision, in executive sessions, based on single-source information, on the advice of developer-friendly consultants. Lacking was the construction and City planning experience that might have led to sound and imaginative planning of the rehabilitation of the Civic Center. And now the Council is moving ahead, in a bull-headed manner, to "stay the course" and pursue its faulty vision, without an exit strategy and without the support of the community as a whole.

The current negotiations with Northwestern University about purchase or acquisition by eminent domain of a site on University Place offer a clue to the Council's ignorance of a city-planning strategy. To try to place our City's most important building into a crowded site between a poorly designed hotel building and the entrance drive to the loading dock of a major condominium and retail structure along East Railroad Avenue would, to even a modestly experienced city planner, seem to be a ludicrous planning solution. Of course, no one has the vaguest notion of what some favorite developer would be willing to pay for the Civic Center site or what a new building would really cost.

Our Civic Center - and it is our Civic Center, not the Council's - is situated on a beautiful, generous site, easily accessed with lots of parking for visitors. It does need rehabilitation and preservation work. But the costs, amounting to an estimated $20 million - a number put forth by the advocates for selling the site - are misleading. Those costs include a construction "wish list" of at least $6 million in improvements that are not essential to the operation of the Civic Center. These improvements may be added, if truly found to be desirable, at a time when adequate funds become available.

A proper strategy for rehabilitation of the Civic Center would, first of all, call for the employment of qualified architectural and engineering consultants to identify repairs that need to be done immediately, to prepare the necessary contract documents and receive proposals. The consultants would then develop a program of overall space needs, propose a schedule of sequential repair and improvement phases that would be implemented over a number of years and develop contract documents and receive bids for the early rehabilitation phases - all this work being done while the building remains in use.

Am I "cutting and running" from the Council's misguided course? You bet! If my fellow citizens will join in, we might still be able to bring our alderpersons to their senses and save our Civic Center.
--Hans A. Friedman, FAIA

League Urges "Yes" Vote on Transfer Tax Referendum
Editor:

For a large number of Americans, it is standard procedure at election time to turn to the League of Women Voters for recommendations regarding issues. The League's non-partisan stance on candidates and thoroughness when studying issues has earned it well-deserved trust.

This year, when Evanstonians go to the polls on Nov. 7 (or earlier, if they take advantage of the new early-voting law), they will see at the bottom of their ballots a referendum in regard to the "real estate transfer tax" - the tax that all residents pay when they sell their homes.

The League of Women Voters of Evanston urges you to vote "Yes" on the referendum.

The referendum was placed on the ballot by the Evanston City Council. If passed by a majority of those who vote on this issue, it will provide a source of help for low- and moderate-income persons who seek affordable housing in Evanston. That help will come from a $1 increase in the real estate transfer tax, from $5 per $1000 to $6 per $1000 of the selling price, payable by the seller.

How will this increase benefit you?
Evanston attracts residents who seek diversity. Diversity improves the quality of our lives in many ways, and it is an important reason why our property values remain high. To continue and enhance the diversity we cherish and from which we benefit, we must try to make it possible for those in lower income brackets to live in our community.

Over the years, the League has undertaken many studies on various aspects of housing in Evanston, leading to our taking action in support of fair housing and the landlord/tenant ordinance, and the condominium ordinance, among others. Out of that experience comes our strong support for increasing affordable-housing opportunities. The recent trend toward expensive housing in our City is keeping many of our teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other City workers from living in the city they serve - indeed, in which they may have grown up.

Passage of this referendum is one step. Another important step would be passage of the inclusionary housing ordinance now before the City Council, requiring developers of certain-size units to set aside a percentage of those units as "affordable" (lower-priced), or to opt instead to put money into an affordable-housing fund. Although the ordinance seems to be stymied at the Council level, we urge the Council to work through the legal issues for an expedited passage.

When Evanstonians vote on Nov. 7, we hope they will follow ourstrong recommendation to vote "Yes" on the affordable-housing referendum.
--Karen Telser, President
League of Women Voters of Evanston

Domestic Violence Can Be Mental, Too
Editor:

I sincerely applaud the promotion of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month during October. Anyone who has experienced or been subject to battery from an abusive spouse or family member deserves all the safety and support he or she can get from friends, family and community agencies set up to deal with this pervasive societal problem.

Despite my praise, I am concerned that this anti-domestic violence campaign seems to be focused strictly on the aspect of physical battery. Do the organizers realize that domestic mental abuse is just as pervasive and destructive as physical assault?

To me, repeatedly telling a person he or she is an incompetent father, mother, son or daughter also represents domestic violence.

So is repeatedly telling a person he or she is insane, worthless and stupid, or threatening to ruin his or her home-life, reputation, or ability to make a living. Even worse, most emotional abusers are skilled at making their victims feel they invited such abuse, and that they are responsible for what has happened to them.

The bruises and scars produced from battery by a family member are more readily apparent than those of the verbal variety, but the two are equally devastating. I sincerely hope that future Domestic Violence Awareness months can the focus on both the physical and mental aspects of this problem.
Joseph Agnew

Board Should Be Professional, Not Personal, Especially in Light of Good News
Editor:

Not having attended a Board of Education meeting for awhile, I was not overly surprised at the differences of opinion I saw on Oct. 16. This Board has become famous for sometimes spending almost as much energy on personality issues as dealing with kids.

But as the parent of a Haven sixth-grader, I can only tell you how embarrassed I was at the reaction of the entire Board to Dr. Murphy's presentation on school testing.

Despite how some of you feel about this man personally, the results showed the District is headed in the right direction, which is, I believe, the reason you hired him. The Oct. 16 report was not simply a momentary up-tick in statistics, and you all know it.

I have been one of the first to criticize the Superintendent when I disagreed with his choices. That night, though, you should have all sucked it up a bit and given him a pat on the back for this effort, as he did his teachers and principals. Imagine the good will the Board might have won. As usual, though, some of you found it more important to show the voters how smart you believe you are.

Indeed, some of you seem to have forgotten that you were elected to assist the Superintendent with the long-term direction of our schools. That means you win some and you lose some. But no matter what, it shouldn't become personal.

The lack of empathy you showed on Oct. 16 for a job well done did more to further damage the Board's reputation than anything I've seen in quite some time.

As I heard from one of you at a Board meeting not long ago ... "If the voters don't like me, they can vote me out of office."

Come April, that may be exactly the strategy the voters have lined up.
-Robert Mark

Commends Dan Seals
Editor:

Although Evanston is not in the 10th Congressional District, I would like to urge my fellow Evanstonians to do everything possible to support Dan Seals, Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives from the Illinois 10th District. Dan's victory over his opponent, Mark Kirk, is crucial to regain Democratic control of the House in the upcoming mid-term election on Nov. 7.

Even while Mr. Kirk has portrayed himself as a "moderate" Republican, he actually has voted with the Republican leadership in the House 91 percent of the time! That means he has voted with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who was indicted and forced to resign.

On the issue of the Iraq war, which I believe is the biggest crisis facing our country today, Dan has spoken clearly. Dan has said, "I believe our best approach is a responsible redeployment from Iraq. A redeployment must be accompanied by clear, measurable goals that enable our troops to leave as soon as possible. Our troops deserve nothing less."

Let's do everything we can to get rid of Congressman Kirk and elect Dan Seals. Please go to www.dansealsforcongress.com/to learnhowyou can help. Let's do all we can to help Democrats take back the House!
-- Nancy Traver

Vote for Peraica
Editor:

The last Republican I supported for public office was Dwight D. Eisenhower. I was in fifth grade, and didn't know any better. But I am supporting Tony Peraica for President of the Cook County Board.

I am outraged by the way Cook County treats people in its Juvenile Detention Center. The County has been taken to court over it - successfully - but the abuse of continues. Patronage rules.

Todd Stroger has an inconsequential record as an elected official. I doubt that he has ever made a hard decision in his young, privileged life. Todd Stroger is the Democratic patronage machine's long term strategy for control.

I don't agree with all of Peraica's positions, but I am confident that the Cook County Board - and the independent Democrats that are serving on it - will work with him effectively.

I can't wait for my Peraica yard sign to join those for the Democrats that I continue to support.
--Stephen A. Perkins