School levy in Morris: Rock, rock on!

We just got back from a very energizing School Board meeting where a number of people did an excellent job of making it clear that the kind of cuts being consider would really hurt, and making a strong case for alternatives (like increasing our levy).

Of the many people who spoke eloquently for this vital cause, stand-outs for me were Greg Thorson, Arne Kildegaard, and Dave Erickson for the MARQS group, and Dave Johnson and Dot Vick on behalf of the teachers. Greg, Arne, and Dave E. made it clear that the community realized how serious and difficult the problem was, but that there were options other than deep cuts (e.g., increasing the levy), and that there was significant support for exploring such alternatives.

Dave J. and Dot did a great job (in very different ways) of pointing out what would be lost on the arts side if the proposed cuts went through. Dot used the names of the various kids of the School Board members that had been, were, or might be involved in the music program as a great way of really bringing the message home to the Board and got a great round of applause.

There were also two very well spoken students (don’t remember their names, I’m afraid) and Athena Kildegaard on the importance of the arts for students, and a group of bus drivers who expressed significant concerns regarding the possible privatization of the school bus system.

A number of other people who spoke on behalf of not gutting important programs, and dozens of people (like us) who were there to clap and cheer at appropriate moments but didn’t actually speak. I was really impressed by the turn out, and I think the applause at various moments really helped emphasize the broad support for the message.

Pumped by all that, WeatherGirl and I worked up a MARQS logo that I dreamt up (literally – maybe more on that later). We’re thinking t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc., maybe from CafePress. I also should get it plugged in to the MARQS web site, but CSS continues to drive me crazy. I really need to just get a book and learn the rules instead of guessing and flailing :-(.

Heading to my wish list, Perfect tracks on Blue Note. It’s featured on the cover of the latest Electric Fetus catalogue, and it sounds very cool.

Currently listening to: The brilliant “Mercury blues” from David Lindley’s El-rayo X.

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