Burros, Blue Demons to Share D159 Field Space
The two youth athletic teams now have a home at the Mokena Elementary fields, but some board members are unhappy about how the facilitation of the field agreement was handled.
The Mokena Burros and the Lincoln-Way Blue Demons have officially found a home at the fields at Mokena Elementary School.
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education unanimously approved an agreement granting field usage to the youth athletic organizations for the next two years at a meeting Wednesday evening.
Both teams are in need of a place to compete. The Burros youth football team, which struggled to find play space last season, was recently ousted from its practice field, a vacant lot that will soon be the site of a new Meijer grocery store.
“I’m asking for the support of the school board,” said Burros Vice President Dan LaValle.
The Blue Demons baseball team has had a contract to play on the Mokena Elementary fields for the past decade, but it expired last year.
The fields are located beside the school and to the west of it. During game season, the teams are responsible for the field’s maintenance and upkeep.
Representatives for both teams attended the meeting to voice the need for the field use agreement.
“It’s nice to see everybody working together again,” said Board Member Scott Peters.
Although the entire board supported the agreement, many board members were unhappy with the actions surrounding its arrangement.
Peters told the board that he felt it was inappropriate that the proposal was brought to the board as an action item, without any opportunity to discuss the agreement beforehand at a meeting where a vote was not scheduled to take place.
According to Peters, there was no informational report provided to the board and the agreement was organized by a committee of one, Board President Patrick Markham, the formation of which was not approved by the board.
“The way this came about was not right,” said Board Member Jeff Regan.
Markham said that no committee meetings were held during the course of the facilitation of the agreement and that the intent of the process was to match the expedient nature of the teams’ needs.
“If the term ‘committee’ was used inadvertently, I apologize,” said Markham.
Several board members expressed concern about the process of the agreement’s coordination and Peters said that he was unaware that there were talks of a deal until he read about it in the newspaper.
“I had problems with the procedural issues,” said Board Member Mike Ford.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the board voiced support for hiring a Spanish teacher for the district.
Mokena Junior High School is currently the only feeder school for Lincoln-Way High School District 210 not to offer Spanish.
When a Spanish teacher is hired, students must apply to take the class, which pulls its curriculum directly from District 210. This allows students who take Spanish in junior high school to begin high school enrolled in Spanish II.
It is estimated that Mokena Junior High would have three sections of Spanish during the first year that the class is offered.
Tom Mullins, of the search firm B.W.P. & Associates, told the board Wednesday that 35 candidates are currently being considered for the position of D159 superintendent.
Mullins will present the final six candidates at the board’s next meeting, on Feb. 20.
Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:
In This article
-
Mokena Elementary School
11244 Willow Crest Ln, Mokena, IL -
-
Mokena Junior High School
19815 Kirkstone Way, Mokena, IL -
Ann C. Piasecki
Joined Patch Wednesday, November 24, 2010
R.W.Voter
2:42 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I commend you Mr. Markham for your dilligent effort. Well Done Marine. Thank You
Amanda Bowl
6:35 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
So Meijers is finally going to start building?
Anna Schier
6:42 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Hi Amanda,
I'm not sure on the exact timeline yet, but I'm currently in the process of reporting a story on the Meijers construction process. Keep an eye out for more detailed information in the coming days.
Thanks!
Anna
Accurate Reporter
7:29 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
j
Accurate Reporter
7:59 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
A few things our young journalist left out in her report of the meeting:
Mr. Markham, in his response to Mr. Peters comments, mentioned that this issue has been around for well over a year (since John Troy was President) and that he was responding to the urgent need of the two teams, who needed the contract approved so they could settle their seasonal schedules.
Mr. Markham also indicated that he provided a copy of the contract, after review by District lawyers, to each of the board members two weeks before the item was to be voted on. Mr. Markham indicated that this was generally in keeping with the Board's current process of discussing an item at one meeting and voting on it at the next meeting two weeks later.
Mr. Markham also remarked that he acted as he did to meet the needs of the Burros and Blue Demons and who they represent and that he was not acting as a "committee"; instead his actions were in keeping with how the Administration normally does its business.
Mr. Regan described that he was "shocked" to read in the newspaper about the contract between the two teams and the board with no mention of it during any previous board meeting.
R.W.Voter
7:48 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I really can't see anyone disagreeing, since Mr. Markham has been Board President things have been done. He was the one member who pushed for the anti-bullying program, he secured this contract. The budget looks as closed to balanced as it has since I moved here. He has had to listen to false accusations of wrongdoing, by the people he beat in the election and the pro referendum people. Mr. Markham knows that the School District has drained all cash possible from the people of Mokena, now I wish he could get MIS closed and on the market. The money we would save from staff, administration and utilities would really help. Again, thanks Mr. Markham.
Thank you.
Against Delusion
10:11 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
It wouldn't be a R-Dub post without mentioning closing MIS. Not going to happen...
carole
5:56 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Interesting to me that no one is asking the park district why they are building a building and not looking at existing structures. Even the vacant Ace Hardware also. Shouldn't that question be asked?
Brian H
9:03 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
That's obviously a different board meeting, but I agree. The park district is spending Mokena taxpayer money that would be better spent elsewhere. Why does the park district feel that they need to offer full-day kindergarten? Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the school district to re-establish full-day kindergarten instead. They already have the space, but not the money. The park district has the money, but not the space.
RAK
12:20 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Because the park district wouldn't have to hire union teachers?
Brian H
2:22 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
@RAK: Is that speculation? I would think that the teachers that are already teaching the half-day kindergarten program at MES are already union teachers.
carole
9:21 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Are they trying to offer a full day Kindergarten or full day preschool? We have seen all of two sentences about this which tells you something. The park district(a taxing body)should be under scrutiny the same as the school district. We don't need another low use building on our hands. I am surprised that the "Patch" has not asked and printed outright why existing buildings have not been considered? At least for now. Also what is the response to that question. We have heard nothing along those lines. It always makes you suspicious when taxing bodies do things in this manner. No open meeting to discuss this...etc.
Brian H
11:00 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
@carole: I base my comment on a Herald-News article, dated 1/4/2013, titled "Mokena Park District: Kindergarten program a future possibility," which stated just that. I wrote the editors of the Mokena Patch at the end of January suggesting an article on the subject and was told by the editor, Ann Piasecki, that she was planning to interview the Mokena Park District the following week. I would assume that an article is forthcoming. Patch?
carole
11:37 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Thanks Brian,I missed that article. Why is the PD trying to do the schools job and the Library is trying to do the PD job ? I to made a request to Patch to be more specific and am still waiting. The editor thought it was worthy of checking on but that was the last I heard. Surely they won't wait until after the election to give any pertinent info...