Tom Ritter
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On the article Pension Tension: School Districts Send Opposition to Springfield
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On the article Best Buys Will Be Closed
Tom Ritter
3:48 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
ReplyI used to work at the Tinley store, and getting people to buy product that was in the store was the biggest challenge. Even back in 2008-09, when I was there, people would often say "I'll buy that (item) online." Fact is, things like cables, TV wall mounts, and other "accessories" are significantly cheaper on Amazon or NewEgg or other online electronics retailers (not to mention the savings in not paying sales tax back then). Of course, if you're like me, you want that video game or new gadget to take home and play with right after you buy it.
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On the article 'Give Me All the Money... Or I'll End You,' Robbers Tell Mokena Clerk
Tom Ritter
5:33 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
ReplyLynn, the Gas City that was at the corner of LaGrange and LaPorte was purchased by Speedway, LLC after Gas City declared bankruptcy.
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On the article Bring It On: Patch Editors Put Dignity on the Line Over L-W East-Sandburg Game
Tom Ritter
1:10 pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
ReplyMan, you guys are putting the pressure on the sports stringer covering this game...
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On the article Patch: A Million Articles and Counting
Tom Ritter
10:56 am on Thursday, August 4, 2011
ReplyI'm very happy that I fell in to Patch at the very beginning in the Chicago area. I found out about it while a temporary job I had was ending. Now, 500 personal pieces and a little less than a year later, I'm proud I helped contribute to this amazing milestone. I've become more passionate about local journalism and I've discovered another route in my journalistic bag of tricks. I studied TV and radio broadcasting in college, and I've found a new outlet with Patch. Now, when I'm at various sporting events in the area, I have parents thanking Patch for their coverage, especially when I'm the only reporter there.
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On the article Lincoln-Way West Band Director Steve Nedzel Dies
Tom Ritter
7:11 pm on Friday, June 17, 2011
ReplyOn a personal note, I worked with Mr Nedzel in his first few years at Lincoln-Way Central as part of the crew for musicals. I can remember many a time busting out in laughter because of something he had said. While I was never directly his student, he made the time to talk to me and everyone at Lincoln-Way.
Not only am I proud to have called him a teacher and friend, but also a fraternity brother. He was a member of the Alpha Xi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at the University of Illinois. I became a member of the Kappa Sigma chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfoina at Valparaiso University in 2005.
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On the article Village Board Asks About Outlet Mall Parking, Marketing Plans
Tom Ritter
11:41 am on Tuesday, June 7, 2011
ReplyJanice, thanks for your comment. I'll answer your question in three parts.
1. The outlet mall will be about 500,000 sq. ft., so it will stretch quite a ways. The access point will be off Silver Cross Road, but the entire development could stretch all the way to Gougar (including proposed residential developments.)
2. Thank you for the clarification. I misread my notes re: Farnsworth/Rosemont. He is working on another development in Rosemont.
3. He did in fact say outlots and not outlets. The marketing involved here is very complex, but the outlots--i.e. hotels, restaurants, a bank--are going to be attracted by the "Chicago" name attached to the mall. He added that outlet malls can sell their products cheaper because of low overall costs, which does include marketing. The mall as a whole will be the attraction to the region.
Tom Ritter
3:56 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
I don't often weigh in on things like this, but I feel I have to. My mother has been a teacher my entire life and the LAST words I would use to describe her are "lazy" and overpaid. Teachers may only be in the classroom 9 months of the year, but it is a 12-month job. They constantly think of things to do in their classrooms, with their students, etc. It's not an easy job to corral a group of 30 sixth graders and teach them how to solve for "x" or the role of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. Some teachers make $100K because they have been at it for 30+ years. If someone is in any business for that long, they deserve a larger paycheck.
When my mom taught in the private sector, there were times her paycheck bounced. She would work well in excess of 40 hours a week. Even now, she works far more than 40 hours a week for less pay per hour than people with half the education.
Secondly, the money that goes to public schools teachers does come from tax payers like you and me, but they pay taxes too. Teachers don't get social security because of systems like TRS. They pay into it as any typical employee would pay into a pension fund, however they don't have the choice.