A proposed contract would push most Waukegan School District 60 teachers' salaries up 3.5 or 4.5 percent next year, which the school board president said was part of an effort to bridge the pay gap between Waukegan and other nearby communities.

The district released a draft of the proposed contract changes Friday afternoon after a district spokesman said union members approved the new four-year contract.

Teachers approved the proposed agreement by a wide margin, with 97 percent voting "yes," teachers' union President Kathy Schwarz said, adding in a news release announcing the vote that the Waukegan Teachers' Council and the Lake County Federation of Teachers would be endorsing school board President Mike Rodriguez along with candidates Porfirio Garcia and Brandon Ewing in the April 4 board elections.

"(W)e know that they will continue to promote the spirit of cooperation between the Board and the Teachers' Union," Schwarz said in the statement.

Rodriguez said it was important to him to reach a deal before the elections because no one knows what the make-up of the new board would be, and he wanted to ensure a contract was in place before the next school year started.

Rodriguez added that he started reaching out to union leadership two years ago after he was elected board president. He said he vowed then that the 16,800-student district would not go through another situation like the bitter monthlong strike in 2014 that preceded the last contract.

Under the proposed four-year contract, starting teacher salaries would rise 2.25 percent the first year, 2 percent the second, 2.25 percent the third and 2 percent the fourth, according to a breakdown of contractual changes provided by the district. In the last contract, starting salaries rose 2.5 percent in the second year and 1.25 percent in the final year.

Teachers who have between one and 22 creditable years of service would see their salaries rise 4.5 percent the first year, 4 percent the second, 4.5 percent the third and 4 percent the fourth, according to the contracts. The last contract started with raises of 5.75 percent followed by increases of 5 and 2.5 percent.

The longevity bump for teachers who hit 23 years of service would remain at 6 percent, according to the contract documents.

Teachers with 24 or more years would see a 3.5 percent increase the first year followed by raises of 3 percent in year two, 3.5 percent in year three and 3 percent in year four, according to district records. Teachers with that level of experience received raises of 3.25 percent in both year one and year two of the last contract and 2.5 percent of its final year.

The proposed increases fall within what the district was prepared to offer and is something the district can afford under financial projections prepared by district staff, Rodriguez said. He added that he feels it's important to bridge the pay gap between Waukegan and other nearby districts but that it can't be done in one contract.

"Their level of pay is below par with a lot of the neighboring districts," he said. "We get so many good teachers right out of college. We train them, we prepare them, and as soon as they become really experienced and knowledgeable, they go to another district."

Schwarz said she was "on the same page with his sentiments" in making the district more competitive, noting that bringing in new teachers and keeping them is always a concern.

The new contract also includes a new section on Senate Bill 100, a state law passed in 2015 that makes it harder for school districts to use discipline methods like suspensions and expulsions that takes students out of the classroom, according to the draft.

The changes are designed to address concerns raised by the union, Rodriguez said. The new law has led to uncertainties about how teachers can discipline students, making them more tentative and creating "times when students were a little bit more how should I say this bold and daring because they thought, 'Well, they can't suspend us,' " Rodriguez said.

The new law did not provide a lot of clarity and left a lot to districts to figure out for themselves, Schwarz said. She said she thought the only way to overcome those challenges was to inform teachers what the law says and include them in the process.

The proposed contract language says a team of teachers and administrators will assess how different interventions and consequences are working for individual students who commit infractions; teachers will be allowed to provide input before a final decision on interventions or discipline is made; and teachers will be notified of what that decision is.

Each school will develop their own "discipline plans," a fluid document meant to show how responsibility for student discipline is shared by the parents, the administration, the teacher and the student, and list nondisciplinary interventions available, according to the draft.

These additions would allow teachers and administrators to work together in building the frameworks in which discipline and interventions would occur, Schwarz said.

emcoleman@tribpub.com

Twitter @mekcoleman

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Waukegan teachers' union approves proposed four-year contract - Chicago Tribune

In 2015, quarterback Blake Bortles threw 35 touchdowns and receiver Allen Robinson had 1,400 yards.

Center Brandon Linder is regarded as the teams best offensive lineman.

Aaron Colvin doesnt have an interception but is a steady nickel cornerback.

And linebacker Telvin Smith has three 100-tackle seasons.

The Jaguars 2014 draft class has certainly shown flashes throughout their careers.

But theyve been on teams that went 3-13, 5-11 and 3-13.

So as they enter the final year of their rookie contracts, should the Jaguars let them play it out and prove they can be a part of a winning team?

That doesnt make a lot of business sense, general manager Dave Caldwell said earlier this month at the Combine.

That out of the way, Caldwell said more than likely the Jaguars will begin extension talks with select players after the draft and called it a case by case basis.

I think its important for the new staff to get a feel for them and how theyre going to be used and evaluate their value, Caldwell said.

Last season, we projected extensions for Robinson, Colvin, Linder and Smith, a fifth-year picked-up option for Bortles and a wait-and-see approach with receiver Marqise Lee.

After last years debacle, the changes in the front office/coaching staff and free-agent additions, its time to revisit and revise our predictions.

We would let all of them except for Linder start the regular season without an extension, but this is a guess on what the Jaguars will do:

*Bortles: Wont pick up the fifth-year option.

*Linder: Should be Priority A for the Jaguars among this group.

*Robinson: The Jaguars likely want to have him locked up long-term by the time training camp starts.

*Colvin: One league source thinks Colvin will want to play his deal out and leave so he can get a chance to play outside instead of over the slot receiver.

*Smith: Our guess is the Jaguars want to get a deal done.

*Lee: If he picks up where he left off last year, start contract talks midway through the year.

Rivera review

The Jaguars signed tight end Mychal Rivera on Wednesday so we went to the tape. In a 24-13 Oakland win over San Francisco in 2014, Rivera had a career-high 109 yards receiving on seven catches.

A look at Riveras receptions:

1. Right slot (five yards). Rivera had a free release and ran an out route.

2. Right H-back (19 yards). Lined up off the ball, he used an out-and-up move to easily get open.

3. Left tight end (18 yards). Rivera ran a 10-yard route down the middle, stopped to make the catch and re-started to gain additional yardage as three 49ers tried to tackle him.

4. Right tight end (27 yards). The Raiders lined up three tight ends to the right and used an eight-man protection. Rivera ran an over route and stopped in an open pocket of the coverage to wait for Derek Carrs throw.

5. Left receiver (27 yards). In a bunch formation with two teammates, Rivera ran another over route against soft coverage.

6. Left tight end (eight yards). Another free release and Rivera ran a shallow cross.

7. Right receiver (five-yard touchdown). In man coverage, Rivera used his body to gain position to make a jumping catch.

At least in this game, it looked like Riveras value to the Jaguars will be as a receiving tight end. He appeared to run good routes and was impressive after the catch.

Analyzing the spending

The industry website Overthecap.com had a terrific breakdown of each teams spending by position and by unit.

*The Jaguars ranked eighth overall ($160,141,244) and their breakdown was 58 percent defense and 42 percent offense, interesting because defensive contributors Yannick Ngakoue, Dante Fowler, Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Colvin are all on their rookie (less-expensive) contracts.

*The Jaguars defensive spending ranked fourth in the NFL, behind Tennessee (60 percent) and Denver and the Jets (both 59).

*Twenty-seven percent of the Jaguars 2017 money is allocated to the defensive line, behind only Tampa Bay (30) and Miami and the Jets (both 28).

*Only the Jaguars and Buffalo spend less than 10 percent apiece on the quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end positions.

*The highest positional spending is Cleveland on its offensive line (32 percent).

Appreciating Alualu

Tyson Alualu never played in a postseason game or a Pro Bowl during his seven years with the Jaguars, was demoted to back-up status entering the 2014 season and was a healthy scratch for the first two games of last year.

But Alualu, who signed with Pittsburgh last week, deserves a hat tip for his years of service to the franchise. Alualu played through knee issues, accepted a reduced role and became a starter in 2015 (tackle) and 2016 (end) because of injuries to SenDerrick Marks and Jared Odrick, respectively.

From the 2010 draft, Alualu ranks tied for second with Detroit/Miami defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in games played (110), just behind Denver/Jaguars/San Francisco guard Zane Beadles (112).

Final Drive

*Signing a player from a division rival isnt new for Jaguars executive vice president Tom Coughlin. This month, the Jaguars signed cornerback A.J. Bouye (Houston) and linebacker Josh McNary (Indianapolis). As the New York Giants coach from 2004-15, Coughlin saw the team sign eight free agents from NFC East rivals, including linebacker Antonio Pierce (2005 from Washington), defensive end Chris Canty (2009 from Dallas), tight end Martellus Bennett (2012 from Dallas) and special teamer Dwayne Harris (2015 from Dallas).

*All but one of the Jaguars nine unrestricted free agents have re-signed or signed with another team. Tailback Denard Robinson remains unsigned. The Jaguars re-signed guard Patrick Omameh and receiver Bryan Walters. Departing were Alualu, tackle/guard Luke Joeckel (Seattle), strong safety Johnathan Cyprien (Tennessee), left tackle Kelvin Beachum (Jets), defensive tackle Jordan Hill (Detroit) and cornerback Prince Amukamara (Chicago).

*Base salaries this year for nine Jaguars newcomers: Defensive end Calais Campbell ($9 million), left tackle Branden Albert ($8.425 million), strong safety Barry Church ($5 million), Bouye ($3 million), guard Earl Watford ($2 million), linebacker Lerentee McCray ($1.5 million), defensive tackle Stefan Charles ($1.25 million), linebacker Audie Cole ($1 million) and McNary ($775,000).

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Jaguars/NFL Insider: Post-draft, team will face decisions on contract extensions - Florida Times-Union

Running back James Butler is Nevada's top returning player for the 2017 season.(Photo: USA Today Sports)

The Nevada football team hits the field for its first practice under first-year coach Jay Norvell on Monday morning when it opens spring camp. The team will have 15 practices that culminate with the spring game April 29 at Mackay Stadium as it breaks in a new offensive scheme (the pass-happy Pack Attack) and defensive scheme (a 3-3-5 system). Here is a position-by-position look at the team, which includes the returning scholarship players, according to Nevadas online roster,and additions (most of which are freshmen who will arrive in the fall); a summation of the position and a position strength rating (out of 10).

Returners: Ty Gangi (jr.); Hunter Fralick (jr.); Dant Mayes (sr.); Cristian Solano (soph.)

Additions: David Cornwell (jr.); Kaymen Cureton (fr.)

In short: Gangi was solid after taking over the starting job late last season, throwing for 1,301 yards and completing 57.6 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and six interceptions (he also rushed for three scores), but Nevada didnt add Cornwell, a transfer from Alabama, to sit on the bench. Cornwell is on campus for spring ball and will battle with Gangi. He hasnt thrown a pass in a game since 2013 or played a full season since 2012, so theres rust to knock off but he could thrive in the pass-happy system.

Position strength 6 (out of 10) Gangi showed last year he was capable of leading a team; Cornwell has all the physical skills you want at the position.

Returners: James Butler (sr.); Jaxson Kincaide (so.); Kelton Moore (so.); Blake Wright (jr.); Isaiah Hamilton (fr.)

Additions: None

In short: The Wolf Pack coaches have stressed that the running back wont be phased out of the new pass-oriented offense and theyd be wise to get the ball to Butler as often as possible (hes the best player on the team). Kincaide, in particular, could thrive in the new offense as it is designed to get players in space and hes shifty. Butler caught just 12 passes in his first two seasons at Nevada but upped that number to 37 last season and will likely be a featured player in the passing attack.

Position strength 8 Butler is excellent and showed last season he can be a workhorse, but there isnt a lot of depth here if he gets hurt.

Returners: Wyatt Demps (sr.); Andrew Celis (jr.); Ahki Muhammad (jr.); Dominic Christian (so.); Brendan OLeary-Orange (so.); Victor Gonzalez (so.); David Harvey (fr.); Trevion Armstrong (fr.)

Additions: Theo Goodwin (fr.); Elijah Cooks (fr.); Ian Zamudio (fr.); Tyson Williams (fr.); McLane Mannix (fr.); Kaleb Fossum (jr.)

In short: Demps, who caught 53 passes for 686 yards and nine touchdowns last year, had a breakout junior season but could really blossom in Nevadas new offense. Only he and Celis (23 catches for 318 yards last season) have more than six career catches, so lots of roles will be open in Nevadas new four-receiver base. Muhammad is feisty in the slot; Christian has lots of potential; Armstrong and OLeary-Orange are huge targets; Gonzalez is a speed demon; and the incoming freshmen will get a shot.

Position strength 4 Demps is a potential pro but Nevada needs some young guys to grow up fast to maximize its new offensive system.

Returners: Evan Faunce (sr.); Brandon Scott (jr.); Miles Beach (fr.)

Additions: None

In short: Nevada has a long and storied history of excellent tight end play and has thrown out all-conference-caliberplayers like Anthony Pudewell, Erick Streelman, Virgil Green, Zach Sudfeld, Kolby Arendse and Jarred Gipson in the last 15 years. The Wolf Packs new offense wont kill the tight end, but the position will be de-emphasized. Faunces Pack career has been derailed by injuries, Scott proved last year he can catch some passes and Beach is an excellent prospect who could win reps at this position.

Position strength 3 The group has combined for seven catches (six from Scott) during their time at Nevada.

Returners: Austin Corbett (sr.); Daren Echeveria (jr.); Sean Krepsz (jr.); Ilya Lopez (sr.); Cliff Porter (soph.); Carl Burton-Hill (fr.); Jake Nelson (jr.)

Additions: Marshall Levins (jr.); Anthony Palomares (jr.); Gray Davis (fr.); Chase Windham (fr.)

In short: Former Nevada football coach Brian Polian was never able to build a strong offensive line and Norvell inherits a group thats thin on starting-caliber players. Corbett is excellent and Krepsz and Echeveria have started games (a combined 12), but thats about it. The rest of the group is a question mark after Nevada lost starters Jeremy Macauley, Nathan Goltry and Jake Henry, who started a combined 85 games. The JC additions Levins and Palomares need to be able to play right away.

Position strength 3 Youd like to have at least eight players ready to go on the offensive line. Nevada has just three sure things entering the spring.

Returners: Malik Reed (jr.); Patrick Choudja (sr.); Korey Rush (jr.); Jordan Silva (jr.); Kalei Meyer (jr.); Jarid Joseph (jr.); Nakita Lealao (sr.); Kori Collons (soph.); Hausia Sekona (soph.); Ricky Thomas Jr. (soph.); Kameron Toomer (fr.); Nick Gregg (fr.)

Additions: Chris Green (fr.); Dominic Peterson (fr.)

In short: Nevada has heavily stocked up at this position over the years, so Norvell didnt want to add much other than two prep defensive tackles who will likely redshirt. He was pleased with the talent level on the defensive line and said the staff just needs to develop those players. Reed made last years All-MW team and Choudja has talent that needs to be unlocked. Rush, Silva, Meyer, Joseph, Lealao and Sekona have all played snaps, so Nevada has plenty of players to pick from for its new three-man front.

Position strength 6 Reed is a difference-maker and theres enough talent here to develop some other high-level producers.

Returners: Gabe Sewell (soph.); Jaden Sawyer (sr.); Travis Wilson (sr.); Austin Paulhus (sr.); Lucas Weber (jr.); D.J. Powe (fr.); Lawson Hall (fr.)

Additions: Trevor Price (fr.); Lamin Touray (fr.)

In short: This position was a problem last season and lost its most productive player in Alex Bertrando, who had 106 tackles. Sewell and Sawyer started last season, so theyre a nice base to start with. Wilson has had the potential tag for a long time and is an uber athlete. Can he finally break out as a senior? Dont be shocked to see Nevada rely heavily on the freshmen (Powe and Hall, who redshirted last year, and Price and Touray, who are true freshmen) as the season goes along. Theyre the future here.

Position strength 4 Nevada needs this group to improve after the Wolf Pack ranked last nationally in run defense (297.6 yards/game) last year.

Returners: Kendall Johnson (sr.); EJ Muhammad (so.); Elijah Moody (jr.); Daniel Brown (so.); Kevin Howell (fr.); Daq Irby (fr.)

Additions: Brandon Brooks (jr.); Vosean Crumbie (jr.); Berdale Robins (fr.)

In short: Nevada lost one of its starting cornerbacks (Elijah Mitchell) and returns the other (Johnson, 25 career starts). Norvell targeted the defensive backfield in his first recruiting class, adding three cornerbacks and two safeties. JC transfers Brooks and Crumbie need to add immediate depth and should vie for starting jobs as the Pack shifts to a five-starter defensive backfield. Muhammad and Moody have played their share of snaps and Brown played as a true freshman (mostly on special teams) last season.

Position strength 4 There isnt an All-MW performer here but theres enough experienced depth and talented additions to be somewhat confident.

Returners: Asauni Rufus (jr.); Dameon Baber (jr.); Daylon Johnson (fr.); Cameron Turner (soph.); Marcus Lucas (fr.)

Additions: Nephi Sewell (fr.); Austin Arnold (fr.)

In short: Rufus and Baber enter their third season as starters, making this one of the teams most experienced units. Rufus has 200 tackles in his first two seasons and Baber has 139 tackles and six interceptions in two years, although he played better as a freshman than as a sophomore. Those two lead this group, which has a number of young players on the second line (four of the other five scholarship players are freshmen, including Arnold, who is listed as an athlete on Nevadas roster).

Position strength 5 Nevada should be confident about Rufus and Baber but theres not a lot of depth given the copious transfers at safety in recent years.

Returners: K Spencer Pettit (soph.); LS Wes Farnsworth (jr.); PR Andrew Celis (jr.)

Additions: None

In short: Pettit returns as Nevadas starting kicker after making 7-of-9 field goals and 18-of-19 extra points. The Wolf Pack doesnt have a punter listed on its roster entering spring camp, so it will have to figure that position out. Celis returned punts for Nevada last season but the Wolf Pack infused its roster in Norvells first recruiting class with several players who could return kickoffs and punts, so those positions will be sorted out through spring and fall camp, but it has been an emphasis of the new staff.

Position strength 4 Pettit proved to be an excellent kicker and the return unit should be improved, but the lack of a punter (right now) is an issue.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at cmurray@rgj.com or follow him on Twitter @MurrayRGJ.

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Breaking down Nevada football as it enters spring camp - Reno Gazette Journal

For more than 50 years and since the 1950's, Riser Animal Hospital has occupied an L-shaped piece of property in the 5300 block of Touhy Avenue, according to Riser officials who are looking to build an expansion.

The Skokie Plan Commission Thursday, March 16, unanimously recommended a special use permit for the project, which would allow Ridiculous Hat LLC, the owner of Riser, to move forward with the building addition.

The Skokie Village Board will have final say on the special use permit request at an upcoming meeting.

According to Riser's special use application, the building currently occupies 3,830 square feet of space and would add another 1,796 square feet with the addition. The inside of the existing hospital would also be "substantially renovated" including adding accessible restrooms, according to the application.

"The existing building is somewhat residential in character, and the doctors, staff, and pet owners wish to maintain this welcoming appearance," the application states. "The proposed building addition adds more visual variety and interest with a combination of face brick and other materials."

Developer Joe McCarthy with the firm of JF McCarthy said only two small additions have been built since the original building opened, which he said is believed to have been 1956.

He said two doctors now own the hospital.

"It's been maintained and in continuous operation," he said. "The (owners) want to bring it to the next level of service" to handle increased patient demand and range of services.

The addition would be located on the north side of the property near Touhy Avenue, McCarthy said.

An apartment on the second floor would remain unchanged, he said.

Village planners agreed the second-floor apartment is not an issue, but they said it would not be allowed above a veterinary hospital under today's code.

In essence, they said, the apartment is grand-fathered in.

McCarthy said the owners have worked with village staff to come up with a plan for the addition that includes storm water management, landscaping and improving the general appearance.

The nature of the existing operations will remain unchanged, he said, so there will be no increase in police demand.

Niles resident Ruth Cohen, a customer of Riser, told the commission she supports the expansion and values Riser's service.

"I've come to Riser Animal for 40 years," she said. "There's got to be a reason. It's good for the village of Skokie as well because when I go to Riser, I go (shop) at the Jewel in Skokie. So I think it would also bring more business into Skokie."

misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

SKReview_Mike

Read more here:
Longtime Skokie vet hospital gets Plan Commission nod for renovation - Chicago Tribune

A process for allowing residents to petition to make theirneighborhoods single-story only will go to the Cupertino City Council next month after the planning commission voted 4-1 last week in favor of the plan.

Often, neighborhoods will ask fora single-story overlay district to preserve history or a certain character of the neighborhood. Predominantly Eichler-style home neighborhoods in nearby cities like Sunnyvale have adopted single-story overlay districtstoprotectprivacy and access to natural light and views.

Cupertino currently has four single-story overlay districts, all near Highway 85 and De Anza Boulevard. There is also one designated Eichler home district and one agricultural district in the city thathave specific restrictions on alterations and additions to homes.

At its meeting on March 14, the commission heard a presentation from city planner Erick Serrano, who explained that there is no existing application process for residents who want to make their neighborhoods single-story overlay districts.

Only neighborhoods with 75 percent existing single-story homes will qualify for a single-story overlay district under the proposal.

According to the staff report, property owners from the Creston-Pharlap neighborhood to the east of Highway 85 and north of Stevens Creek Boulevard asked the city last summer about making their neighborhood a single-story overlay district,citingconcerns related to the approval of a complying two-story home in their neighborhood.

The city was concerned that a lack of an official process for creating these districts would result in problems and confusion among neighbors, leading to a contentious environment. So in August, the city council recommended staff study the itembefore moving forward with the request.

The proposedprocess would require the applicant to circulate a petition in the neighborhood. At least two-thirds of the property owners must sign the petition in order to submit an application with the city.

Once the application is submitted, the city would then look at zoning requirements, including compliance with existing regulations and environmental review.

Then, the affected property owners would be included in a formal mail-in voting process, of which two-thirds of the property owners would again have to agree with the proposal.

If the majority voted in favor of a single-story overlay district, the application would then be scheduled for public hearings with the planning commission and city council.

Serrano told commissionersthat city staff looked at surrounding jurisdictions for examples of single-story overlay district approval processes. Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Los Altos all have a process for approval, though each differs in their parameters.

According to the staff report, a neighborhood is anything that can be separated by boundaries, which are defined in the staff report asnatural or manmade features such as, streets, waterways and existing zoning boundaries.

Commissioner Geoff Paulsen voiced opposition to single-story exclusive neighborhoods, but supported the proposed petition process.

Times are changing in Cupertino, Paulsen said. We have to understand that change is coming, change is inevitable. I think people should be free to build a home that is, frankly, large and beautiful, and doesnt necessarily need to diminish the neighborhood itself. I think its inequitable to have a one-story overlay. So frankly, Im against it. I think that its unfortunate that other cities have gone ahead with this. I would like to see us become a city that welcomes newcomers, that welcomes immigrants and that welcomes a variety of architectural styles.

Commission Chair manDon Sun cast the lone dissenting vote because he felt having single-story districts at all would create more work for city staff, create tensions among neighbors and discourage newcomers from settling in certain neighborhoods.

Commissioner Alan Takahashi, however, said he believes the process will, for the most part, bring neighborhoods together instead of driving them apart.

I definitely feel like its an element that would drive a little more community cohesiveness because you would have a common cause, if you will, that the community would rally behind, he said. The downside would be creating a little bit of divisive environment for somebody that wants to add that second story. (But) my hope would be that they would have discussions with their neighbors that are in favor of the overlay. All in all, I fully support the overlay.

Serrano said a similar process will also exist for undoing a single-story overlay district if the neighborhood so wishes.

The city council is tentatively scheduled to hear the item at its April 18 meeting.

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Cupertino: Process to petition for single-story only neighborhoods headed to council - The Mercury News

A search for a particular postcard rarely ends with my putting my hand on the image I had in mind to start.

It began with a thought of the Public Market, the brick-faced store on Dodge Street that was, when I was a child, truly a food market, one of two year-round groceries on the island. For a spell there was a third, on what some still call the New Road, never mind that it hasn't been that now for more than a century. Primarily there were two stores, both year-round.

I know that the Public Market is shown in a series of Genuine Curteich-Chicago C. T. American Art postcards, all with a raised linen finish, and a narrow white border.

Printed on the back I knew but had forgotten are the words distributed by Block Island Public Market and I remember seeing them on a rack in that store and being taken by the sharpness of the images. They must have been among the last of that technique, photographs colored and processed to appear crisp and clean, before the standard became glossy color.

I presume they were done all at the same time, in the latter part of the 1940s, a guess based on a card of the Adrian Hotel with the sign First Baptist Church at its entrance. It would have been put there sometime after December 1944, when the Chapel Street church burned.

The congregation then moved to the Adrian, which had been gifted to the Trustees by the will of Lucretia Mott Ball. They prooceded to spend the next few years arguing about what to do and where to go before finally, not unanimously, voting to build a sanctuary onto the elegant hotel. The cornerstone indicates construction began in 1952.

There are other cards in my unsorted collection a pretense of a word for this assortment stuffed into envelope file folders then loose on my bottomless pit of a table is another, similar in colored, textured, appearance, showing the southern end of the Neck Road and the old Lifesaving Station that burned in the 1950s. It was not occupied, just a building we passed on the way to the harbor. I remember the day after the fire hearing one of the boys in Sunday School talking of it and seeing what looked like miles of heavy hose stretched out on the sidewalk on the north side of Ocean Avenue.

My attention always has gone directly to the station, all gables and dormers, nearly identical to two others on the island and several more in the region, all built at the same time. A signal tower rises from the space between it and the road, my mother's notation burned, written in her cursive hand, floats above the roof. For all the times I have looked at this card, I have never noticed the old jail is visible where dunes are today encouraged.

The card was printed by the same company, but for Earnest B. Mitchell (if the spelling does not look right it is because it is not), who was the proprietor of the Public Market.

Back to the Market I am carried, when it was all one space, not divided into separate shops as it is now. The windows were wide, as they still are, set in a facade of brick that we think more used on Block Island for government buildings, the Chief's House at the Coast Guard Station and the big Southeast Lighthouse, and outbuildings on both locations, and the North Light. The oldest section of the Block Island School was all brick and the same red masonry fronted the street-facing sides of the old Post Office on the corner of Bridge Gate Square. That building disappeared entirely when the lease ran out and the facility re-located; the structure was enveloped by additions and a second story with a pitched, not flat, roof, although some of the siding is there for the looking, the give-away in a where am I? photo of the interior of a local, seasonal eatery.

The Public Market was an enchanting place to a little girl. The entrance door opened to a sort of corral in the time of Saturday morning westerns on television of black and white rails. There was an entry turnstile, a novelty flanked by a display of Clicquot Club beverages with a smiling Eskimo or two. The owner was a short man, who could be found at the meat counter over by the freight entrance. He and his wife, who was often at the check-out counter, lived not above the store, as did the grocers on Front Street, but in a house attached, reached by an interior screen door at the back corner of the aisles.

There were high shelves along one wall with unbreakables out of reach but attainable with a long handled tool that hung at the ready, a mechanical claw at its end. I wanted something, anything, from that shelf simply for an opportunity to use the clasper.

Another black and white rail defined the path to the exit door, guiding customers past a long check out counter on which sat a gumball machine. I found gum fundamentally boring, and gum encased in a tasteless hardened sugar had little appeal, but that machine, an ultimate marketing tool, promising to send one of a number of possibilities of color out a little chute for the price of a small coin, was intriguing.

It was those postcards, of a place I knew, but not quite, that truly captured my imagination. I am sure I begged for one and took a long time deciding which to pick. The school, without the trees flanking its entrance, the Adrian without the church, the Public Market, itself. I cherished them, studied their details and when I finally lost interest my mother put them aside. I doubt she ever imagined all these decades later I would be holding them to the light, marveling at the craftsmanship memorializing a time just outside my own memory.

The rest is here:
Outside my own memory - Block Island Times (press release) (subscription) (blog)

Lash Group expanding Fort Mill operations with second building, new parking deck Charlotte Observer Lash Group is beginning construction of a second building and a parking deck at their Fort Mill campus at Kingsley, according to Fort Mill Mayor Guynn Savage. The patient support services company already occupies a five-story, 250,000-square-foot ... and more »

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Lash Group expanding Fort Mill operations with second building, new parking deck - Charlotte Observer

Erik Beene | Published 03/22/17 11:20pm

The Chapel Hill Town Council approved plans for a new pre-K and high school campus on South Merritt Mill Road at the site of the historic Lincoln Center on March 13.

The site will feature a two-story building housing all pre-K classes on the first floor and new district offices on the second floor, said Jeff Nash, a spokesperson for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Nash said the project has a total price tag of $25 million.

That, we think, is going to be a wonderful way to provide a better service to all of our pre-K students, Nash said. Instead of having various people physical therapist, occupational therapist, social workers, etcetera going from school to school, we are going to be able to serve the kids in one spot.

Nash said by consolidating all pre-K classes into one location, more space will be freed up in elementary schools. The increased capacity will prevent the need to build a new elementary school in the near future.

In addition to the new pre-K building, Phoenix Academy, the districts alternative school, will also have a new building able to hold more than 100 students. Thirty-five to 40 students currently attend Phoenix Academy.

The current building on the site, the historic Lincoln Center, will be torn down. Lincoln High School served as Chapel Hills high school for black students until the integrated Chapel Hill High School opened in 1966.

The district has worked with Lincoln High School alumni throughout the process. Nash said they have been supportive of the plans and hope the space will once again be used as a center for learning.

When we told them the plans for the pre-K, they were just delighted, he said. They just loved that.

Nash said the historic gym will remain and will be refurbished. Part of the new pre-K building that also houses administrative offices will feature a museum dedicated to black education in Orange County.

[The alumni] have a lot of memorabilia from back in the day, the trophies and pictures and just neat stuff that they have saved over the years, Nash said. So they are going to help with the collection and what is displayed.

Nash said the museum would be open to the public.

Kay Pearlstein, senior planner for the Chapel Hill Planning Department, presented the plan to the town council.

Pearlstein said the reaction to the plan was positive. The town council approved it 6-1, she said.

She said the plan has been in the works since November 2015 and it usually takes a year and a half to complete the approval process. Since the town approved a bond, the school system has been proposing additions and smaller projects for many schools.

It's good they got this one approved when they did, Pearlstein said.

Chapel Hill Town Council member Donna Bell had some concerns with the project when it was first presented to the council. However, Bell said the school system made a compelling case for the project.

I think there were some concerns raised about making sure that this was a project that truly served our community in a way that we feel is consistent, Bell said. I think they made that case and so we approved it.

@The_Beene

city@dailytarheel.com

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CHCCS to build new pre-K, high school at Lincoln Center location - The Daily Tar Heel

WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.1 9.1 14.6 15.10 (100) COLLINGWOOD 1.5 7.9 9.11 12.14 (86) GOALS - Bulldogs: Hunter 3, Picken 2, Johannisen2, Bontempelli 2, Boyd, Stringer, Cloke, Crameri, McLean, Libertore. Collingwood: Fasolo 3, Sidebottom 2, Pendlebury 2, White, Mayne, Treloar, Goldsack, Hoskin-Elliott. BEST - Bulldogs: Johannisen, Hunter, Daniel, Liberatore, Macrae, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Collingwood: Pendlebury, Adams, Grundy, Howe, Fasolo, Sidebottom, Treloar, Hoskin-Elliott INJURIES Collingwood: Aish (virus) replaced in selected team by Mayne. Bulldogs: Morris (leg) REPORTS Collingwood: Varcoe for alleged rough conduct in the first term. Umpires: Deboy, Kamolins, Schmitt Crowd: 66,254 at the MCG

On Monday Nathan Buckley was asked to swallow an implausible story of a dog and a door knob. On Friday he was presented an equally unpalatable Dogs' tale.

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The Premiers held off Collingwood to claim a 14 point win in their season opener.

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In his first goal of the 2017 season Travis Cloke caused a stir front of a crowd of passionate Collingwood supporters.

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Four goals and a best on ground game from Dustin Martin delivered Richmond a 43-point win over Carlton in round one.

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The AFL captains reveal who is the best trash talker amongst them.

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Fairfax senior footy writer Rohan Connolly previews all the action ahead of the first round in the 2017 AFL season.

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Hayden Ballantyne is 29-years-old, out of contract at the end of the year, and just had major surgery on his hamstring. Vision: Nine News Perth.

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Carrara will play host to the first women's AFL Grand Final on Saturday, a lead-in to the Q-Clash between the Lions and Suns. 7 News Queensland

The Premiers held off Collingwood to claim a 14 point win in their season opener.

The Bulldogs hit the lead early without needing to play well, were reined in by Collingwood's energy, and made to play well to win. Which they did, finding the gears to play well enough to do what was needed to win.

The narrative of the match was about Captain Bob being back. It was also about an old, new dog - Travis Cloke, who proved also to be an old dog with a new trick kicking straight. Well, for his first important one anyway.

The most deliciously poetic moment was late in the first term when Cloke marked 55 metres out his range and directly in font not his angle. This time he kicked long and true and confounded Collingwood fans turned as one to one another and asked "Why didn't he do that for us?" They sniggered later when he put a shot from closer range out of bounds, but it was a mirthless giggle, for Cloke's Dogs were home by then.

Collingwood had chosen a tall side trying to outplay the best running team in the league by keeping it off them in the air. It didn't work.

The Magpies' most effective forwards were small Alex Fasolo and Steele Sidebottom and their talls Mason Cox, Darcy Moore and Jesse White did nothing. Their cumbersome forward line was made taller by Chris Mayne coming in late for the ill James Aish.

The Bulldogs, in contrast, were playing with their new forward line with Stewart Crameri and Cloke as additions to a premier line up.

This theoretically should have unsettled their structure. But it didn't. Both players were only ever used as targets forward as an afterthought. They were used if they were in the right positions but not just because they were out there which had been Collingwood's approach.

Luke Beveridge instead tinkered with his forward line, rotating his players through the wings and half-forward line and taught old dogs new tricks (we're going to stick with this canine theme, OK?).

Jason Johannisen won the Norm Smith Medal surging off half-back last year but he like was swung forward along with skipper Bob Murphy and caused mismatches. He booted a couple of goals in the third term.

The Magpies' ability to stay in the game was based on effort not skill. They had energy and ownership of the ball early, yet conceded easy scores through their own sloppiness.

It was a pattern of the first half that the cleaner Bulldogs could concede contested possession and clearances so significantly, yet effortlessly turn possession into score.

Early on, they were helped in this by being gifted the ball by Collingwood turnovers. And they kicked straight 9.1 at one point.

Collingwood dragged one of their talls to the bench in the second term and funnelled their attack through Alex Fasolo. He booted three goals the third term and helped Collingwood to recover the lead. Adam Treloar goaled for the first of the second half to give Collingwood a lead but it proved short-lived.

This awoke a slumbering dog (I warned you about that dog theme) and with Marcus Bontempelli quiet in the main moved forward, he had a hand in goals and quelling the Magpie rally.

They spread Collingwood's defence and outran them through the middle. The Magpies were pressing up at the ball and working hard to trap it in their zone but they didn't score. Then the Dogs would get them out the back. It was the reason they dominated virtually every statistical column, yet lost.

Collingwood's loss was made worse by Travis Varcoe being reported for a hit to Luke Dahlhaus when he charged in off the centre square. The Bulldog was close to Pendlebury, who had the ball, but probably would not have anticipated the contact.

Visit link:
Collingwood Western Bulldogs: Second dirty dog story for Pies - The Age

For Jessica Rollins, one of the chief challenges as Farmamerica's executive director is making the center appealing to visitors.

"I think a lot of people see the words 'interpretive center' and wonder why they would want to come out here," she said.

She thinks the events she and the Farmamerica board have planned for this year, though, promise to provide a memorable experience for area residents and other visitors.

Rollins came on board as Farmamerica's executive director last fall, and since then has worked to find new ways to communicate the story of agriculture in southern Minnesota to visitors as part of the center's mission.

The board is in the final stages of developing its strategic plan, which it will unveil at its annual meeting April 17.

"That will give us some good direction," Rollins said. "It's been a couple years since we've looked at a strategic plan. Ive gotten five months under my belt to assess whats happened in the past and to make some decisions about where we think we want to go."

Farmamerica Board Chair Warren Formo says the main focus of this process has involved reviewing the center's plan, making sure it tracks with where the board wants to see Farmamerica go in the future.

"Our core mission of being a place where people can experience and learn about the evolution of Minnesota agriculture has not changed," he said. "We're still committed to telling the story of agriculture over the last 150 years."

The piece that's new, he said, is the board's effort to include more about ongoing issues within agriculture right now.

That includes adding fields and exhibits that demonstrate what's happening in agriculture. Among the additions visitors to the center will see this year are plantings of modern hybrids that have biotechnology traits, with signage that explains how they came to be, what their purpose is and how they fit into modern farming.

There will also be more focus on technology in farming, with events that will put some of those things on display.

As usual, the center will provide school tours in May, and has already had over 900 students signed up. In addition to the traditional tour, Farmamerica this year offers a revamped version that provides more hands-on experience to students.

These activities include washing clothes by hand, old-fashioned schoolyard games and the opportunity to shear a "sheep," or rather a fake sheep covered in shaving cream which students can scrub off. Students will also get to compare and contrast the ag equipment today with that of the past.

"Well have some modern equipment onsite for them to climb up in and see how it looks compared to stuff farmers were using 100 years ago," Rollins said.

Also new this year are Community Education classes Farmamerica will offer in June and July.

One class for kindergarteners through second-graders focuses on apples, making use of a small apple orchard that was donated to the center.

"The apples are planted in chronological order of how apple varieties developed in southern Minnesota," Rollins said. "It's a neat space and we want to utilize it and tell that story."

For second- through fourth-graders, there will be a class through which they can learn about soil, planting and seeds. Students will make a terrarium and a seed mosaic art piece.

Third- through fifth-graders will also learn about soil, learning about worms.

Sprinkled in between these activities will be regular summer tours, taking place on second Saturdays in June, July, August and September.

In partnership with the Waseca County Farm Bureau, Farmamerica hosts the Taste of the Farm June 13. This event, which the center previously hosted in 2015, will feature a free meal and events for all ages.

The center holds an ice cream social the second Saturday in July.

The big event Rollins is currently trying to get her head around is a "meatapalooza," a meat education event planned for Aug. 12.

This year will feature pork and beef, but could in the future expand to other meats like poultry.

"I come from a pork background. I know pork better," Rollins said. "Pulling off an event like this for the first time, it's good for me to stick with something I know."

Different from the center's other events, attendees will be asked to buy their tickets to this event ahead of time. There will be meat samples and demonstrations, and Rollins is hoping to partner with a brewery to provide a beer tasting.

"The Minnesota Beef Council did an event like this up in the Twin Cities in February," Rollins said. "I kind of had the idea before, then I went to the event and realized this is a fantastic opportunity for everybody to learn about meat."

On Sept. 9, Farmamerica hosts its Fall Fair, which will be largely the same as it has been in past years. October will features more school tours, its Haunted Corn Maze and could see the return of its All Hallow's Eve event, which features activities for kids.

"I think theres a lot of that's already going on in the community for them to choose from," Rollins said. "Our attendance has been down the last couple years so we didnt do it last fall. But we also heard people liked it, so we might try to bring it back."

Other plans include a hands-on exhibit about corn targeted for July, provided for by funding from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.

We're working with them and designers to make sure the message is accurate and the hands-on experience is good for people 9 to 109," she said. "That's tricky the message you say to a third-grader is pretty basic compared to what you can start talking about with an adult consumer. At the end of the day I think the simpler, the better."

Farmamerica has received grant money to go into classrooms and talk with students about agriculture. However, Rollins is now thinking about bringing kids to the center for a full-day experience. The focus will be on career opportunities, both generally and in agriculture.

"We have so much space here," Rollins said. "If we can get the schools interested, itd be fun to bus them out for the full day, versus going out there for one class session where I come into the room and talk about some stuff, then Ill leave and theyll never see me again. I think this will have a more lasting impact for them."

She wants to pilot that in May, work out the kinks and kick it off next school year.

As she has been involved with this decision-making process, Rollins has adjusted to her new position with the center.

"Its different every day," she said. "There's a lot of moving pieces, and just when I think I have one piece figured out, five more fall out of place Everything will come together, I have no doubt. There's just a lot of unexpected things along the way."

All that aside, she says she has had a wonderful experience.

The board made the decision to change the executive director position from part-time to full-time when it brought Rollins on board. Formo says this has allowed Rollins to devote more time to developing some of the educational materials the board is talking about.

"In the past, we've done that in kind of a piecemeal fashion, but now, by having someone who has the skill set and understands some of the modern issues, she's able to do more of that sort of work," Formo said.

With spring approaching, Formo says, visitors will see gardens planted and animals on the farms.

"As people are thinking about their spring and summer plans, I hope they include Farmamerica," he said.

Everyone Rollins has spoken within the ag industry, she says, can see the potential Farmamerica has.

"Theyre excited to see how our strategic plan shakes out because they want to be part of it," she said.

That potential is something Rollins is excited to build on.

"Eventually, I want it to be an expert place to go if you need information about anything agriculture," she said. "That kind of sounds like what the University of Minnesota Extension is doing, but I'd like for us to be a place where you can maybe experience it hands-on. Were not quite there yet but the potential is there."

Reporter Jacob Stark can be reached at 837-5451 or follow him on Twitter @WCNjacob.

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Mark your calendars: New activities planned this year at Farmamerica - Southernminn.com