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PAGE B1 RadarFrog.com

wednesDAY, March 16, 2011

Your Hometown News Since 1840 www.WashingtonTimesReporter.com Vol. 171 No. 11

School board candidates state their case

Jim Currently, I am the presi-
Gloria ley University in education
2011 Election Coverage dent of the District 308 Occupation: Teacher train-

Washington schools have 14 candidates

Gerkin School Board. I have a deep
love for education. I started
McNett ing and remedial work at
Illinois Central College
Age: 51 Age: N/A
running for 12 seats, two races unopposed on the District 51 School Why are you running?
Family: Family:
Board from 2002-06. I did I have 18 years of this under
spouse spouse
a term and a half there and my belt, 10 at District 52
Rosalie; William;
then just completed my and eight years at the high
Washington District 308 School Board Alex, 18
first term at the high school.
Mike, 53 school and I guess it’s pretty
and Ash- and Kelly,
District 308 covers There are just more things obvious my life’s profes-
ley, 21 49
Washington Community High School Jim Gerkin that need to get done. Gloria sion of teaching relates to
Educa- Educa-
What are some projects McNett school board work and I
tion: tion:
Jim Gerkin, Gloria McNett you are looking forward to see them as closely inter-
Vandalia High School; Lacon Community High
Candidates running: working on in the next few twined. It makes me very
and Ron Garrard bachelor’s degree in instruc- School; Eureka College,
years? interested what goes on in
tional design bachelor’s in education and
The referendum has to be public schools because I’m
Seats open: 3 Occupation: Trainer for master’s degree from Brad-
completed and that in itself a teacher.
Pekin Insurance
Term length: 4 years Why are you running? See these and other school board candidates continued on page A6

‘I promised myself that if we ever went to war, I would go’

By Holly Richrath “He still believes good Western early and hav-
TimesNewspapers things can happen,” his ing to leave his college
mother said. “He is opti- ROTC program. Since
Mary Kerr said her mistic that the world can Yale does not have an
son, Mark, has “always be a better place. He has ROTC program, Mark
been on the go.” a lot of intrinsic values. I tried to finish at the Uni-
Born and raised in think a town like Wash- versity of Connecticut
Washington, Mark Kerr ington nurtures that.” during law school. He
attended college at West- Mark is currently back could not be guaran-
ern Illinois University, in Afghanistan working teed a reserve commis-
studying for a portion of for the U.S. Agency for sion and because of his
that time in Czechoslo- International Develop- school loans, he said he
vakia. He then went on ment. He is a foreign did not want to go on ac-
to law school at Yale. His service officer and re- tive duty.
three years gional legal “When I left the
deployed in advisor for Af- program in 2000, I
First In ghanistan. promised myself that
the U.S. Army PRINT
took him to “Mainly I if we ever went to war,
Korea, Iraq, make sure that I would go,” he said.
Kosovo and Afghanistan. the Mission “After Sept. 11th, it
His mother credits is in compliance with was clear that even
Washington as a great the U.S. laws dictating though I joined I prob-
community and home how we give foreign aid,” ably wouldn’t go to Af-
base for Mark and his Mark said. “We also do ghanistan. When we got
brother, Andrew. everything from navi- bogged down in Iraq, it
“They had great teach- gating the constitution was clear I would.”
ers, great family friends, to designing processes Mark said his Army
great community,” Mary to make sure we’re not experience was “incred-
said. “This really is a hiring Afghan contrac- ible.” Being overseas, he
“Flat Mark” with WIU President Al Goldfarb, left, “Flat Al” and Mark’s parents Mary great community.” tors connected to the added, has made him
and Richard Kerr; “Flat Mark” was his parents’ idea to keep him around while he The Kerrs describe Taliban.” look at things from
was serving his duty. Inset photo, Kerr receiving the Army Commendation medal Mark as being involved, Kerr said he first de-
in Afghanistan from his cousin Lt. Col Andrew Crabb, who served in Afghanistan at determined, intense, op- cided to join the military
the same time as Kerr. SUBMITTED PHOTOS timistic. after graduating from See kerr page A5

District 308 approves Local rock music concert to benefit St. Jude
tennis court proposal, By Holly Richrath
opposes government TimesNewspapers
mandated consolidation Supporting local music
and raising money for a
worthy cause — these are
By steve stein
the reasons Alejandro Ju-
Gatehouse News Service
vera said he thinks people
should come to “Rock For
District 308 School Board members Monday St. Jude.”
approved an agreement with the Washington Park “I thought I’d kill two
District to build eight new tennis courts in Wash- birds with one stone,” said
ington Park. Juvera, guitarist for the lo-
That is a change from the original plans, which cal band, The Nimrods.
called for the school district to construct five new The 20-year-old Illinois
courts and the park district to renovate its three Central College student
courts already in the park. planned the event because
Surveyors discovered the existing courts were he and his band mates
not flat, but had a slight grade. So the decision was wanted the chance to do a
made to replace them with new courts. local show. Because they
School Board members also approved the layout were not really interested
of the tennis courts, which will spare ball diamond in the money, Juvera de-
No. 6 at Washington Park. A preliminary layout cided it should all go to St.
called for the removal of the diamond, which is used Jude Children’s Research
by baseball and softball players of all ages. Hospital.
Several trees will be uprooted and transplanted “We ended up talking to
to make room for the courts, which will become some other bands and they
the home base for Washington Community High
were really, really interest-
School tennis teams.
ed in playing,” he said. “We
See school page A5 all thought, ‘We don’t really
need any money.’ We just
want to play music.”
“Rock For St. Jude” is
from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday
at the Washington VFW.
Tickets are $6 per person.
All proceeds from ticket
sales and sales of merchan-
dise that evening will go to
St. Jude. Buckets will also
be available for additional
donations.
The show will also in-
clude performances from
The Kyle Smith Experi-
ence, Janelle and the Noth-
ings, View From The Moth-
ership, P.S., Last N Line
and Iridescence.
Juvera said he chose to
benefit St. Jude because
his fiancee’s father, Jay Fox,
is a St. Jude runner. He
also knew that Janelle and
the Nothings’ bassist Alec
Steenbergen had a brother
who benefitted from ser-
vices at St. Jude. The Nimrods pose for a band photo. From left,
Julian Jennison, Janelle Taylor, Grant Mooney and
See rock page A5 Alejandro Juvera. Photo courtesy of Cali Fox

INSIDE

Around Town........... A2 Police News............ B11

Opinion.................... A4 Obituaries............... B11
Sports................A12-13 Classifieds........ B13-14