Meeting Tonight on 80th Street Extension

Kenosha News article (click here). Arguments are similar to public road crossing and extension of 122nd street across Kenosha County Bike Trail (always been in plan, benefits all residents....). Donate land to LAWCON (or LCWF--Land & Water Conservation Fund program--here) if you want to stop as that's what killed the public road crossing. At last night's Plan Commission meeting, the Village talked about not telling or forcing people what to do with their land. Should be an interesting meeting (public notice link and here).

Check Out Mr. Pollocoff's Seven Questions in Kenosha News Today

Intriguing. here

Article Link to Carol Beach Water Problems

Here's a link to Kenosha News article (click here; Village link--click here). Glad to hear that 30 residents turned out for the meeting and also to hear that a number of them spoke out on the subject. Good for them. Hope that something can be done to help both Village and affected residents. Perhaps some Katrina like funds from federal government? Maybe create a special district that qualifies for federal funds? The DNR could have helped answer some of those questions. Were they invited? Special assessments are always tough. Maybe create a POA and charge fees to be used to offset work like a Tax Incremental Finance District bond???

(Anonymous--I checked my spelling but obviously, I didn't do all my homework).

Some Nice Pictures from Local Area Photographers

Check out these sites for some very nice nature shots:

Dick Ginkowski (here)

John Krerowicz (here)

Why Doesn't Village Website Link to News Stories?

The Kenosha News wrote articles questioning KUSD finances and Village Trustee #3's concerns (click link and see below or link sidebar). Why doesn't Village website link to these stories when they occur? Not everyone receives the Kenosha News but could link through the Village's website. I believe the Village is missing out on a great opportunity to let residents know they are involved; especially when some of the quotes were not discussed during the Village Board meeting and they wouldn't be available by audio or Meeting Minutes (i.e. quote on succession).

Pleasant Prairie to conduct probe into school district’s losing CDO
BY JOHN KREROWICZ
PLEASANT PRAIRIE — An inquiry into a Unified School District investment that has lost almost half its value is to be conducted by the Pleasant Prairie School Commission. The Village Board, at Trustee Clyde Allen’s behest, voted Monday to have the commission question school officials and report back to the board about what’s called collateralized debt obligation (CDO), which is being used to help fund Unified retirement accounts. The 2006 investment dipped to $18.4 million in early April, down from the original pay-in of $37.5 million. Unified officials have said the investment is safe, is bringing in more money than it costs and will return all of the district’s principal at maturity. Unified borrowed money and added its own funds to invest in the CDO, which made loans to companies — some of which are not doing well financially now — that are to repay the borrowed dollars with interest. Allen said he hoped and assumed that Unified’s financial position was solid in the matter. He said Pleasant Prairie property owners have a major stake in the situation because they fund about a fourth of Unified’s tax levy while village children make up about 12 percent of the student body. Allen asked village Finance Director Kathy Goessl whether she would recommend investing in such an arrangement. “From what I’ve read, I would not recommend the village invest in CDOs,” she said. Allen said he wanted the commission to bring back recommendations to the board. He later said recommendations could be about anything, including that taxpayers’ money was safe in the complex investment plan.
Allen said his intention in wanting the investigation was not to promote the village seceding from the Unified district. “That’s not even in the scope” of the review, he said. “My scope was to know what’s going on.” The first commission session to delve into CDO could be in May. There was discussion by the board about the commission possibly working through the summer to investigate and prepare a summary. The commission’s members include trustees Monica Yuhas and Steve Kumorkiewicz, who is commission chairman, and residents Linda Chiappetta, Patricia Molette, Carolyn Budwick and Debbie Koessl. The group is a liaison between the village and Unified.

Comments have deviated from original story

I changed this as some have decided to take it in a new direction.

I Felt the Earthquake...

Woke up and thought that this sounds just like the Loma Prieta quake when we lived in CA (Sacramento) only a LOT smaller. Had the same 'wave' sounds and movement. I said something to my wife but didn't realize until I heard on radio that there was a quake. Anyone else feel it? Click here and here.