“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
— PERICLES

Gerrie provided ten years of dedicated leadership and service as Chair of the Champaign County Democratic Party from 1994 to 2004. During her tenure the Party celebrated many successes, including the election of the first Democratic County Board majority in history.

Memorial Celebration in Champaign March 14, 2010:

You are cordially invited to gather with us to celebrate the life and honor the memory of Gerrie Parr on Sunday, March 14, at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center, 601 S Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL. The ceremony begins at 3 pm, with drinks and appetizers to follow from 4 – 6 pm. If you are unable to attend the ceremony, please feel free to stop by to visit with friends between 4 and 6 pm.

You are also invited to bring a picture, quote or written memory about Gerrie if you would like. This is completely voluntary. There will be space to display these memories around us as we mingle with one another. A 3 x 5 card is the ideal size for the display. There will also be a sealed box for depositing memories you would like to keep private; the box will be burned in our fireplace, un-opened.

We look forward to seeing you on March 14th. You are welcome to forward this note to others. If you need more information or have any questions, please contact her daughter Dani Schooley.

Warm Regards,
The Parr / Schooley / Altman Family

Obituary:

Geraldine A. (Gerrie) Parr, 63, of Champaign, IL passed away Friday, February 12th at the home of her sister Linda Altman in Waukegan, IL. Gerrie was born on July 28th, 1946 in Cadillac, MI. She graduated from Waukegan Township High School (‘64) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (‘68) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.

Before her retirement, Gerrie served as Auditor of Champaign County. She was also Chair of the Champaign County Democratic Party for 10 years. In addition to politicking, Gerrie spent her time skiing, sailing, reading, and cooking. She loved to travel and did so extensively in the last several years, including trips to Tahiti, China, France, Peru and Egypt.

Gerrie is survived by her daughter Daniellinda Schooley of Chicago, her father and step-mother Dan and Mavon Parr of Clearwater, FL, and her sister Linda Altman of Waukegan. She was preceded in death by her husband Kurt McKenzie, her mother Dorothy Parr, and her brother-in-law Jerry Altman.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 18th at St. Pat’s New Church, 15000 Wadsworth Road, Wadsworth IL. Gerrie’s family will be available to greet relatives and friends at the church beginning at 12:15pm. After the service, the family will host a late lunch at a nearby restaurant.

An additional Memorial will be held in Champaign at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made in Gerrie’s memory to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, c/o Northwestern University Office of Development, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611-3078 (or donate online here). Political contributions can sent to the Champaign County Democrats, c/o Jennifer Gentry, Treasurer, P.O. Box 1455, Champaign, IL 61824-1455.

Arrangements were under the care of the Salata-Gurnee Funeral Home, 4190 Old Grand Ave., Gurnee, IL. Be sure to visit their website and sign the online guest book.

Four candidates are running for two seats in the Democratic primary for the Champaign County Board in District 6. Michael Richards now sits on the board; the other three would be newcomers. The candidates and their website and/or e-mail addresses are:

• Michael Richards (countyboarddistrict6@gmail.com)
• Pattsi Petrie (pattsi2@gmail.com)
• Debby Auble (debbyauble1@gmail.com)
• Joshua (Josh) Hartke (jthartke713@yahoo.com)

It’s great to have choices. Check out the candidates, ask them questions, and make your choice on February 2!

Three candidates are running for two seats in the Democratic primary for the Champaign County Board in District 9. All three would be newcomers to the board. The candidates and their websites are:

• Chris Alix
• Scott Bennett
• James Quisenberry

It’s great to have choices.  Check out the candidate’s websites, ask them questions, and make your choice on February 2!

Here are the most requested dates & deadlines for the general primary election on February 2, 2010. For complete information, and to verify your voter status, visit the County Clerk’s site.

First day for absentee ballots: Thursday, December 24, 2009.
Last day to register: Tuesday, January 5, 2010.
First day for early voting: Monday, January 11, 2010.
Last day for early voting: Thursday, January 28, 2010.
Last day for absentee ballots: Monday, February 1, 2010.
ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

Note: Starting with this election, voters do NOT have to specify a reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Absentee voting is available for everyone.

The 2009 Democratic Fall Dinner will be served Sunday evening, October 11, 2009 at the I-Hotel and Conference Center on St. Mary’s Road at the corner of First Street in Champaign.

US Senate candidate David Hoffman and Congressional Candidate (15th) David Gill will discuss federal issues in the 2010 election.

We are honored to welcome Governor Pat Quinn and State Comptroller Dan Hynes as featured speakers. They both seek nomination in the February 2, 2010 Primary Election as our candidate for Governor next Fall.

State Representatives Art Turner (9th) and Mike Boland (71st), State Senator (30th) Terry Link, and union electrician Thomas Castillo, candidates for Lieutenant Governor, will also address us.

Former State Representative (38th) Robin Kelly and former TSA offical Justin Oberman will speak in support of their candidacies for State Treasurer.

Former Deputy State Treasurer Raja Krishnamoorthi will speak as candidate for State Comptroller.

Also scheduled to join us are State Senator (52nd) Michael Frerichs, State Representative (103rd) Naomi Jakobsson, and State Rep Candidate (110th) Dennis Malak. These candidates are not opposed in the Primary Election.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and hear these candidates in person in the good company of your fellow Democrats!

Check this post occasionally for the latest speaker information, and use it to invite your friends and associates to participate.

Follow this link to obtain a copy of our Fall Dinner Flier and Reservation Form for your use. See you at dinner!

When: Noon Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.
Where: Large Pavilion at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana.

Meat, soft drinks, and table service will be provided. Please bring a dish to share. Donations are welcome.

Volunteers are needed to set up, serve, and clean up. Please contact picnic chair Dorothy Neumann at neumando3530@yahoo.com or 344-1427 if you can help.

Mahomet will hold its annual River Festival and Parade this weekend (August 28-29, 2009). There will be entertainment and activities starting Friday afternoon on Main Street, and the Champaign County Democrats will have a booth along with the Sangamon Valley Alliance. Come, visit and listen to the great lineup of bands that will be playing both Friday and Saturday.

The Parade kicks off at 10:30 am at the Lincoln Trail School lot on the corner of State and Division, and there will be a float for the Democrats and the SVA. Meet up with us after 10 am Saturday and hop on the float for a ride through Mahomet!  The event is well attended and for all you early candidates this is a good time to get in front of the western Champaign County crowd.

The summer is here and parade season marches in with all the fanfare and floats one could ask for. The Champaign County Democrats will march in four parades celebrating Independence Day, 2009. All Democrats need to get their shoes laced and their wave perfected, it’s all in the wrist by the way, and come on out to walk and show your support.

Parade times below are start times; arrive a half hour early to help set up. Wear or display your favorite Democratic (past, present, or future) candidate’s regalia!

GIFFORD: Saturday, June 27, 2:00 pm, south side of town. (DONE)

RANTOUL: Saturday, July 4, 10:00 am, Maple Grove Shopping Center, #22. (DONE)

URBANA: Saturday, July 4, 1:00 pm, Illinois Street & Lincoln Ave, #83. (CANCELLED)

HOMER: POSTPONED to 6:00 pm SUNDAY, July 5th, Grade School on First Street.

Please come out and enjoy! Who can resist showing party unity and strength in what looks to be the beginning of a very interesting primary season.

With several recent news items regarding conflicts between County and Township entities, one wonders if the multilayer nature of Illinois Government is a thing of the past. There is a real need to be cost effective these days, and more than ever the function of a Township, especially an urban one, may be an added burden no longer relevant. Once the only real form of rural representation, most of the work in the township short of the road maintenance may best fall on a more central form, with the opportunity for more uniform coverage.

Recently the conflict was once again seen at the county level when a local Township supervisor, John Jay of Mahomet, who is also a County Board member from District One, had to abstain from a vote at the county level because his township protested the Wind Farm Ordinance. Had Mr. Jay not been in both positions he would have had an opportunity to vote for his District, he chose to be in several places at once and in doing so served none.

The same could be said for a bulk of what happens daily, the filter of controls now steps slowly through these many layers, some with very different mindsets, before the rubber hits the road. Does Newcomb Township need a plan commission? They serve no planning function and only seem to serve to protest County actions. Likewise, does Mahomet Townships plan commissioner, a Realtor and developer, have the best interests of the Township or his income in mind when their function again is only to protest.

Why so much overlap? There seems to be little cohesiveness between townships and their operation, and with plan less plan commissioners and poorly attended township business meetings, with little public access to the information they are acting on, perhaps it is time to pull the strings a little tighter and save some resources everywhere we can.

Please discuss.

Two articles of note came to my attention today: one with which I strongly disagree, and one with which I strongly agree. The one I strongly disagree with was written by my colleagues Brian Gaines and Jim Kuklinski in my parent unit at the University of Illinois, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. This article, first appearing in the News-Gazette, recommends opposing Senator Mike Frerich’s bill expanding access to absentee voting. The authors claim that such an approach reduces secrecy and increases the likelihood of fraud. Neither claim is supported by the authors with facts, data or other analysis, and neither passes the ‘sniff’ test of common sense. How is it secret currently when primary voters in Illinois publicly state their ballot choice when voting in primaries, in the eyes of election officials and poll watchers? And why would it not be more secret for voters to cast their primary ballots from the privacy of their home? One’s private residence seems like a very secret place to cast a ballot to me, unless fraudulent political machine bosses are planning on invading our homes to watch us complete our election ballots. Or are we afraid of our privacy being violated by our spouses? Our children? Our roommates? Our parents? Our dogs? In all cases, such violations are bothersome, but I’m not sure they would necessarily constitute political problems.

Surprisingly, the article I agree with is an editorial published in the News-Gazette regarding Freedom of Information. When public officials hide behind vague issues of ‘privacy’ when dealing with employment contracts or hiding criminal records of public officials, we have major problems. In my own Newcomb Township, our officials have shown that they wish only to adhere to the narrowest interpretation of our Open Meetings Act by providing the least information to the public that they can. Public officials too often forget that tax dollars are our dollars, and that they very much ‘belong’ to we, the people. Their actions are public actions. Open government is messy, and that is the point. The more public officials know their every action is open to the scrutiny of the public, the more inscrutable their actions are likely to become. I support open government: open records and open meetings so that public officials, metaphorically of course, stand naked before us.

In addition, open access of the ballot to all citizens on demand aptly reinforces this notion of accountability. Hear the word ‘voter fraud’ and know that someone is subtly at work trying to deny citizens access to the polls. And usually that means certain classes and types of citizens. In my mind, we need a democracy that not only talks the talk, but proudly walks the walk out in the sunshine and stands out as a model, rather than standing behind a fearful shroud of secrecy, privacy, and potential for fraud.

Scott Hays

Sangamon Valley Alliance