The Huntley Farmside

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Village Board Agenda
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The
Thursday, September 23,1999
Farmside
A Press Publications newspaper ar serving the Huntley community
Volume 29, Issue 38
Crabill steps down from School Board
Tim Anderson
Press Publications
James Crabill said he already had served longer than he ever intended to on the Huntley School District 158 board. He also probably never figured that a shattered heel would force him out of office.
Crabill's 12-year nm on the School Board, which included being board president the past two years, officially came to an end last week. He was set to step down in November, but an injiuy Crabill incurred after falling off a ladder outside his home forced the
premature exit.
"Twelve years is a long time, and there are a lot of people in the com¬ munity who can serve on the board," said Crabill, who chose not to seek re¬ election in the spring election.
Crabill had been unable to attend recent School Board meetings because of the injury to his heel. On Monday, he retumed to his job for a half day of work as a library/media specialist in School District 300. It marked the first time he has been able to work this school year.
In his 12 years as a School Board member, Crabill has helped the dis¬ trict plan for rapid increases in stu¬ dent population and has helped lead
both successful and failed referendum campaigns.
"It is difficult because you really want to communicate the message about what the district needs, but sometimes the community doesn't re¬ alize it until kids are coming out the windows," Crabill said about seeking tax money through referendums.
Future boards; will have to continue to plan for growing enrollment, which could eventually reach between 10,000 and 15,000 students, Crabill said.
Such increases will require leaders to continually educate the public about the district's needs, he added. Growing enrollment will likely lead to two or three more campuses, including an¬
other high school, Crabill said.
But while growth has dominated is¬ sues in District 158 in recent years, Crabill. said it will not overwhelm his memories of the board.
"What I'll remember most is the people I worked with: the adminis¬ trators, the teachers and, most of all, the other board members," Crabill said. "They've always looked out for kids and their education first."
Gary Slagle was named District 158's new board president last Week. The open seat on the board will be filled by Kevin Dalieden, who was elected in the spring and was origi¬ nally slated to begin his term on the board in November.
School settles on homecoming date
Tim Anderson
Press Publications
"Do you have a date for homecoming?" It's a question traditionally asked by high school students at this time of the year.
But for a while, the question was being asked of home¬ coming organizers, not pros¬ pective dates.
"It was going to be earlier and then it was going to be later, but we finally decided on these dates," said Huntley High School student council sponsor Cindy Fuhrer, adding that scheduhng conflicts caused the changes.
Though the dates changed, homecoming organizers say they are hopeful that the spirit of students and the commu¬ nity will remain the same as it has in the past.
Homecoming week officially begins at 6:30 p.m. Simday with the traditional "powder pufP' football game, which pits the senior and fi-eshman girls against the jxmior and soph¬ omore girls in a game of flag football. Admission is $1.
"Sometimes it gets pretty rough," said Fuhrer, adding
that she expects the usual big crowd to attend the game.
The powder puff game will be followed by a pep rally at 8 p.m. and a bonfire that will run from 8:15-10 p.m.
The homecoming parade will begin at 2 p.m. Oct. 1 fi'om the high school. The parade route will run from Lincoln Street to Main Street, east through downtown to Church Street, and south to Mill Street. The parade will end at South Elementary School.
The freshman-sophomore team will begin play that evening at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity game to follow. The Huntley Redskins' home¬ coming opponent is the Richmond Rockets.
The week of activities will cuhninate Oct. 2 for students with the homecoming dance, titled "Lost in a Dream." The dance will be field fi'om 8-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Hannony Road Campus cafe¬ teria.
In the days leading up to the homecoming game and dance, students will take part in a number of school-spirit activities. There will be ban¬ ner, float and hall-decoration contests for the students.
Aiding in the planting of a copper beech tree at the new Huntley Library site are Huntiey Harvester 4-H member (front) Dayna Wiilterson and club President Jenny Hahn. iViem- bers Courtney Wiil<erson and Brandon Will<erson stand behind the pail. The tree was planted in memorial to Dr. Kloempken and in thanl(s for the community sponsorship of the new library.
Businesses work with 4-H club to dedicate tree at new library
Installation, landscaping us¬ ing native field stone, and horticulture tips were fur¬ nished by Taylor Stump and Tree Service Inc., owned by Penny Wilkerson.
¦   TREE, Page 2
Road.
Gail Miller
Press Publications
The   copper   beech was   donated   by   Mr.
A special tree was dedi¬ cated on Sept. 11 to the New Huntley Library site on Ruth
tree and Mrs. Ruth and obtained from Huntley-based Gro Horticultural Enterprises Inc., owned by Greg Oltman.