Back in 11/27/05, I wrote a blog titled "Peoria Still in Denial". For some of you, this may be a good re-read. Some like Dr. Laura, may want to ask authorities for an update. Everthing I ever wrote is still on my side-bar archives. Just click on the dates.
I also remember another blog I wrote that I can't find a copy of right now, where I wrote I walked with 5 PHS high school boys down a Peoria High corridor, asking them whether or not they used Proctor Center. (I was asked by PPD Board Chairman Tim Cassidy to do a study of Proctor Center on the southside, to determine why it's operating losses were $300M a year and why so few used the center) Finally, one boy put his finger to his head and said "bang-bang". No, they don't use Proctor Center as a gang different from their gang controlled activities in and around Proctor, they said and they feared for their safety.
Being politically sensitive, I doubt the subject has come up in a School Board meeting. The situation has not changed, ask the law authorities, some may say it has changed but with 10 deaths allegedly drug related so far this year, all on the south side, I believe, I doubt it. Maybe that is another reason some want to close PHS.
Years back I recommended closing off North Street in front of PHS, buying the houses on the east side of North; some of these houses were alleged to be dealing drugs anyway, tear them down, build a vo/tech center there, connect is with a walkway to PHS similar to Pekin High.
One community leader on a study panel said "he never thought of that". Guess no one else did either. But outsiders reading this blog may not know that Peoria and now Dunlap, is home to the "elite", while Pekin, Bartonville, and Chillicothe? Well.
Close Woodruff or PHS? Seems like I have always run on smaller classrooms,smaller schools, smaller government but others are determining "big" is better.
Hmmmmmm?
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