Herald News

Coupons may be best idea for fundraisers

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:06:06 -0500

I’ve written about fundraisers before. I’m really not a fan of the magazine, cookie-dough or candle-sales fundraisers. It’s not that I think organizations should not have fundraisers; I understand that they need to. It’s just that I wish that they could do so in a way that didn’t force our friends and families to buy things that they would not normally buy at prices higher than if they went to a store and bought the items themselves. In this economy, the last thing I want to do is try and sell my friend a candle when they are giving up …

Kid-friendly critters play at farm, ranch

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:01:24 -0500

This past weekend I had the opportunity to check out Dollinger Farm in Channahon. I had never been there before. What a cool place if you have little ones, and admission is free! The kids can play in the big playground that has miniature houses and a big haystack, they can check out a free petting zoo and have a picnic lunch. The attractions that do charge are reasonable. Train rides and the corn maze runs $3 per person, and a horse drawn hayride costs only $5. Food is available for purchase, but you can bring a sack lunch; there …

1st-stop clinic for athletes

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:05:03 -0500

Last year my middle son Andy played football on the freshman team for Plainfield South. During practice, a week before the big game with Central, Andy hurt his knee in a tackle. We skipped the hospital emergency room and instead made an appointment for the next day with a specialist — we knew that is where we were headed anyway. Skipping the ER and going straight to the specialist definitely has its advantages, in many cases saving both time and money. And while some injuries cannot wait a day or so, many can. That is why Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital now …

School task force to look at bullying

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:37:09 -0500

Bullying is a common problem schools have to deal with and, unfortunately, not only is it on the rise, but because of the Internet, bullying is taking on new forms. Just how bad is it in our schools? "It's hard to say just how much bullying is going on in our schools," said Sharon Gronemeyer, assistant superintendent for student services for Plainfield School District. "Most of bullying goes unreported or undocumented. Currently, we just don't have a mechanism in place that tracks bullying. When a student is disciplined, the paperwork doesn't show it as a bullying situation. It will read …