Karen Roth

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Articles

Eye On Illinois: Asserting the people’s control over government can be difficult

Dec 11, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland |Karen Roth

Sometimes in the course of understanding Illinois, it helps to look across its borders to ponder issues in neighboring states. Today, we consider Missouri, which I praised in August for its citizen petition initiative process through which voters can approve measures their elected officials are unlikely to advance.
Write Team: Love is still there through grief

Dec 11, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

Someone you know is missing somebody. And that statement is most likely true for more than one person. Everyone deals with loss at one time or another. It may be due to estrangement. Or someone you love has passed away. Or you may not live near each other. Living with loss is hard enough on normal days, but throw the holiday season into the mix, and that can yield a whole new set of emotions and issues. This can be a wonderful time of year but it is also stressful.
Write Team: Hope is what we need, and it’s found during Christmas

Nov 27, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

I started Christmas decorating last week. Yes, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Nobody is forgetting about Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation for a national holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. We will have a traditional dinner with a stuffed turkey and all the side dishes. We can still go around the table and say what we are thankful for. Sparkling lights and a nativity set or two won’t affect that. Why did I feel the need to begin holiday decorating early? Part of my reasoning is the time factor.
Eye On Illinois: A problem to be solved, or a person to be helped?

Nov 13, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland |Karen Roth

Scalable solutions. I’ve explored that concept a few times, wondering whether government efforts to address problems in one state agency might apply elsewhere. And while it’s a valid approach from an institutional level, every so often comes a reminder that some challenges are truly individual. Shaw Media’s Tom Collins covered a Nov. 7 Illinois Valley Community College panel discussion about public policy approaches to reducing homelessness. It’s not idle chatter. At a July 2023 bill signing, Gov.
Write Team: All of us need some peace

Nov 13, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

Our country is living in tumultuous times. We have been bombarded with fake news and fact checking. There was a constant stream of ads, mailings, news shows and stories. It became overwhelming and stressful. All of us need some peace. Often, when we are searching for calmness and unity, our sense of sight is where we begin. We look around, we read and we search. Many people are visual learners and seeing our world is where we are comfortable.
Eye On Illinois: Annual statewide school report card chock full of interesting numbers

Nov 2, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland |Karen Roth

Numbers tell a story, but rarely without help. The Illinois State Board of Education Wednesday released its annual statewide school report card. It’s almost a crushing amount of data, which is to be expected with 866 districts operating 3,835 schools teaching 1,851,290 students – 14% of our overall population. The information is available at illinoisreportcard.com, along with historical data from 2006 through 2020, all available at the individual district level.
Write Team: Be happy today with the people who are in your life

Oct 31, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

Here in La Salle County, changes are coming as we settle in to the last few months of 2024. You can feel it in the cooler winds and shorter daylight hours. The air has the autumn scent of falling leaves and carved pumpkins sitting on the porch. We are easing our way into the slower pace that winter brings. These changes remind me that I, too, am in that fall season of life. I am grateful to turn 67 this week, in mostly decent health, surrounded by blessings.
Write Team: 169 year old school is truly a treasure

Oct 16, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

“The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation.”I was thinking about this quote recently while working on lessons for classes who visit The Little Red Schoolhouse. One message I hope to deliver to the students is that this 169 year-old school is truly a treasure. Not many school districts have an authentic, one-room-schoolhouse, especially one that is in good enough condition to still be used. The Edgar J.
Write Team: Share the valuable gift of reading

Oct 2, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

Happy October! And Happy Book Month!Learning to read is extremely important. Reading is the key to solving problems, finding out about other cultures and people, and is the best way to connect and understand each other. For children, it is essential to developing imaginations, a sense of humor and critical thinking skills. Plus, it’s so enjoyable. When I worked in the Lincoln School library, my favorite part of the job was getting children excited about books.
Write Team: Baby Boomers have seen some changes

Sep 19, 2024 | shawlocal.com | Karen Roth

“Baby Boomers” refers to those born between 1946 and 1964. Currently, we are the second-largest demographic in the U.S. Boomers are the longest-living generation so far in history, and we have seen many changes. For example:I did not have a curling iron when I was a teen. I rolled my damp hair onto brush rollers, pushed a pink, plastic poke through and sat under a hairdryer that had an elasticized bonnet around my head.