As the children in our communities return to school, we should do all we can to make our schools and communities safe places for our children to learn and grow.

Too often, children are singled out as different and harassed or bullied because of those differences. Some have different ethnic backgrounds, some don’t have the ideal body shape, some are nonathletic, gay or perceived to be gay; all these children deserve to be educated in a safe place.

They shouldn’t have to worry about being ridiculed, humiliated or beaten up.

A local high school senior committed suicide this spring. His mother believes the bullying he experienced throughout middle school and high school caused him to take his own life.

We need to teach our children what bullying is. We need to teach them it is unacceptable for them to bully. We need to help them find help for themselves and their friends if they experience or witness bullying.

Catherine Becker

Crystal Lake

Turning Point advocates Judy & Melodee turned up dressed alike today! Both are a vision in purple & balck!

From today’s NW Herald:

“Police do not believe Larson and the Richmond woman in her mid-20s knew each other. They were unable to find any connections, Richmond Police Officer Pam Hewett said.

The woman received a series of text messages from a phone number she didn’t recognize in March, Hewett said. When she called the number to tell the sender he or she had the wrong number, the sender identified himself as Ken and the communication turned sexual, Hewett said.

The woman told the man to stop messaging her, but the text messages started again the next day. When she called a second time, the man told her he would be waiting outside for her. That worried the woman, because she was working at a public establishment, Hewett said.”

Cook County Sheriff’s police responded on Aug. 27 to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after a report of domestic battery in unincorporated Maine Township near Des Plaines, a release from the sheriff’s office said.

The victim told detectives that on Thursday, Aug. 26, at about 10 p.m., she and her husband got into in a heated argument after she threw away his cigarettes.

She said her husband, Osman Hamad Abdelrahim, grabbed her in a choke hold from behind and lifted her up off her feet. He then turned her around and placed his hands around her throat and tried to strangle her, the release said.

You can read the whole story here.

The 2009 cross country season proved to be quite momentous for area runners.

The Beattie sisters, Kayla and Elise, finished first and third in the IHSA Class 2A State Meet. Dundee-Crown’s Anthony Manfrin and Cary-Grove’s Phil Fairleigh, previously snakebitten in state races, earned medals in the Class 3A boys race.

Most of the top girls runners, led by Kayla Beattie, return.

I must confess, when this was first brought to my attention I thought it was a hoax. I just can’t imagine a popular radio host saying something like this- and it’s even harder to believe we haven’t heard screams of protest about it. You can listen to it yourself here.  

Some “highlights” of his rant: “Bunch of lazy idiots. Many of them don’t want to really work. Non-profits siphon contributions, as their salaries and so forth, and think of themselves as “good people, charitable people.”  I mean, these people are rapists, in terms of finance and economy.”

Incidentally, there are Turning Point advocates on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By comparison, Rush Limbaugh is paid 38 million dollars a year and is on the air 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday approximately 46 weeks a year.

Sergeant Brett Wisnauski, Algonquin Police Department

Will provide training for Domestic Violence Advocates

September 2, 2010

12:00 – 1:00

At Turning Point

If you would like to, please bring your own brown bag lunch.

Turning Point is an ICDVP Continuing Education Site

1 CEU will be awarded for ICDVPs

Registration is required.

Please contact Jennifer at jkenning@mchenrycountyturningpoint.org.

If requesting CEUs, please provide your ICDVP Certification ID#.

There is a fee for attendees requesting CEUs who are not

Turning Point employees or volunteers.

With schools starting back up this week, Executive Director Jane Farmer suggested I  pass along these tips:

“As a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. When parents and families are involved in their children’s schools, the children do better and have better feelings about going to school. In fact, many studies show that what the family does is more important to a child’s school success than how much money the family makes or how much education the parents have. There are many ways that parents can support their children’s learning at home and throughout the school year. Here are some ideas to get you started!

Develop a partnership with your child’s teachers and school staff

Support your child academically

Get involved with your child’s school

Get informed and be an advocate for your child

Support your child’s learning at home

You can read the 20 ways to do all that here.

Scott Walz was three months shy of his high school graduation when he killed himself this spring.

His mother, Nancy, said her son thought suicide was a way to escape nearly a decade of bullying. So since his death, Nancy Walz has committed to spreading awareness about bullying and its detrimental effects.

“I don’t want any other kids to go through what he went through, and what we as parents are going through,” Walz said.

In memory of Scott and other youth who have taken their own lives after bouts with bullying, a candlelight vigil is planned tonight in Johnsburg.

The vigil will be at 7 p.m. at Midwest Bank, 3805 N. Johnsburg Road. The vigil, dubbed Stand for the Silent, will be one of several identical events happening tonight across the globe.

Star 105.5 held its fifth “Take a Stand for Turning Point” radiothon Aug. 6-7. The radiothon is Turning Point’s largest annual fundraiser. This 36-hour event requires the efforts of quite literally hundreds of people, and I want to thank all of them.

It would not be possible without the efforts of more than 100 volunteers, including those who performed and spoke at the event and those who conducted fundraisers and activities to raise money in advance of the weekend. We are indebted to our major sponsors, including Sage Products, McDonald’s, Algonquin Commons, the Northwest Herald, and Centegra Health System. We are grateful for each of the hundreds of donations made to Turning Point and the donations that continue to come in through our website, www.McHenryCountyTurningPoint.org.

And of course, we must thank Star 105.5 for the station’s dedication to our mission to confront violence against women and children in McHenry County. We appreciate the funds raised, but we are even more grateful for the chance to spend 36 hours educating McHenry County about domestic violence and the services we provide at Turning Point.

On behalf of the staff, board and clients of Turning Point, I thank you.

Joe Kvidera

Events coordinator

Turning Point

Woodstock