A07, defamatory flyer attacking John Wicks [D88]

To attack the Dorris, Smith and Wicks slate in District 88 (Bellwood & Stone Park elementary schools) there is an anonymous flyer attacking John Wicks (and to a lesser extent Toni Dorris). This photocopied flyer is being distributed with Neighbors in Action literature. Neighbors in Action is a committee affiliated with Bennie Mazzulla.

The flyer claims Wicks was fired from Proviso Township High Schools for “transferring drugs” between the students and Wicks. I was able to confirm from a District 209 source that this allegation is completely without factual basis.

There are various allegations in the flyer, but they seem to be bogus for other reasons.

ED, Proviso Herald endorsements [D88, D89]

For District 88 (Bellwood and Stone Park elementary schools) Proviso Herald endorses:
* Antonette Dorris
* Daphene Walker
* John Wicks

For District 89 (Maywood and Melrose Park elementary schools) Proviso Herald endorses:
* Jaime Anguiano (two-year term)
* Donna Miller
* Lequita Neely
* Arbdella Patterson
* Grady Rivers

If the voters elect the candidates picked by Proviso Herald the same factions will still rule the roost at District 88 and 89.

The endorsement in D88 ends with:

Though we are critical of the board's performance, and though Dorris and Wicks are part of the current board, we thinks they can be forces for stability, not disruption.

This seems like particularly muddled thinking.

Arnie Bryant has called the D88 board "dysfunctional" and the endorsement began with "There is so much bickering and infighting on the District 88 School Board...."

OK. The problem is a screwed-up board of education in the eyes of Proviso Herald. So what's the Proviso Herald solution? Continue the 4-3 split with six of the seven characters who are part of the current board.

The endorsement makes no sense to me. If the board's problem is the majority then Proviso Herald should get behind changing the majority. If the problem is the minority then they should be dumped. The wimpy but logically consistent position would be to dump all incumbents. (This was the Forest Park Review's approach to District 209.)

Proviso Herald's endorsement was worthless in District 88.