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Editorials

  • Remember our veterans on Nov. 11

    Directly on the heels of Tuesday’s election day, we’ll observe Veterans Day on Sunday. Though they are very different days, they’re bound together by a common theme.
    Both are centered on a key element of our nation: freedom.
    Our elections are a key element in preserving our democracy. We’re free to vote our conscience in our elections – whether it’s in the presidential race or in the most obscure local position on the ballot.

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  • Your vote counts; vote on Tuesday

    Election day is next Tuesday. Are you ready?
    Have you studied the candidates so you can cast an informed vote? Have you checked their records and their positions on various issues that are key to the way that they’ll approach the job? Have you compared their backgrounds and experience to know if they’re prepared to handle the job?
    If not, it’s time to get started.

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  • Enjoy the season with parade and trick or treating

    There's a lot going on in Vandalia this week. And with all the interesting things to do, we urge you to make plans to participate in some of them.
    It all kicks off Thursday night at 7 p.m. with the Vandalia Lions Club Halloween Parade. Known as one of the premier parades in this part of the state, the event features dozens of floats, a number of high school bands and a wide variety of walking entries.

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  • School, teachers pact a good sign

    Earlier this month, as the Vandalia Board of Education and the union representing the district’s teachers reached a contract settlement, it was a win for both sides.
    Talks between the two groups had been going on since last spring, and had included one arbitration meeting in September when the two sides couldn’t come up with a compromise that they could live with. A second arbitration meeting had been scheduled, but never was held.
    The teachers had been working without a contract since the new fiscal year began July 1.

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  • Alderman shows initiative

    Vandalia officials learned on Monday night that their hopes for a quick, simple and inexpensive fix to the ongoing problem with the city’s raw water intake on the Kaskaskia River had been dashed.
    But the failure to find such a fix wasn’t due to a lack of effort.
    At some point, it may be worth it for the city to fix the problem, though the need to do so may be moot if the city can work out an agreement with the Kaskaskia Springs Water Co. that is cost-effective.

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  • Protect yourself, possessions with common sense

    Each day, the Vandalia Police Department issues to the media a list of the calls its officers responded to the previous day.
    In the report we received on Monday, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint what the officers were focused on last weekend. Of the 11 items listed for Sunday, seven of them were burglaries to motor vehicles. Most were within eight or 10 blocks of the downtown area.

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  • Enjoy this weekend's Grande Levée events

    Every year, residents of the Vandalia area are treated to a glimpse into our past during the Grande Levée celebration. As we enjoy that annual trip back in time, we have the opportunity to learn more of our heritage.
    That opportunity is upon us. This Friday evening and all day Saturday, we will be able to enjoy the unique activities of the Grande Levée.

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  • Keep harvest safe for farmers, others

    Area farmers have been through the wringer because of this year’s historic drought and blistering heat during July and August. But they have one more hurdle to negotiate before they can put the 2012 crop year behind them.
    They must safely harvest their crops.

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  • Never forget the lessons of 9/11

    Never Forget.
    We have been reminded in countless ways this week that we should always remember the horror of Sept. 11, 2001.
    It will, indeed, be hard to ever forget that day, a day from which we learned many lessons.
    We learned that this country has enemies who take glee in trying to kill as many of us as possible. While these enemies, as evidenced by the daily suicide bombings in their homelands, do not value human life, they know just how much we do.

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  • KC Phase II opens new opportunities

    The dream of continued growth at the Vandalia campus of Kaskaskia College moved one step closer to reality with last week’s unveiling of the college’s plans for Phase II of the project.
    It’s an exciting next step for the campus, which opened with the 22,000-square-foot Simma-Kelly Education Building in 2008. Prior to that, the college operated out of rented facilities in Vandalia.

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Copyright © 2013

The Leader Union is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Vandalia, Il, and the surrounding area.