The Moore family home.
There were plenty of political motives to change the longstanding agreement that Huntley 158 had which allowed Linda Moore and her family to live in the house she grew up in.
Linda’s family sold the school district the property that Huntley High was on and retained the right to live in the tiny house on the opposite side of Harmony Road. The house was 1,200 square feet; the hen house 350 sq. ft.
Linda Moore ran for school board. The political knives of existing school board members
came out.
She ran with Aileen Seedorf, who was the top vote getter. Board President Mike Skala narrowly lost (13 votes) to his running mate Jim Carlin. Linda Moore ran just one vote behind.
Skala’s friends on the board were ticked.
David and Linda Moore talk with former school board member Glen Stewart after he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Huntley School District 158 by his fellow school board members.
Superintendent John Burkey appears to have begun a mission to generate negative publicity about Moore being in the house rent free and how this somehow was so terrible or unfair. Burkey certainly seemed glad to allow negative publicity and administrator remarks be directed at the Moores.
Apparently honoring an existing legal agreement is subject to interpretation when you have “free” legal services of the government at one’s disposal.
The Moore family farm barn and silo.
The district insisted on charging rent. The Moore’s simply moved almost next door, to another house they own.
Now the school district is about to authorize tearing the tiny house down, along with the hen house and barn.
The demolition cost will be over $44,000.
The district could have avoided spending the money.
But that would have meant allowing the Moore family to live in the tiny house. The Moores were responsible for the upkeep of the house and maintenance of the grounds. An old drafty house is expensive to heat in the winter. Paying what rent the district wanted made sense for one year as a transition, but it wasn’t economical to stay.
The kitchen was bright.
School board members knew that. They also knew it would be expensive to tear down the buildings. At the time, board member Larry Snow told the board that it would cost at least $20,000 to tear down the building and the board majority scoffed that it could cost this much.
More than $44,000 for demolition will be likely approved at July’s board meeting.
Not a penny of which, of course, will go toward improving the educational services of the students.
Johler Demolition will get to keep the boards after tearing down one of Huntley’s historic
barns. I wonder if paneling basements in barn boards is still in style.
School board politics and not wanting the Moore’s to live in the family house means one of
Huntley historic barns will get torn down.
The demolition bids can be found on page 8 at this link.
No thought of allowing a teacher who was starting out to rent the home, I guess.
= = = = =
Starting in 1842, the Williams family lived on the farm it purchased for $75. In 1942 Linda Moore’s grandfather, Louis Borhart brought the farm. The family moved next door two yea+rs ago.
Ahahhaahha It’s about frickin time!!!!! now she needs the boot from grafton township by judge caldwell.
“Tiny house” is used too much in the article. How horrible! I feel bad for Linda and David having to move into a house they own next door. Larry, great story . . . keep them coming.
Cal, still no coverage by you on about the CL coach? Imagine if he worked in D-158.
Larry (and Cal), You left one important detail out of your “Linda and David are homeless fable.” Linda Moore DECIDED to terminate her lease with D-158! That’s right, Linda Moore made the decision not to live in the “tiny house.” You can read Linda’s statement at w.huntleyneighbors(dot)com
Cal, you should get back on the Chinese bus and go for a ride. Posting this work of fiction in your blog is a real diservice to the community. What will you be posting next – killer sharks in Vulcan Lakes? It’s no wonder why you did not stay in politics. Keep living in your fictional world.
Of course they are not homeless. I do think the board they could have found a deserving employee to allow to live there and take care of the place, as other governmental owners of homes do.
I think the school board should allow students of Huntley High School the chance to work on the house and use it as a training and teaching tool. I remember in H.S. when we built a house for Habitat for Humanity, it was a lesson that I will never forget.
Cal, nice re-write of the attack on D-158. You should read everything Larry writes 2x, then fact check. Due diligence Cal! Do you have anything to report from your neck of the county, such as the coach from CLHS?
so we tear down a barn because we dont like someone-What happened to the country charm?I think it left a long time ago. This sillyness i read about the grafton township makes me laugh. You voted-remember? well- you got you voted for-next time do your research!
To jean byers:
That “someone” no longer owns the barn/house/property.
I DID NOT vote for that “someone”. A lot of other people did not either. The only people that did were the people that that “someone” conned them into thinking that their taxes were going to be raised.
I am laughing too. Next time, you may want to do YOUR research!