This was a great and well-attended event. However, the animal rights-Holocaust on your plate folks will prevail next year, as I doubt that the Foundations' volunteers have the stomach to be attacked again, as they were this year.

I hope that the PETA folks will volunteer their efforts and find an event they are willing to sponsor on behalf of fund-raising. They came to the circus party too late and attempted to crash it. Let's bury the hatchet and let the naysayers find a better event for next year.

1500 attended. 12 children protested at the evening show. Adult protesters would not identify themselves by the bright red "T" the kiddies wore, directing their efforts instead to harassing and baiting hard-working circus employees. That says it all.

Bringing the circus to Deerfield is in many ways like bringing Michael Vick's Dogfighting show to town. Both involve absolute cruelty to animals at the expense of entertainment and profit. I find it fascinating that not one proponent of the circus can or has denied that circus elephants, and specifically Kelly Miller's Elephants, are beaten with a bullhook into submission to perform. In fact, videotape of an actual beating/training session exists. Sure, I'd love for my 3 year old daughter to marvel at the sight of a real elephant, but until we travel to that majestic creature's natural habitat, she'll have to settle for the breathtaking images of a National Geographic program which will incourage her to appreciate conservation and love for all living things. The fact that the School Board and Park Foundation has overlooked the atrocities of the Kelly Miller Circus in order to make a buck is sad and embarassing for the Village of Deerfield. Our elected officials also chose to overlook the fact that tickets for the even had been pre-sold before approval had been granted to do so. They failed to consider the risks of safety, with history showing us that elephants can and will lose control and rampage, potentially hurting or killing children or anyone in it's path. They also can carry and transmit tuberculosis! I understand that 1,500 tickets were sold in total, which I see as a failure and far less than the $30,000 in proceeds that they were hoping to bring in. Finally, a word about the circus itself and the behavior of Kelly Miller's employees. First, an employee screaming SH** and F&** in the presence of children is not acceptable under any circumstances, nor is following a peaceful protestor and her daughter in a threatening manner and photgraphing them and their license plate! And isn't it interesting that the Kelly Miller Circus decided not to spend the night in Deerfield following their evening performance as is usually customary, because they did not want to submit to a criminal background check of it's employees. Hmmm, what does that tell you about who is entertaining your children? Finally, a word of empathy. I understand the desire to profit in business, and how difficult it may be to give up the "tradition" of the circus, but if the employees of the circuses in this country actually have a beating heart and the courage to admit what they are doing is morally wrong, they will consider finding another way to earn a living. There are many reputable and very entertaining circuses that do not exploit animals. The same point goes for the customer who attended the circus. I myself clearly remember enjoying the circus exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry for many years in the 1970's as a child. But as I grew up I learned the real truths behind the circus, and the proven link between animal abuse and abusing children and other adults. When I myself viewed these unkept elephants at the Kelly Miller Circus in Deerfield that some witnesses have said were denied water all day, alone swaying back and forth in a repetetive fashion (which indicates stress, boredom, and depression), I realized that it's time to open our eyes and make an informed decision about this antiquated form of entertainment.