GREENE PRAIRIE PRESS NOVEMBER 27, 2013 – Vol. 144, No. 48 – Carrollton, Illinois 62016
INSIDE LOCALS
Mason turns 2. See page A3
75¢
Roodhouse saves money by refinancing By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press Roodhouse City Council is taking advantage of lower interest rates by refinancing two of its major loans at significantly lower rates With the exception of council member Charlie Huffines, who was absent from the meeting the rest of the council unanimously approved refinancing the VAC truck at an interest rate of 1.95 percent for four years. The new rate is less than half of the previous rate of 4.75 percent. The city hall will be refinanced at a rate of 3.99 percent for five years, down from a rate of 5.625 percent. The city still has 10 years left on the note and will have to refinance again in five years. “Suzanne Roundcount (bookkeeper) suggested we just keep making the same payment we are making now and knock a big chunk off
NEWS
the balance,” Mayor Tom Martin said. “The difference can be applied to the principal and at the end of five years we can either refinance or pay it off.” Alderman Ralph Phillips asked that a $1,284 check to Bob’s Guns be pulled out of the stack of bills to be paid by omnibus vote. The bill was for three shotguns for police department squad cars. “This purchase did not go through the council or the committee,” Phillips said. “The police chief talked to Charlie (Huffines) and he said it was OK but it hasn’t gone through the police committee – just Charlie.” The council recently approved a motion allowing a department head to make a purchase of up to $500 without council authorization in an emergency situation. Phillips didn’t see the purchase of the three shotguns as an emergency situation. “My problem is that it is not going through
GOING
the committee like it is supposed to,” Phillips said. “The police committee chairman, which is Charlie, should have brought it to the workshop for discussion and then to the council for a vote.” When voted on separately, the motion to pay Bob’s Guns the $1,284 was approved with Phillips casting the sole No vote. The council is getting into the holiday spirit approving motions to make a $250 donation to help with the chili for Christmas in the Park and $300 for Santa candy and treats for Nov. 29 when Santa makes his annual visit. Alderman Garrett Rogers gave a report from the utility committee. City workers Terry Ross and Nathan Newingham filled the water tank to try to see where the city’s major water loss is coming from – within the city or out of town. “It appears the majority of the water is leaking from in town,” Rogers said. “At least
this is what this test found. Other than that, there is no real hard data on it.” Mayor Martin informed the council the cleanup on the square would begin by the end of the week. The city purchased the derelict property next to the Karma Klub, which was totaled in a fire earlier in the year. The insurance on the building paid for the demolition and the city was allowed a special rate by Ballard Bros. to take down the other building at the same time. “When they get it cleaned up they will fill it in with dirt and level it off,” Mayor Martin said. The council approved a motion to move the money in the water and sewer depreciation account in money market at UCB to the maintenance and operation checking in the water loan account. Martin said this was per a USDA request. (See, ROODHOUSE, A2)
Greenfield District receives grant money
FOR TWO
Greenfield has added a new route to Garrison School in Jacksonville for one student. “At this time, we are using in-house Greenfield School Board members learned the district was the recipient drivers for this route,” Walden said He also reported on the bids for the of two $5,000 grants at their Nov. 18 bus trade in and recommended the disregular school board meeting. “In the past year, the district has trict accept the lowest bid to purchase received a $5,000 Back to Books grant a 2015, 71-passenger International bus for a reading strategy program for third from Midwest Transit. The district and fourth graders,” District Librarian will trade in 2007 and 2008 Thomas Jan Prough said. “As a member of buses, making the total bid $21,663. the Illinois Heartland Library System, An optional camera system is available for an additional we are currently $1,510. part of the largest Superintendent library consor- “Many hours of hard Bowman gave a tium in the United work and dedication presentation on States. Our stuthe tax levy for the dents have access have been spent in coming year. to millions of “The levy books through this the formation and is based on library system.” training in this new Equalized AsseIn more good ssed Valuation news in the way system .” estimates from of grants, High the four county School Principal clerks,” he said. Beth Bettis Kevin Brown “It is my recominformed the board Superintendent mendation the disshe had applied for trict hold a public an Illinois Rural truth in taxation hearing in December, Electric Cooperative grant. “We recently received notice that our which is when it is scheduled to be district will receive a $5,000 grant from adopted.” Bowman also suggested the district Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative,” Bettis said. “We would like to thank apply for another $50,000 maintenance everyone who is a member of this grant to do concrete repair work and cooperative for their support of this electrical upgrades at the elementary school. The grant is a matching grant program.” Tyann Hallock and Julie George which means the district would have gave a presentation on the new teacher to provide $50,000 and would get an evaluation documents and the process. additional $50,000 from the grant for Legislation was passed to change the a total of $100,000 in improvements at system in which teachers were evalu- only half the cost. Following a 20-minute closed sesated and a committee was formed in sion, the board: 2011to implement these changes. n Authorized the superintendent to “Many hours of hard work and dedication have been spent in the for- finalize the Maintenance Grant applicamation and training in this new sys- tion. n Accepted the low bid from tem,” Greenfield Superintendent Kevin Midwest Transit for the purchase of a Bowman said. Sam Walden noted in his trans- 2015 International bus along with the portation report for the district that purchase of a camera system for a total cost of $23,173. By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press
Going for two. See page A6
SCHOOL
KISS event at Greenfield Elementary. See page A7
SPORTS Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press
Zach Flowers goes up for two against Gillespie Tuesday night at Carrollton .
Mobile food pantry coming December 7 High school basketball roundup. See page B10
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Obituaries in this issue: DawDy, hammOnD, mccann, walker
© 2013 Greene Prairie Press
By CARMEN ENSINGER Greene Prairie Press Residents of Greene County are reminded the Mobile Food Pantry will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7 starting at 10 a.m. at the Rt. 106 Auction house, located just outside of White Hall. Unlike local food pantries that are income-based, anyone, regardless of their age or income, can receive food from the mobile food pantry. “The only thing we require from someone coming to this mobile food pantry is the zip code where they live,” Richard Caskey said. “The only other information we take is how many children there are in your family or how many people over 65 live in the household so we can have a count of how many elderly and children we are feeding. This is the only requirement we have.” The mobile food pantries were organized in 2010 by the Central Illinois Foodbank located in Springfield. Mobile food pantries are designed to distribute a large amount of food in rural areas in a short amount of time. Central Illinois Foodbank partners with a host site to secure a parking lot and volunteers to assist in distribution. The foodbank utilizes the Mobile Food Pantry program to serve rural, under-served areas where distances between food pantries may be extreme. On average, the Mobile Food Pantry will distribute around 12,000 pounds of food in under two hours. Caskey and his wife, Judy, along with Dave and LuAnn Mansfield try to bring the mobile food pantry to the county at least every two months.
“What we do is tell the food pantry at Springfield that we are going to have a mobile pantry here in the county,” Caskey said. “They then send down a truck and we have no idea what is on that truck until it gets here and it gets unloaded.” Caskey said he is grateful for the help given from the local churches to keep the mobile pantry coming to Greene County. “Each time they send down a truck, we have to pay $1,100 for that truck of food to come here,” Caskey said. “Our churches, along with several individuals, have been very generous with donations to help keep it coming here. We try to have it here at least every other month because a lot of people have come to depend upon it.” Caskey said the last mobile food pantry was held in Whiteside Park where a total of 157 families amounting to 600 people were served. “The line was wrapped around the park all the way down to the police station,” Caskey said. “We don’t start until 10 a.m., but people get there earlier and earlier to make sure they get some of everything.” The food distributed at these pantries is comprised of food from retail stores and restaurants that they can’t sell, but is still good. “They used to have to toss this food into the dumpster,” Caskey said. “Now, thanks to this program and the volunteers who go around to pick up all this food, it can be given to those who are hungry. In 2012 it is estimated this program saved two million pounds of food from ending up in landfills.”
NOVEMBER 'PRIDE
OF
GREENFIELD' AWARD
Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press
The City of Greenfield and the Greenfield Lions Club are pleased to announce the winner of the “Pride of Greenfield” Award for the month of November . Morrow Brothers Ford Inc . is the recipient for the November Award . Pictured above are, left to right, Mayor Chuck Morrow, Evelyn Morrow Wellenkamp, John Wellenkamp, Women’s Auxiliary member Donna Becker, Lions Club member John Thien, Archie Morrow, and Alderman Don Chapman . Morrow Bros . Inc was selected due to the improvements made at their north property on Route 267 . Morrow Bros . Ford, Inc . purchased the former Erthal property due to the need for additional parking of new fleet inventory and new retail inventory . In addition, the building is utilized for additional storage . Several improvements have been made to the property . The building has been painted and new doors and locks have been installed . A complete new roof and tuck pointing has been completed on the building . The property has been tiled and a new driveway circling to the rear of the building allows easy access to new fleet inventory . The entire property is protected by a state-of-the art security system including cameras . Morrow Bros . believe this additional property has been a wise investment and are very appreciative that Don Erthal afforded them the opportunity to purchase the property . The tiling of the property was completed by Benji and Chris Goode white the excavation work was completed by Nick Bishop . Rock for the property and driveway was hauled in by Weller Farms . C
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