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Wednesday, May 21, 2014
McNabb digging for grant By Ken Schroeder
kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
MCNABB — The McNabb Village Board will host a public hearing on May 28 to get feedback from residents concerning a Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant. The grant would be used for a second well for the village’s water. “Each community can apply for up to $450,000 for public infrastructure
projects,” North Central Illinois Council of Governments representative Kendall Cramer said. “If the village wants to pursue this, the application is due June 2. The project has to be shovel-ready.” Village engineer Jack Kusek identified the well project as one looked at last year. The well would cost approximately $190,000 with administrative fees lifting the total to $208,000. The CDAP grant is a 75-25 grant, meaning the village would be
responsible for 25 percent of the total, or roughly $52,000. The cost to apply for the CDAP grant is $1,500. “We’re required to have two wells, so you meet the demand if the largest well is out of service,” Kusek said. “So far, we’ve been fortunate, but we’ve come close to running out of water a couple of times. We don’t have a second source, so if we don’t meet the code, it’s a threat to public health and safety.”
Board member Brandi Sandburg said, “The day we run out of water, we’re going to be drawing a new well, and we’re going to be paying for a hundred percent of it.” “I don’t see where we have much choice,” board member Rich Haar said. “I say we apply for the loan.” In other action, the board: • Discussed the progress on the generator project. Due to a relocation of the proposed site,
changes have been made in the specifications for the piping of the project. There were problems with the contractor in pouring the concrete for the pad, with village board members correcting construction issues. Village board President Mike Vaskie said it took three inspections before the pad was installed correctly. Board member Frank McNaughton was very critical of the contractors involved as well as the changes in the specifications for the
project. Kusek assured the board changes in specifications and the construction of the pad are up to code and guaranteed all would function as it should. • Discussed the ditch project in the subdivision. Work should begin soon. • Approved spray patching sections of village streets as opposed to oil and chip to repair potholes and cracks. The cost is about $12,000 which is less than half the cost of the oil and chip.
VanWingerdens to sell Mid-American Growers By Ken Schroeder
kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
GRANVILLE — Change is in the air at Mid-American Growers. That change is a change of ownership. Color Point LLC, with headquarters in Paris, Ky., has reached an agreement to purchase Mid-American Growers from Nick VanWingerden. Color Point is owned by Art and Ken VanWingerden, Nick’s younger brothers, and is ranked No. 74 on Greenhouse Grower’s
magazine’s Top 100 Growers list for 2014. Mid-American Growers is ranked No. 13. “Color Point and MidAmerican Growers have signed a letter of intent for Color Point to purchase Mid-American Growers,” owner Nick VanWingerden said. “The familial ties between the owners of Color Point and Mid-American Growers made it possible for Color Point to step in and assist Mid-American during
Sale Page 4
State receives NCLB waiver By Ken Schroeder
kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
CHICAGO — The muchdebated No Child Left Behind law has lost some of its teeth as far as Illinois is concerned. The state has won approval from the U.S. Department of Education for its request for flexibility from parts of the NCLB legislation. Gov. Pat Quinn said he and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) have campaigned for the waiver in order to improve the quality of education for Illinois’ school children. “This approval is a big step forward that will allow Illinois to do what’s best for our kids and improve the quality of education throughout our state,” Quinn said. “In 2011, we enacted landmark eduVol. 146 No. 38 One Section - 20 Pages
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cation reform that made our schools stronger and more accountable. Now, with this federal approval, we will continue to improve the quality of education in Illinois and better prepare our students to be successful in college, career and beyond.” “The best economic tool a state can have is a worldclass education system, and that’s why we have been fighting to get this done since day one,” ISBE Chairman Gery Chico said. “Schools across Illinois are already putting in place many elements of our plan for student success, and this approval will allow us to fully implement our comprehensive plan to make Illinois’ education system the best in the nation.”
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PCR photo/Dixie Schroeder
Stamping out hunger Putnam County Food Pantry volunteers Don Burress (front), Bill Haage and Rich Gimbal help empty trucks from the Putnam County Postal Food Drive at the Putnam County Food Pantry. The food drive, which was held on May 10, netted 1,081 pound of food and $250 cash donations for the Putnam County Food Pantry. This is the first year Putnam County post offices have been a part of the national food drive.
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