1 Front “PRSRT STD.” US Postage Paid No. 486 SHAW MEDIA
Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 146 No. 46
POSTAL PATRON LOCAL R.R. BOXHOLDER CARRIER ROUTE PRESORT
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Remembering Mike Vaskie ‘He always wanted to do the right thing for everyone’ By Dixie Schroeder
dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
MCNABB — Area residents, friends and family are remembering Mike Vaskie Jr. who died July 6 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Vaskie, 70, has served his
community in many ways throughout the years, most recently serving as a trustee on the board of the McNabb Fire Protection District; a trustee on the board of the Putnam County Emergency Medical Service and McNabb Village President. Many in the area said
Vaskie was known as one of the “fathers” of getting the current ambulance service up and off the ground in Putnam County. He was very outspoken but had the ability to cut through to the chase, said Andy Jackson, director of the Putnam County Emergency Medical Service. “We started this in 2006. He retired from the board last year after being elected village president,”
Jackson said. “We have lost two of our founding fathers (fellow coordinator Jim Goldasich died in 2013) ... This is such a great loss. Mike was very knowledgeable. He always wanted to do the right thing for everyone. If it wasn’t right, he just wouldn’t do it. He was a real good friend. He was so instrumental in getting this started. He was very active even after he retired
from the board.” Jackson said Vaskie would come by three to four times a week, just to see how things were going. Vaskie was very proud of the PCEMS, Jackson said. Dr. John Ehrhardt also worked with Vaskie in many endeavors to serve the community. Ehrhardt knew Vaskie for quite a while and said he loved his community. “When Mike and Mar-
cia (Mike’s wife) moved here, I was a teenager,” Ehrhardt said. “I thought Mike was just about the coolest dude I had ever met ... I have thought that for about 45 years now, and it is still true. He always had a story, always made me laugh. He always cut through the BS and got to the core of the truth. He worked hard but had fun
Vaskie Page 2
McNabb to honor Vaskie, Goldasich and Mekley By Dixie Schroeder
dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
MCNABB — The regular monthly meeting of the McNabb Village Board started out with a moment of silence observed for the late Mike Vaskie who was village president until his passing on July 6. Trustee Dan Trone ran the meeting in Vaskie’s absence. The board discussed who would take the position of acting mayor for the village until the 2015 elections. It was determined trustee Brandy Sandberg would fill this role while keeping her trustee position. Sandberg suggested planting three more trees in Coleman Park to honor recent community members: Bob Mekley, Jim Goldasich and Vaskie who have all passed away. Mekley, Goldasich and Vaskie were all cited by the board as people who went the extra mile for the village and needed to be honored. In other business, the board choose to proceed with two days of spray patch work on the roads in the McNabb subdivision. Area Wide Septic Solutions (AWSS) submitted the winning bid of $14,124 for 4,220 linear feet of road work. Monies to pay for the project will be moved from the general fund. Village engineer Jack Kusek asked that one of the village trustees come with
McNabb Page 4 Vol. 146 No. 46 One Section - 16 Pages
PCR photo/Ken Schroeder
Marshall-Putnam royalty The Marshall-Putnam Fair selected new royalty at the 93rd annual M-P Fair pageants. The new Little Miss is Hannah Gorisek; Junior Miss winner is Kaitlyn Stanberry; and the new Miss Marshall-Putnam Fair is Elizabeth Rice. The incoming and outgoing royalty are (front row, from left) Gorisek, Rice, 2013 Little Miss Abbie Stanberry and 2014 Miss runner-up Hannah Monier; and (back row) Stanberry, 2014 Junior Miss runnerup Heidi Harrison, 2013 Miss Lauren Passini and 2013 Junior Miss Elizabeth Larson. See more Marshall-Putnam County photos on Pages 15-16.
They’re not just in the belfry Going a little batty at the McNabb library By Ken Schroeder
kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
MCNABB — The eternal debate rages. What’s the better pet — a cat or a dog? Dan and Sharon Peterson give the answer of neither. The Petersons raise bats.
“It started as a Girl Scout project for my daughter when she was in fourth or fifth grade,” Sharon said. “We went to the museum to learn more and discovered a lot that we never knew.” The Petersons are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and their bats are inspected
on a regular basis. The bats were all born in captivity and have had no contact with the rabies virus. Dan and Sharon travel throughout the Midwest, giving lectures and answering questions about the rapidly-diminishing bat. At 6:30 p.m. July 23, Sharon will be in McNabb at the McNabb branch of the Putnam County Library to share her experiences,
knowledge and pets. Some of her bats accompany her to the lectures, giving people a first-hand look at a misunderstood animal they have probably never seen. “There’s a lot of myths about bats, and my husband and I try to dispel them,” Sharon said. “They’re not blind. They actually
Bats Page 4
Stay Cool This Summer in the comfort of your home! Get your air conditioner checked & cleaned or replace that old unit with a new high efficiency Carrier unit.
© The Putnam County Record
PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.
815-882-2111 815-875-2540
FREE ESTIMATES!
404 W. Main, McNabb, IL
www.grassersplumbingheating.com