Single Copy Cost 50¢ Volume 147 No. 47
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Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Mautino: Illinois Auditor General?
State rep. would have to relinquish his 76th District seat if appointed By Terri Simon
tsimon@putnamcountyrecord.com
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois State Rep. Frank Mautino has unofficially thrown his hat in the ring to be the state’s next auditor
general. Having served on the Legislative Audit Commission for 18 years — 12 of those as co-chairman of the commission, Mautino said he clearly has the experience and the track record to assume the position, after the
current auditor general, William Holland, will retire in January after serving 25 years in that position. Mautino said he officially resigned his seat on the Legislative Audit Commission last week, which was necessary for him to eventually apply for the post. “It was important for me to do that. They are going to take applications (for the audi-
Senate and House of Representatives. The person winning the position will need a super majority vote from both houses —a three-fifths majority vote, which Mautino said insures bipartisan support. When Mautino tendered his resignation from the Legislative Audit Commission, he said he went to all four of the leaders
tor general position) over the next few weeks,” Mautino said. “Beginning Aug. 1, they will accept applications through the 14th, and then they will schedule interviews.” The auditor general seat is a statewide constitutional executive officer, equal to the secretary of state, the governor and the lieutenant governor. It is the only seat not elected by voters, rather the post is elected by the
Mautino Page 2
Clean, clear and finally safe Standard’s water quality project is nearing completion By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
STANDARD — After more than two months of living under a boil order and enduring at least eight water outages, Standard residents finally have safe water for their families. It’s a major project which was initiated after the old well was found to be contaminated with radium. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated a boil order, according to the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department. The project, financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), included a new well, five blocks worth of new mains and valves and the construction of a new filtration plant near the water tower. Project leader Mike Holmes said the mains and valves were from the 1930s and in poor condition. The new well was found to have high levels of iron, so the new filtration plant, which should be finished by the end of summer, will focus on iron removal. A Standard resident who wished to remain anonymous spoke of what it’s been like for the past couple of months. “I’ve lived here my whole life. You have setbacks; it’s just part of living in a small town, and you do what you have to do,” she said. The water tower got a face lift as well. It’s west face shows an illustration of Standard during it’s mining days, The east face says “Standard” in the colors of the Italian flag, and visitors approaching from the north will see a giant smiley face. It was unknown why a smiley face was chosen, but perhaps it will come to represent the smiles of the community as they turn on their faucets. Vol. 147 No. 47 One Section - 20 Pages
PCR photo/Dave Cook
One of the five sections of memorial bricks which will be refurbished and updated this month at Granville’s United Church of Christ. Early morning services in the garden are held every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. from June to October.
Brick by brick ... Granville’s U.C.C. Memorial Garden By Dave Cook
news@putnamcountyrecord.com
GRANVILLE — For several years now, the United Church of Christ’s memorial garden has been a tranquil place for community members to gain some
peace of mind and connect with nature. The abundance of thick hostas and vibrant flowers which were generously donated are well established, providing bursts of color along the winding path through the shade trees. With the addition of engraved memorial bricks, it’s also been a place to remember and honor those special people and events in our lives. But as time has passed, the ground beneath has grown and changed, warping the five dif-
ferent memorial sections into an uneven patchwork of bricks. This next month will see the refurbishing of the foundation beneath each section as well as the addition of several more memorial bricks. The feature brick will be a large granite brick in memory of the church’s “Kitchen Angels.” These are the women who have generously donated their time and talents in support of the church. The featured names will be Evelyn Baker, Julia Edgerly, Joan
Hamlin, Betty Immel, Marge Marcacci and Louise Ripsch. There are currently more than 150 memorial bricks, and there’s room for many more. There will be “wedding bricks” for couples who would like to commemorate their union in stone, and there will also be bricks available for businesses to show their support. For more information, contact Karen Ossola at 815-339-2116, Ginny Turner at 815-228-2732 or the church at 815-339-2305.
815-339-6278
304 S. McCoy St. Granville, IL Open 7 Days a Week
www.paganolearys.net © The Putnam County Record