Thursday January 29, 2015 Vol. 2, No. 47
The Weekly Post
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Road ahead still unclear for Peoria Co. rural transit By BILL KNIGHT
More than six months into a partnership between Peoria County contractor CountyLink and GPTransit’s CityLink, the rural transit results seem satisfactory to all parties. “From my perspective, the new arrangement is working For The Weekly Post
very well and serving the public as we had hoped,” said Peoria County Administrator Lori Curtis Luther. Assistant County Administrator for Economic Development Mark Rothert agreed. “County staff has been pleased with the service provided by CityLink/Greater Peo-
ria Mass Transit District (GPMTD) in our rural areas,” Rothert told The Weekly Post. Still, the Peoria County Board has yet to determine the road ahead for rural transit, whose ridership numbers are down from when CountyLink served Chillicothe, Dunlap and Mossville – all excluded from
funding support since Census data now classifies them as “urbanized.” The board could continue the current arrangement and pass along state and federal funding to CityLink; revert to the previous arrangement of operating the system on its own; or change its scope to reflect dif-
71 YEARS OF SAWING
Chamberlain recalls time with the trees For The Weekly Post
Technology, thieves impact Peoria Co. crime totals Peoria Sheriff Mike McCoy attributed some changes in Peoria County crime statistics for 2014 to a string of crimes by a group of thieves and some progress due to better technology. The Sheriff’s Department recently released its annual crime stats, showing
Elmwood board makes progress on junior high ELMWOOD – The Board of Education on Monday took another step in renovating its years-old “temporary” junior high school, holding a public hearing on its intent to sell $1.5 million in working cash fund bonds. Following that required hearing, the company selling the bonds will present that commitment to the Board at a future meeting, possibly in February. The proposed project would add 2,700 square feet, replace an old boiler with two efficient ones, create 2014 New Home a secure Construction entrance, School Dist. Homes Bedrooms remodel Brimfield 10 26 restrooms Elmwood 8 24 and make Farmington 5 11 6 20 other reno- Princeville SOURCE: Peoria County Planning & vations Zoning without a tax hike, said Superintendent Chad Wagner. The Board, a survey of employees, and a Jan. 14 community meeting all showed support for the idea, which would be financed by the new bonds and extend the District’s bond payoff from 2020 to 2023. If approved by the Board this winter, the District could use its current tax levy and avoid a year on the repayment schedule, saving about $50,000 in a year’s interest. A reminder of the need for progress came in an annual report from the County’s Planning and Zoning Office, which showed Elmwood’s school district added dozens of bedrooms in new-home construction last year. (See box above.) For The Weekly Post
WEST JERSEY – If you’ve lived in central Illinois for very long, you’ve probably either heard of or used the services of Harold “Red” Chamberlain. At 85 years old, he is one of the oldest active tree surgeons in the state and nation. He also has deep roots in the community. The West Jersey native was Harold Chamberlain cut this huge oak down last year in Toulon. He estiborn at the homestead that his family has owned since the 1860s. The origi- mated the tree to be 400 years old. It was six feet across at the base. called in to help clean up the mess nal house was torn down in 1975 after since I was 14 years old,” he said. Chamberlain has also worked at created. Chamberlain’s father died, and a new Caterpillar (briefly), at Walworth in His memory reaches well beyond house was built on the property. Kewanee, on the recent storms. Chamberlain recalled a Chamberlain is proud of his ties to “I have been cutting farm and at an elec- terrible 1965 hail storm that devascompany. But tated Elmwood. the area. He began down trees since I trical he is known best as a “It ruined the roofs of over half the his career as a tree was 14 years old.” “tree man.” buildings in town and demolished a surgeon in 1953 after – Harold ‘Red’ Chamberlain Chamberlain has lot of trees,” he recalled. taking over a busiplenty of memories He was also called in after the 2009 ness that sold chainof past storms and tornadoes in the straight-line wind storm and 2010 saws. area because he was usually the one “I have been cutting down trees Continued on Page 2
For The Weekly Post
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By BILL KNIGHT
By CHERYL HARLOW
By BILL KNIGHT
ferent demands; withdraw; or possibly expand service throughout Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties. Illinois has several such regional systems, from Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority coordinating the Chicago Transit Authority,
comparisons between 2013 and 2014 (see chart Page 9). “Overall, the [incident] reports that the Deputies are doing are more comprehensive and informational,” McCoy told The Weekly Post. “We have gone to computers in the squad cars. The reports contain more information that allows us the advantage of providing more infor-
mation to the Detectives and more instructions to the Deputies at each shift change.” Action by the Sheriff’s Office affected specific crimes from year to year, he added. “Non-residential burglaries are up largely due to a couple of rings that Continued on Page 9
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