Thursday Dec. 3, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 39
The Weekly Post
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Kickapoo development underway By BILL KNIGHT
KICKAPOO – One driveway has been finished, the lot prepped and forms erected for a 3,500-squarefoot restaurant and tavern at the site of the old Norma’s Tap here, and developer Jim Feuchter expects concrete to be poured in the next few weeks for a spring opening. “We want to open as soon as possible,” he said. “Optimistically, we’re looking at four months.” For The Weekly Post
Farmington waiting on insurers By BILL KNIGHT
FARMINGTON – The city hopes to proceed with cleaning up after the devastating October fire that destroyed two buildings in the downtown business district, but they can’t move forward until insurance companies wrap up their inquiry. “The insurance companies involved with coverage have placed a high hoe at the scene, and they are sifting through the debris in attempt to find the source of the fire,” said City Administrator Rollen Wright. When “they finish their investigation, then the next phase is the cleaning of the lots.” No cause has been conclusively determined, but thus far, asbestos has not been detected, according to reports. Meanwhile, Sam Lillie, who owned most of the lot, has re-opened in a temporary facility. “A portable office site has been located for Lillie Insurance set up on the city property located on North East Street across from the sites for Lillie to run his business,” Wright said. “The For The Weekly Post
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Wagenbach Builders of Pekin is constructing the facility, which will have entrances from the east and also off U.S. Route 150, parking on the west and north sides, and three patios. “It’ll be open from lunch through dinner,” said Diane Feuchter, president and co-founder of Custom Underground, which owns the site and adjacent compound. “We’ll have chicken fingers, sandwiches, pizza
and ice cream.” The new restaurant will also feature two distinctive traits, they said – community involvement and memorabilia. “We found all kinds of pictures when the old [Gilles] building was torn down,” Jim said. “There’s one with a goat herd passing through town, another with bears hanging from a line, and a slew of guys having a beer outside or playing music Continued on Page 2
Developer Jim Feuchter, senior vice president of Custom Underground in Kickapoo, surveys the progress of the new restaurant being built at the site of Norma Gilles’ tavern here. Photo by Bill Knight.
Property tax gripes increase
CHRISTMAS WALKS
Xmas nearing
By BILL KNIGHT
No one wants to pay more taxes than what’s fair. So every four years in Illinois, Township Assessors conduct a tax assessment in which they supposedly visit each property to accurately update properties’ assessments to help ensure fairness. This year was a quadrennial year, and the number of taxpayer complaints to the Peoria County Board of Review has fallen in six of eight townships in the area. Exceptions were Millbrook Township, which went from 0 complaints in 2011 to 1 this year, and Elmwood Township, where complaints more than quadrupled, from 5 to 21. “Quadrennial [assessments] typically bring more complaints,” said Peoria County Supervisor of Assessments Dave Ryan. But “2015 was a little unusual in that the number of complaints dropped significantly from previous reassessment years.” Not in Elmwood Township, which had a four-fold increase in complaints to the Board compared to four years For The Weekly Post
Christmas cheer abounds on Saturday By JEFF LAMPE
Santa has a busy Saturday in The Weekly Post area, with stops scheduled at three different Christmas Walks. Brimfield, Elmwood and Princeville have Christmas Walks Saturday (Dec. 5), offering a chance to shop, sample foods, meet Santa and get caught up in Christmas spirit. Elmwood’s walk is 1-4 p.m., with Santa at Mary and Morrison Wiley Library. There will also be a lighting of the downtown tree and caroling at 4:30 p.m. and family games at Elmwood Township Community Center from 5-7 p.m. Following that, people are invited to caravan out to Gene Wilson’s lighted display on Christmas Tree Lane east of town. Princeville’s Holiday Homecoming is 4-7 p.m. with a Vendor Fair at the Akron-Princeville Fire Department, discounts and Weekly Post Staff Writer
Santa will visit Brimfield, Elmwood and Princeville on Saturday during a busy day of Christmas walks. Photo by Amy Davis.
specials at local businesses, caroling on Main Street from 4-5 p.m. and hayrack rides from Princeville Pharmacy to E.B. Buildings & Lumber Co. – which is where Santa Claus will be holding court. Brimfield holds its walk from 5-7 p.m. through the downtown. A community Christmas Sing will be at 7:15 at the Union
Church. Hayrack rides will be offered through town and Santa will be at the Brimfield Library. The Guyer Log Cabin will be open for an old-fashioned Christmas, complete with dulcimer music. There’s also a children’s Scavenger Hunt through town, with instructions at Brimfield Village Hall and prizes awarded.
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