Thursday Feb. 4, 2016 Vol. 3, No. 47
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Princeville petition sparked by financial worries By BILL KNIGHT
PRINCEVILLE – Two men instrumental in a petition objecting to the School Board issuing a Working Cash bond say their disagreement goes beyond one way to protect against state funding falling further behind or a threatened property-tax freeze statewide. Short-term, the consideration of a Working Cash bond was shifted from the School Board to the ballot box, says Larry “Shine” DeBord, 57. “I just think the board rushed into it,” he says. Weekly Post Staff Writer
But long-term, DeBord and Steve Snyder, 58, hope fresh faces run for the school board next year. “The board is supposed to be our voice,” DeBord says, “but it seems like they’re not listening to the community. Maybe new people would make a difference.” Three members of the sevenperson school board have terms expiring in 2017. The Board on Jan. 13 deliberated on a 383-signature petition that had been presented just before Christmas. The Board had not approved proceeding with
Farmington OK’s swap of cemetery
Area property tax rates School
Brimfield #309 Elmwood #322 Farmington #265 Princeville #326 Williamsfield #210
Tax Rate
School Portion
Tax Bill On $100,000 Home
8.11886 9.01370 8.62580 9.76247 8.74373
4.73658 5.28043 5.13860 5.72089 4.38480
$4,736 $5,280 $5,138 $5,720 $4,384
Source: County Clerks
issuing the Working Cash bonds, but started the legal process in case of an emergency. Now, however, if the Board ever decides it’s neces-
sary, the question must be put to District voters in a referendum. Snyder and DeBord’s main concern is what they see as wasteful spending overall, such
Weekly Post Staff Writer
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Investors purchase Palace Theatre
FIRE NEAR PRINCEVILLE
By JEFF LAMPE
FARMINGTON – Any lack of communication on a land deal involving the City of Farmington and Brian and Susie Platt was apparently cleared up in executive session Monday night during a city council meeting. After exiting for a 45-minute closed session, council members returned to vote unanimously in favor of an ordinance that accepted a property on West Fort Street into the Oak Ridge Cemetery. That’s the deal Susie Platt thought had already been accepted more than a year ago in exchange for $17,500 she owed the City for a location rented for her Spoon River Home Health business. In 2013, Platt explained, the state of Illinois was slow making payments to medical agencies. She said the City was understanding and allowed her to pay payroll first and rent second. As a result, Spoon River Home Health built up a balance
as buying a building for the District office, buying nearby houses, adding work to the $8 million construction project, and depleting the contingency fund. Last Spring, concerns were raised about what could happen if renovation costs increased, and the board agreed their plan was to “stay on budget.” However, unexpected problems with a power line and a sewer line contributed to Change Orders, adding some $135,000 to the project, Snyder says. And the contingency fund to cover unforeseen situations has dropped
By JEFF LAMPE
ELMWOOD – The Palace Theatre in Elmwood did not stay closed for long. A group of local investors purchased the Elmwood movie house last Thursday. By Saturday the Elmwood Theatre Group had opened the doors to 128 paying customers eager to see “Kung Fu Panda 3” and to get back into a century-old building that had been shuttered for 20 days. “It’s a community that invested with their heart,” said Rick LeHew, president of the Elmwood Theatre Company. “The theater has been truly integral to Elmwood’s history.” Investors raised enough money to purchase the theater from Farmers State Bank of Elmwood, to pay off a loan to the City of Elmwood for a digital projector, to pay off back Weekly Post Staff Writer
This is all that remains of a former hog shed on the property of Ben and Hanna Martin that burned last Saturday. Several chickens perished in the fire. Akron-Princeville Fire Department was first on the scene and several other fire departments assisted. Photo by Collin Fairfield.
Park renovation planned in Williamsfield By BILL KNIGHT
WILLIAMSFIELD – The start of a miniature golf course, a 50-foot hillside slide and upgraded electrical service to a pavilion and the northwest corner of Doubet-Benjamin Park were approved by the Village Board on Monday as dozens of For The Weekly Post
other ideas were discussed for the year. The Board is considering projects including tearing down the old water building to save heating costs; improving drainage on Gale Street; grinding some intersections and resurfacing some streets; developing plans for a sidewalk
to the new library and streetlights in the new addition; renovating Village Hall; launching an ongoing program to bring school children to the Daughters of the American Revolution-run historic Caldwell Cottage; and restoring a bandstand at Veterans Park. As for the three approved Continued on Page 7
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