Thursday Sept. 3, 2015 Vol. 3, No. 26
The Weekly Post
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Elevator zoning request divides area residents By BILL KNIGHT
CRAMER – A couple of miles east of Farmington, a boy can’t sleep, worried about what will happen to his home, between increased truck traffic, grain dust and chemicals stored within feet of his bedroom. Not far away, a woman concerned about her farmer husband driving too many miles to Glasford or Brimfield to the nearest Akron Services facility is relieved that something closer could be an option. And, presumably, an unemployed person is waiting for a job opportunity to open up near Farmington. All await the results of a Peoria County Zoning Board of Appeals hearing at 9 a.m. next Thursday (Sept. 10) in Room 403 of the Peoria County Courthouse, where it will consider requests For The Weekly Post
B.Y.E. cleared to expand service area
from Akron Services, Inc. to rezone property where the former Cramer Elevator operated. Interested in buying the property, Akron is requesting rezoning from I-1 (Light Industrial) to A1 (Agricultural Preservation Zoning District) and also is asking for special-use permits for a 19.89-acre tract to operate a business there offering chemicals, fertilizer and seed, storage and warehousing and Potter an elevator to store and dry harvested crops. In filings with the County, Akron proposes to remove at least three structures there, erect a new grain bin in the next two years and an additional grain bin in about five years.
Next door, however, is a small organic farm on three contiguous properties run by Kate Potter and Kris Potter Percy, daughters of long-time Farmington attorney and civic leader John Potter, who passed away last October. Located along the planned Rails to Trails hiking/biking trail route, Sun Dappled Farms raises locally grown food: raspberries and blackberries, apples and pears, plums and cherries, currants and tomatoes, kale and okra, nuts and herbs, plus grass-fed beef and lambs and pastured broiler chickens. Using no chemicals, the farm “sells as much as we can grow” through the Good Earth Food Alliance community supported agriculture (CSA) operation, says Potter. She said she is afraid of increased truck traffic on the County blacktop road, combustible grain dust, “red dog” and other fine particulate matter released in
BILLTOWN CHOPPER MOVED
processing, and chemicals. “We’re ‘downstream’,” she says. Percy, a family physician who lives part of the year in California, agrees, stressing health fears. “They want to have anhydrous ammonia and pesticides and other chemicals stored there and moved in nurse tanks or on spray rigs,” Percy says. The land has been the Potter family’s home place for 43 years, Potter says, adding, “People rightly want to see the elevator put to good use, but we don’t think this is good use.” Everyone has rights, but sometimes they’re in conflict. Akron, based in Edelstein, reportedly was founded in 1965, incorporated in Delaware in 1976, and has annual sales approaching $139 million. Its vice president, Tim Wagenbach, said, “We have no Continued on Page 7
Pay to play at Brimfield ball park
By BILL KNIGHT
By TERRY BIBO
All four districts funding B.Y.E. Ambulance have now approved a change to its contract that permits B.Y.E. to also serve the south and east areas of the Williamsfield Fire Protection District, according to Williamsfield Fire Trustee Russ Galbreath. Brimfield Community Fire Protection District and the City of Elmwood previously OK’d the change, and Elmwood Rural and Elba-Salem Fire Protection Districts approved it in August. The four districts together contribute more than $274,000 to B.Y.E., which recorded 533 emergency responses last year. Elba-Salem Trustee Greg Wessel said they “agreed to [the] change as presented,” which lets B.Y.E. cover some of the Williamsfield, which has no local emergency transport service for the moment. Galesburg Hospitals’ Ambulance Service (GHAS) is committed to covering the west and north parts of the area, ac-
BRIMFIELD – Starting Jan. 1, you’ll pay to play on City Park ballfields. With a lengthy discussion acknowledging the need to work on details, particularly when it comes to scheduling games, the Brimfield Village Board of Trustees voted 6-0 for its firstever diamond use fees. “It is a lot of money, especially as we’ve never done it before,” said President Dan Fishel. Trustee Mike Meinders researched fees paid in Peoria, Canton and Bolingbrook. He proposed that day games or practices on weekdays would cost $40 for the first game and $30 for the second. Weekday evening fees would be $70 and $50. On weekends or holidays, daytime prices are $50 and $30. Weekend/holiday costs for evening games are $85 and $50. For The Weekly Post
For The Weekly Post
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Earlier this year, Williamsfield’s familiar 1968 Huey helicopter was moved from its resting place near the town cemetery to a spot near the American Legion hall.
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