 Editor:
Dave Uphoff
It is that time of the year for making New Year resolutions. I have
already resolved to be healthy, wealthy and wise this year so I would
like to pass on some resolutions that the City of Minonk should
consider.1. The most obvious
resolution is to bring to fruition the proposed Minonk Raceway north of
town. Admittedly, much of this is out of the control of the city
council but I encourage the city fathers to work in good faith with the
developers in hopes of getting something started this year. 2.
We need a fast food restaurant at the I-39 interchange. Having a
McDonalds sign at the exit ramp will pull off more cars than anything
else because it gives the exit legitimacy. Nobody outside of Minonk has
heard of Woody's Restaurant but everyone knows about McDonalds or
Hardees. 3. The council should
encourage owners of buildings in downtown Minonk to spruce up their
buildings with paint and even restore the building fronts back to their
original facades. Owners should be reminded that they are eligible to
receive financial help from the city since all downtown buildings are
in the TIF district from which the money would come. 4.
Minonk should establish a tree program that would provide funds to
plant new trees and replace old trees. This program, in conjunction
with trees donated by Jason Gerdes each year, should make Minonk a more
beautiful city. 5. The city
should put in a curb along the new Moran Street extension at the north
end of town. Currently, the road is uncurbed and gives the impression
of a country lane rather than a city street. If developers of
residential areas are required to curb their streets why shouldn't the
city be required to curb their streets as well? Forgive me if the city
does have plans to curb the street.
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6.
The parking lot at the east side of the Westside Park should be paved
to complete the renovation of the park. In addition, the unsightly
railroad ties should be removed as parking barriers and replaced with
curbing. 7. The sand pit at
Veterans Park should be removed and replaced with grass and trees. It
is not being used as a volley ball pit and its only use is as a toilet
for animals. It is unsightly and detracts from the entrance to the park. 8.
The owners of the former Young Chevrolet building at Sixth and Chestnut
should be required to clean up around the building and remove the piles
of junk in the windows at the front. It makes for a very unsightly
entrance to the downtown area coming from the north. 9.
The owner of the Masonic Temple building at Sixth and Walnut should be
required to remove the old tractors and other junk from around the
building as it as been an eyesore for many years and it is time to
clean it up. 10. Finally, the
council should resolve to not put up any more stop signs. Speed limits
should be enforced by the police rather than by stop signs.
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