Response to raceway development agreement I agree that everyone should be treated fairly in this agreement.
I am not sure how it would work for revenue, but Joliet charges a $1.00
head tax on each ticket sale. Now I don't know what kind of fee Minonk
can put on the concessions sales other than an increase in the sales
tax rate or maybe a vendor's annual fee. The only thing I can agree
with you about the TIF district is that residential development should
not be included in the TIF. But why limit the only commercial
development to the racetrack? It isn't like the other businesses will
be getting a free ride. They still have to buy the land and make a
sizable investment to build a business there, which should only
increase the revenue for Minonk. I am confident that this whole deal
should be an asset to the whole area, so I suggest that both sides come
prepared with numbers and projections so this project can move forward
in a fair manner. Jeff Spierling Streator Looking for volunteers for 4th July Committee Dave: Would
you please let folks know that the 4th of July Committee is always
looking for new volunteers and we have a meeting this next Tuesday,
August 30th at 6:30 p.m. at Sutton's Park if anyone is interested.In case of rain we will be meeting at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Thanks Cathy McKay Appreciates new walkway on Moran Street NEW WALKWAYThank
you to all who helped develop and create the new sidewalk along the
newly surfaced Moran Street. My wife and I discovered it for the first
this week as we were out for a walk. What a nice addition to our
community! Improvements like this show that our community is looking for new ways to keep Minonk recognized as a "good place." – Craig Swenson Thank you from Dean Miles family Dear Dave, Minonktalk, and especially the citizens of Minonk and the surrounding area, Thank
you for all of your kindness and support following the death of my
father (Dean Miles). I did want to correct the obituary: my father was
not the daughter of John and Vera Miles (the same typo was in the
Pantagraph). My family (mother Carmen, brothers Larry and Jim,
and sisters Nancy and Peggy) greatly appreciates all of the time,
energy, and monetary contributions made by members of our community. Sincerely, Don Miles Rutherford to announce run for Secretary of State Dear Dave,I
appreciate your support and wanted to keep you up to speed on what has
been happening on the political front. I recently did an interview on
WJBC Radio Bloomington. Following is a reprint of the Pantagraph newspaper story on the interview. We have not announced for Secretary of State, but will likely do so right after Labor Day. I will keep you informed. Senator Dan Rutherford Don't park in front of house by SMF
I just wanted, once again, to let people know that the house (also
known as "the barn house") next door to SMF on Chestnut St. is a HOME,
not a parking lot. People CANNOT park here in my driveway nor my yard
at any time especially when the carnival is going on across the street
this weekend. I still tend to have problems with people thinking they
can park here so I want to clear this up ahead of time. I will be
watching and asking people to move their vehicles if they park here.Thanks, Carrie Lindley Thank you from St.Paul's Youth Fellowship Thank you from St.Paul's United Church of Christ Youth Fellowship!!
Yes, it may be belated, but it is heartfelt. Thank you sooo much for
the support that the community and businesses showed our youth group in
our very first Chicken Fry.
Without Paul Steinhilber, Brian Decker, Dee and Don Ragusa, Don
Schmillen, Jim Fewell, Bill Knack, Jess's Pub, Third Base Tap, (anyone
else I forgot) and everyone who purchased chicken dinners it would not
have been possible.
We leave on on our trip to South Dakota on Thursday, June 2nd. Because
of your kindness and support we will be able to help many children who
have very little. We will post a picture when we return from our trip! Thanks again, Suzie Schertz St.Paul's United Church of Christ Youth Leader Carnival tickets available at downtown stores Advanced tickets for the carnival coming to Minonk on August 18 can be purchased at the following locations until August 18: Alpha Community Bank Pop's Sweet Shop Meyer-Jochums Agency Visions Video Dollar General The tickets are 7 for $10.00. Kim Sullivan Free freezer and dryer I have a upright freezer and a gas dryer to give away. Both work. Contact me at 309-432-3307. Thanks. Don Marshall Carpets free for the taking I have 2 sections of carpeting free for the taking. It appears to be fairly new. The section with the inlay is approximately 16x12, the solid color piece is 16x16. It
will be outside at 535 W. 4th Street until Friday, at which time we
will have to cut it down into small strips for trash pickup. This is
nice carpeting and I hope someone will find a use for it. Sarah Gullery Fieldcrest football 'Midnight Practice' To Fieldcrest Football fans,In
the state of Illinois, high school football practice officially starts
on August 10, 2005. This year, Fieldcrest Football will be holding
their second annual "Midnight Practice" to get the season off to a
great start. The practice will be held at the football field, under the
lights, on August 10th from 12:01 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. I hope that this
does not inconvenience anyone living in the area around the football
field. Thank you for all your support over the years and I hope that
you will be able to see the Knights in action when the games begin on
August 26th. Sincerely, Jim DeMay Head Coach Fieldcrest Football
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Response to Mr. Buchanan's response
There are a lot of things I am not comfortable with in your response
Mr. Buchanan, too many to mention here. But the one that made me the
most uncomfortable was how unimportant you feel voting on a part-time
officer is.You
said and I quote "And if I recall the last two council meetings there
was only one thing that had to be voted on and that was a part-time
officer. Hardly something that was going to change the future of the
City." Well
I disagree, my kids are this cities future and I want them to live
where it is safe. I want all councilmen to have a say in who protects
this town. There are more than 24 kids who are counting on you...enough
voted on you to give you the honor to serve your community. Please
respect that honor. Lisa Zimmerman Reply to editorial on councilmen Please bear with me as I will try to reply to two of your editorial
topics in this email. First of all I will have to confess that I am not
a regular visitor to your site due to all of the petty bickering back
and forth that took place on your site last spring regarding the
mayoral election. A friend of mine came up to me Tuesday night and was
giving me some grief about your editorial. After reading it, I thought
long and hard about what I should do next; should I blow it off as
armchair quarterbacking or do I dignify it with a response. After two
nights of deliberation, I have decided to give you my opinions as I am
sure some of the other council members will also.
I am unsure of your level of familiarity with city government and the
processes that take place therein, so forgive me if I seem patronizing
in any of my answers to your suggestions. Honestly, that is not my
intent. Every Friday afternoon before a city council meeting the
on-duty patrol officer drops off a packet at each council member's
residence. The city administrator has put together this packet with all
of the information available at that time on the upcoming meeting:
meeting agendas, relevant documentation, budget reports and things of
that nature. From this packet each council member can prepare for
discussion on topics of interest to that particular council member.
They can also decide if their attendance is required to vote for or
against any items on the agenda. Meeting attendance is a choice each
council member makes for themselves. I have only missed one meeting
since being sworn in May ninth. Apparently that was the meeting you
were appointed to decide what is acceptable and what is unacceptable
for the 2200 people represented by the council. The term is public
servant not public slave. I am not aware of any issue that affects this
town's future that we have not been able to vote on due to poor council
attendance. I would also point out that towards the end of every
council meeting the mayor opens the floor for public comments. I am
curious as to why this matter was not brought up then? Was it because
the council had just voted unanimously to apply for a grant that we
would apply to the very web site we are getting bashed on? Timing is
everything.
Next, I would like to say I can appreciate your generation's affinity
for proper formal attire; however, this is not 1955. Men don't wear
fedoras anymore and women are allowed to wear pants if they so choose.
I would ask you to produce any documentation or university study
results that support your implied suggestion a pressed shirt + slacks +
a Windsor knotted tie = the best decision-making attire. Before running
for public office there is a mountain of paperwork that is filled out,
signed and notarized. There was not one single document addressing a
city council's dress code. If a councilman or councilwoman wants to
wear a tank top and bunny slippers to a meeting, there is no legal
action that can or should be taken. The other editorial topic
dealt with the raceway agreement(s). Do you honestly think the city is
going to run blindly to the table and sign whatever document is thrown
down in front of us; this is the reason that our former city councils
have retained qualified legal council. Every member of this council has
nothing but the city's best interest on their mind. No one ran for city
council with the intention of running this place into the ground in
order to watch some racing down the street. The local pizza
establishments and other businesses have been thought of and discussed
with the developers and at council meetings. Let's also try not to go
down the road of bashing Wenona for what they have done in the past
with their TIF district. The Wenona council did what they thought was
best for their city at that time, let’s leave it at that. As much as
anyone wants to believe that the race track development is going to be
this big golden goose that is going to pour all of this new money into
our town and ask nothing in return, we are all very cognizant of the
fact that nothing this good is without some cost. The Economic
Development, Finance, and Public Works committees will all be working
together and with the raceway developers to come to do what is fair and
necessary for the City and the Raceway to coexist and prosper together.
One last issue I would like to address is the fact that three of the
four recently elected council members ran unopposed. So to all of those
armchair alderman who think they have all of the answers to current
city issues, I would like to extend an invitation to throw your hats in
the ring during the next election. We may not be everyone's ideal
collection of public leaders, but we all had the stones to step up and
do what no one else wanted to do. There is more to being a good
alderman or woman than just putting on a tie and showing up to a couple
of meetings a month. Alderman Larry Fortner Ward I Dave, FIRST
OFF I AM SPEAKING ON MY BEHALF AND NOT THE REST OF THE COUNCILS. I am
one of those that have not been at the last 2 council meetings due to
VOLUNTEERING my time to the local JFL program and High School Football
Program. Now I realize my constituents elected me to be there for every
council meeting but I do not know one Councilmen that has not had
something come up or had to be gone due to other commitments at one
point or another over the past 2 and half years I have sat on the
council. I could understand if the councilmen were out at a local bar
or staying at home doing nothing. However volunteering my time to other
things in town to help the local kids with something to do and stay out
of trouble I would consider a little bit of slack. The city
administrator, mayor and some council members still know what is going
on within the city. We do communicate with each other and it is not
just 2 times a month. And if I recall the last two council meetings
there was only one thing that had to be voted on and that was a
part-time officer. Hardly something that was going to change the future
of the City. As for the special meeting held last Wednesday that was to
inform the city people of the TIF III in section 6. What you should be
concerned about is the lack of the community not showing up to a
special session on the Race Track issue. I agree not all the Councilmen
know about the TIF III but I do know what is going on out there at
Section 6 being the Economic Chair so I felt as if I could continue my
responsibilities to 24 7th and 8th graders that night. Maybe I spread
myself too thin during the fall. However I like helping the community
in as many ways I can and not just by sitting on City Council but
volunteering and doing something instead of complaining. If that is a
crime and people don't like that then my chair is up for grabs in May
of 2007. As
for the dressing up comments. There has been only 1 time I have worn
raggy cloths and that was when I came directly from Football Camp to
the Council Meeting. This isn't the 1950's anymore casual dress is in.
I feel during the summer a good pair of shorts and a nice polo shirt
will do and in the winter pants and a polo shirt. But I am not going to
get into a fashion debate with anyone. It's not the cloths you wear
that makes you vote a certain way on the council it is how you as a
person feel will benefit the city. Jason E Buchanan Alderman Ward 3 Alderman Jason E Buchanan Looking for inline hockey program I have a three year old that loves to play hockey, we live in El Paso and are looking for any hockey programs he could participate in. Does Minonk offer anything?Thank you for your time. Donald Whitman 527-2999 Update on cost of carnival tickets and armbands Dear Dave:Thanks
for keeping folks updated on what is happening with the Minonk Days
Festival. An update on the carnival tickets, Advance Tickets will be
available until the carnival starts up Thursday and they can be
purchased at Pop’s and Visions. A strip of 7 is $10. The
armbands are for Thursday night 6-10 p.m. and the cost is $12 for
unlimited rides during that time. The second armband is for Saturday
afternoon from 1-5 p.m. and the cost is $12 for unlimited rides during
that time as well. Three
lucky people will be given bicycles on Saturday. To be entered for a
chance on the bicycles you have to purchase a SATURDAY armband and the
drawing will occur at 5 p.m. You must be present to win. If anyone has any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks very much. Cathy McKay Fieldcrest High School Soccer Program wanted
For many years, many of the Fieldcrest students have been participating
in the Rec soccer program in El Paso. Of which, many of the players
moving up to the traveling program; successfully competing at this
higher level against towns like Pekin, Morton, Washington, East Peoria,
Olympia, Glasford, Roanoke, and Eureka. After reaching the High School
level, they haven't had the opportunity to play a sport that they excel
in. It is time to consider a High School Program at Fieldcrest,
or possibly a Co-Op with El Paso. The Co-Op would undoubtedly put the
soccer program into AA status, but our children have been playing
together with the El Paso youth at this level for least 6 years. We
currently have a full size soccer field with goals at Millennium Park;
which with the right guidance could become a great playing surface. The
cost of up keep should be minimal. I am currently canvassing Central
Illinois High School Athletic Directors and Soccer Coaches for their
yearly soccer budgets. Initial start-up cost would naturally be higher
the first year due to uniforms; but on the whole I have so far seem
from $4000 - $6000 budgets. A well managed program could be much less.
I will finalize these numbers as more data comes in. The
point is that we have many young experienced soccer players with
college talent, and many on the sidelines that would join in to play if
we had a program at the High School Level. The cost for a soccer
program is much less than most football and basketball programs. The
state of Illinois does allow a coed junior varsity team for two years.
Depending on the participation level, both boys and girls could have
their own teams to begin with. Currently, Olympia School
district has recently formed a soccer program. They have been in much
worse financial stress than Fieldcrest, but still offer a soccer
program. The desire to play and participate is there in their children. Heyworth
is currently considering a soccer program, either a Co-Op or on there
own. Roanoke and Eureka are currently holding a Co-Op soccer program. With
the advent of sport fees at Fieldcrest many mixed emotions have
surfaced, but it still shows that the interest is there in organized
High School sports. If anyone is interested in seeing a High School Soccer Program at Fieldcrest, please contact myself with your support. Thank you, Mike Zimmerman 631 Oak Street Minonk, Illinois 61760 309-432-3057 Volunteering for farmers market Dave,The City of Minonk is very lucky to have you as one of its loyal residents. I just read your editorial and I think having a monthly Farmer’s Market is just what we need! I
would like volunteer to complete all design work for newspaper ads,
interstate signage, roadside signs, flyers, website, vendor
applications, and so on as well as being the main point of contact for
vendors. With the upcoming racetrack’s proposed weekly events in the
near future, I agree that Saturday would be a great day to hold it! I
noticed on Raceway Park Minonk’s website that 6,500,000 vehicles pass
right by us every year…let’s all get together and pull them in and show
them what a great town we have here! I was so excited when I read your editorial that I started playing around with a logo
design in PhotoShop. It’s in no way a completed design, but perhaps a
little something to get everyone else excited and ready to get this off
the ground! Kindest regards, Sarah J. Gullery City needs master plan for downtown
Having moved away from Minonk over forty years ago, but always
returning for visits, at least twice a year, I have always felt that
downtown Minonk had the potential to be more than it is. There have
been two significant changes in the last twenty some years, consisting
of the removal of the railroad tracks and the grain elevators. Several
building have been constructed in their place, without much though to
the over all appearance to downtown, and unfortunately, we cannot go
back and have a second chance, but Dave, painting and the renovation of
the facades is an excellent idea, but it does not go far enough. The
city council should consider some type of tax incentives for facade
renovations, along with a master plan for downtown, including
modifications to the current zoning, sign ordinances, and a land scope
plan, along with several other issues. Something else that
should be addressed is alternative uses for existing buildings, for
example converting them to housing, as well as the constructions of
some apartments downtown.Ed Malinoski Free ferrets
I have a pair of cute, friendly ferrets named Bill & Hillary to
give away to a good home. They are small, adorable, have wonderful
personalities, require minimal care and their free standing, tierd cage
and accessories are included. You can call me @ 432-3601, evenings. Thanks, Mike Gebhards Looking for 1965 classmate
The Class of 1965 is looking for a former classmate Carol Miller
(Naugle) whose last known address was the Houston, Texas area. If any
Minonktalk readers would know her present address or the address of her
brother Don Miller Class of 1962 could you please email Nancy Esposito
at nespo@insightbb.com? If
there are any classmates out there that we have missed the committee
apologizes and would like to hear from you so we can get a reservation
form mailed to you as soon as possible.Nancy Esposito
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