This means that the more expensive option of drilling out the blockage at the bottom became necessary. After the blockage is removed, the bottom of the well will be disinfected. This procedure may cost up to $50,000 in addition to the original estimate of $24,000 to clean the upper part of the well. The extreme depth of the well makes any maintenance work very expensive.

The pharmacy will continue to be a wholesale operation supplying drugs to area nursing homes throughout the area. There are no plans to open a retail pharmacy at the new site.

The building which the pharmacy had previously occupied will eventually be torn down to make way for future retail development at that site. The site was previously used by Kent Lumber Company for many years.

May 7

Welch's request that the indictment be dismissed were denied by Judge Robert Freitag. He did, however, grant a motion that prevents State's Attorney Mike Stroh from being able to establish a pattern of behavior that could show that McNamara has a propensity for battery.

Stroh said that the defense has lined up several character witnesses that could help argue this point.

May 7 continued

The first order of business was for Mayor Spencer to appoint Roberta Evans as city clerk to replace Kathy McKay. Spencer then appointed Kathy McKay to take over his old position as alderperson in Ward 1.

The council meeting started off with business conducted by the old council. In that session, the council tabled a discussion on a $20,000 revolving loan for Mary Kearfott in starting up a restaurant/catering business in the former VFW building.

Alderman Tucker reported that he received many complaints from residences about the construction mess involved in the sewer project underway on East Eighth Street. Tucker said that the mess will eventually be cleaned up and everything will be back to normal. In his parting comments, Tucker added that he was glad to see the city get beyond its initial problems with the Caroline Development and was pleased to see the building of the Shell truck stop and restaurant and the Motel 6.

In his parting comments, ex-Mayor Anderson said that it was a priviledge to serve as mayor of Minonk and will miss working with the council. He said it was time for new blood and new ideas. He received a plaque from Alderman Spencer citing his efforts as mayor.

Outgoing councilperson Shelley Butler said she was grateful for her four years and made new friends and learned a lot from the job. She encourages other people to get involved and help to make Minonk grow.

In its final business the outgoing council approved the payment of $729.86 to Pam Jolly for sewer damage to her basement in her house on Walnut Street. Aldermen Cunningham and Tucker voted against the motion. She said that when she filed a claim for damages from her insurance company they paid for the damages but then dropped her coverage. Jolly wanted the city to pay for the damage so that she could withdraw the claim in order to get her insurance coverage back. After a discussion the council decided that it could file the claim with the city's insurance carrier while reimbursing Ms. Jolly.

Over twenty people will be out of work as of Friday. Minonk has had a bakery since 1878 and a bakery has been located at the Oak Street site since 1937.

The location of the mobile home violates a city ordinance that prohibits the placement of mobile homes in a commercial district. One city official said he felt that the city is probably being tested for its enforcement policies since the city administrator resigned and left town last week.

May 14

Bob Cufaude, Dean Barth and Dave Uphoff removed half of the trophies Friday afternoon, May 18, and took them to a building in downtown Minonk owned by Don Cline.

Mr. Cline indicated that they can be stored in his building until a permanent home can be found for the trophies. There are still another twenty five boxes of trophies in the bus barn attic that will be retrieved in another week.

A DNR grant can only be used for outdoor development and the funds must be matched by the recipient.

The committee ranked the items to be included in the proposal. The items are (1) a soccer field, (2) an all-weather outdoor track surrounding the soccer field, (3) parking lot, (4) tennis courts, (5) basketball court, and (6) a linear park which would essentially be an asphalt path from Chestnut Street downtown out to the community center complex at the north edge of the city.

Committee member Dr. John Podzamsky said that soccer is becoming a popular sport among young people and does not require a lot of equipment to play. Bob Hakes stated that an all-weather track is a very desirable feature since it can be used not only by the Fieldcrest school system for track meets but also can be used by adults for jogging and walking. He added that Superintendent Cappaso thought that the Fieldcrest school system might be able to help fund the cost of the track since the school would be using the facility.

The committee felt that it was important to get the outdoor development started so as to give visibility to the community center project and to raise the interest and support of the community.

Hakes said he will get some costs estimates on the proposed items before submitting the proposal "wish list" to Farnsworth & Wylie representative Neil Finlen for preparation of the grant proposal. He stated that if the all-weather track is too expensive it will be dropped from the list.

She is the daughter of Jayne and Howard Harms of Minonk and Steven and Sandee Cook of Tennessee. He is the son of Roger and Kapraun of Rural Minonk.

The couple reside in Roanoke, Il.

May 21

Fieldcrest WEST

Fieldcrest EAST

The treatment is expected to be finished by the end of the week. After that 2 samples will be taken 24 hours apart and tested for contamination. If both samples reveal 0% contamination, the EPA will allow the use of the well once again. Results shown be known by next Tuesday, May 29.

The council voted to give a DECA loan of $12,000 to Mary Kearfott as a business loan to develop a restaurant in the former VFW Hall. The new building is now known as the Woodford.

The council budgeted for 3000 lineal feet of sidewalk replacement this year. However, unfinished work from last year will be completed before any new sidewalk replacement is undertaken this year.

The council learned from Public Works Supervisor Charlie McGuire that a new 10 inch sewer pipe was put in at the corner of Seventh and Walnut to alleviate the sewer backup problem on Walnut Street. Existing sewer lines are being televised to determine potential problems elsewhere in the city. The council also learned that a sewer tile at Tenth street between Skaggs Welding and SMF has tree roots growing in it and must be replaced.

Councilman Bill Koos expressed concerned about the rough condition at Eighth and Mary Streets in the aftermath of the sewer repair work being done there by Rupe Excavating. Supervisor McGuire said he will contact Rupe about smoothing out that corner.

Councilman Sean Cunningham requested approval to have the city crew shut off parking on the west side of Chestnut Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets for the Minonk Western Days celebration that will take place on June 15. Cunningham also said that the Economic Development Committee is meeting next week to discuss potential TIF projects for downtown.

The Public Safety Committee will meet next week to make a decision on a request to lower the speed limit to 25 mph on Chestnut Street between First and Fourth Streets.

In preparation for the upcoming Fourth of July celebration Councilman Kathy McKay requested the council to designate one-way traffic going north on Maple Avenue from the corner of Moran and also one-way going west on Moran from Mary Street. Mckay also requested permission to install electrical power at the north end of Veterans Park for the event. Both requests were granted. The council also approved a motion to donate $2500 to the Fourth of July committee for expenses. Mckay indicated that expenses this year will reach $50,000.

The art demonstrations will be held from 5:30-7:30. Local art that will be demonstrated include wood carving by Herb Pinkham, stain glass by Elmer Timmerman, and furniture refinishing and caining by Ernest and Mildred Froman.

In addition, leaf printing , pottery making and water coloring will be demonstrated by the El Paso Depot.

M. A. Shaw will be available to do antique appraisals. People who want to know the value of their antique should bring it to the festival and Mr. Shaw will give it an appraisal value for a fee of $3.

Other features include hot wheel races and a children's smoke house set up by the Minonk Fire Department.

For those who have never heard the lost art of story telling, Mike Lockett will be spinning some yarns at 6:30.

From 7:30 - 8:30 music will be provided by the Bloomington Barber Shop Singers. From 9:00 - 12:00 music will be provided by area musicians.

Stores in downtown Minonk will be open until 10:00 for those who wish to take advantage of the specials being offered by the various businesses.