Days Gone By In Staunton
October 19, 2022
Thursday, Dec. 13, 1990 -- Future Lake Expansion Unclear -- Staunton's City Engineer Deborah Ramsey recently told the City Council that "they needed to take steps if they were interested" in the Staunton Lake expansion project for 1991. The Council hired Hansen Engineers last year to conduct a feasibility study of such a project. When they hired Hansen the Council indicated they might pursue a lake expansion project in 1991. The present lake was built in 1926 and has experienced natural siltation.
Earlier, this year the City conducted an income survey of Staunton residents in an effort to secure a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. Award of the grant was dependent upon the majority of Staunton residents being in middle and low income brackets. To the surprise of many, Staunton residents did not meet that requirement and therefore the City was not eligible for the grant.
Hansen's work included surveying the lake and surrounding area, and detailed technical examination of the existing dam, spillway, and roads. Hansen also provided maps showing the adjacent land that would require the city to acquire easements from property owners. Hansen determined that it would be possible, for about one million dollars, to raise the present dam enough to provide about double the water supply. As they did their investigation they kept the appropriate state agencies apprised of their work.
Hansen estimated that the project could be completed in one construction season. Ramsey said she expected the state to also require environmental and aerial archeological surveys of the area. She said now that the City has legal descriptions of most of the adjacent property the next step is negotiating with the property owners.
Livingston School District in Hands of Regional Board -- Livingston School Board was scheduled to meet last night, Wednesday the 12th, aware that a petition drive to dissolve the district was being called successful. The petitions with about 493 signatures were submitted to the Madison County regional Superintendent of Schools, Harry Briggs. According to law, Briggs submitted the petitions to County Clerk Evelyn Bowles who verified the signatures at the end of November. The petitions were returned to Briggs office. The fate of the Livingston District is now in the hands of the Regional Board. The Board meets quarterly and their next meeting is scheduled for January 7, 1991, in Edwardsville.
According to Illinois State School Code there are procedural rules that must now be followed in handling the dissolution of the Livingston District. Among these is a series of public hearings. Another petition drive last summer which collected the same number of signatures, was rejected by the Regional Board on the basis of a technicality.
In other recent business the Livingston Board decided to seek a court solution to one case involving the question of student residency. Last year several families who reside in Livingston were cited for sending their children to school in the adjacent Staunton School District without paying tuition. A number of these families later reimbursed the Staunton District for tuition according to state code. The question was complicated in the case of the Rich Henry family, which according to the Livingston Board, is maintaining two residences. The family has three children; two attend Staunton schools and one attends school in Livingston.
There is a question of whether or not a family can claim two residences for the purpose of attending schools. The court will be asked to determine if a family can maintain dual residency for that purpose, and, if not, which residence is the primary residence.
Livingston Superintendent of Schools William Fever said the school board decided to leave the question to the courts at the end of November. He said the board had not had time to consider the impact of the petition drive on the district, but he thought it would be discussed at their Wednesday meeting.
S. Hackman Scheduled For Construction -- A contract for construction to minimize the "s" curve on South Hackman Street, IL Rt. 4, has been awarded to R.C.S. Construction, Inc., of Wood River. According to Jack Davison, Illinois Department of Transportation District 6 Engineer, the project may be started in January of 1991.
The main purpose of the construction work is to widen out the curves, but it also includes some necessary drainage and sewer work. Davison said the sewer work would be done initially. Laying the final road surface, the bituminous work, will have to be done in the spring when the weather is warmer he said.
Davison said the work on Route 4, which covers about a block in length, will be done in a relatively short time. He estimated it could be completed in a month. He said the work will be done "under traffic" using barricades and flagmen. Traffic flow will at times be limited to one lane. Local drivers may want to plan their schedules to allow for the reduced flow when the project begins.
Thursday, Dec. 20, 1990 -- LETTER RECEIVED FROM SAUDI ARABIA -- Staunton Unit schools received a letter recently from MG William G. Pagonis, U.S. Army Commanding General in Saudi Arabia. He was replying to a letter received in Saudi Arabia which was unsigned but carried the school's return address. The envelope was addressed to "Saudi Arabia Soldiers" and had a hand drawn stamp which would indicate the letter was sent in a group.
The school doesn't know who sent the letter. The only other clue as to the writer was a hand drawn picture of a rifle included on the letter. If you wrote this letter or know who did, you may come to the Star-Times office to pick up your reply.
Reader Comments(0)