Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

Thursday, Jan. 30, 1975 -- RESIDENTS WANT AREA CLEANED UP -- A large number of visitors were present at the Staunton City Council meeting. The regular order of business was suspended to hear from these visitors.

Present were Roger Schuette. Mrs. Jerry Hochmuth, Chano Basso, John Koehne, Marg Koehne, Earl Albrecht, Arlin Suhrenbrock, Mike Wasylenko, Harold Gray, Robert Albrecht, Mary Stefani, Jack Rigoni, Mr. and Mrs. Salvio Pesavento, and Mike Subick.

Ald. Spudich explained that these people were present to protest the horrible condition of the area of their homes caused by the Sanitation & Planning Co. of Staunton. This company stores paper and cardboard in truck type containers in the area of their homes and rats infest the paper. Due to no fence, papers blow around the area and cause a detrimental effect to this part of town. The residents of this area claim that this debris lowers the evaluation of their property.

They ask the company to clean up the area. Alderman Spudich cited Ordinances 209, 210 & 213 of the City Code which prohibits such nuisances.

Mr. Subick, an owner of the company, then advised the council that they have attempted as of this date to clean up all the paper and have removed many containers from the area. He also advised the council that they are trying to obtain a place out of the city limits to store these containers. Mr. Subick stated that no more containers would be placed in this area. After a lengthy discussion where many citizens expressed their opinion, it was decided to have Ald. Renner, Chairman of the Public Grounds & Buildings Committee, set up a meeting between Sanitary Planning Co. and the Council to iron out difficulties. Citizens of the area are invited to attend also.

Thursday, Feb. 13, 1975 -- CONSTRUCTION TO START ON WATER TOWER -- Foundation construction on Staunton's new elevated water storage tank project will start about February 17th. It was announced by the Staunton City Council today.

Completion of construction is scheduled for December 3rd, 1975.

The half-million gallon capacity tank will be located approximately 200 feet south of Sixth Street, between Union and Elm Streets. The contractor, Universal Tank and Iron, Inc., of Indianapolis, describes the tank as 144 feet high, 50 feet in diameter, weighing two and a half million pounds, and storing four million pounds of water. The style tank is toroellipsoidal, supported by six legs and a center pillar. When completed the tank will have the name "Staunton" in six foot high black letters on one side.

An automatic cathodic protection system will be installed to protect the storage tank and riser from corrosion.

The tank is a major part of improvements in Staunton's water system and will provide increased pressure, more storage capacity, and better flow capacity for fire protection requirements City Engineer, Henry, Meisenheimer & Gende, Carlyie, Illinois, designed the project.

Universal has been the winner of three consecutive Steel Plate Fabricators Association "Steel Tank of the Year" awards. Among the winning tanks is the unusual "waterball" in Giant City State Park, Carbondale, Illinois. Elevated water storage tank by Universal range in size from 20,000 gallons capacity to 2,000,000 gallons capacity. The 500,000 gallon capacity tank to be constructed for Staunton is similar to tanks built in the towns of Brownsville, Tenn., Pelahatchi, Miss., North Richland Hills, Texas; and Mounds View, Minn., to mention a few of the approximately 70 tanks of this capacity and type built by UTI.

B & E Displays The Pacer Saturday -- B & E Motor Sales, located south of Staunton will display the American Motors new revolutionary car, The Pacer, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 15th.

The public is invited.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 1975 -- EARLY DAYS OF MINING RECOUNTED AT MEETING -- The Macoupin County Historical Society held their last meeting at the Woodlawn Shelter Care Home. John Bianchetti, a resident of the home, told of mining in the early part of the century and about the mules that were kept under ground to be used to haul the coal cars around.

Some of the mules never saw daylight unless there was a long strike. The miners in those days did all of their work while kneeling or lying on their stomachs.

In 1914 John started working in the mine in Benld. It was comparatively modern with electric lights and white painted walls. John quit mining when a co-worker caused a load of coal to fall on his legs and break one.

John told of how the alien miners in northern Illinois in the 1890's were taken to town, given $2 and their lunch and handed their citizenship papers without having to fill any requirements. Then on election day they were expected to vote Democratic without asking any questions. John's father became a citizen in that manner but when election day came he refused to vote anything but Republican.

John Bianchetti has had an interesting and long life and he told about it very interestingly.

In contrast, May Chestnut, showed some of the modern equipment used in Monterey mine today.