PeoriaStory

Jim Maloof's letter on Kellar trail

PEORIA -- At the Jan. 23 news conference on converting the Kellar Branch rail line into a hike and bike trail. former Peoria mayor Jim Maloof made an eloquent plea for the trail to be built. He then sent the following letter to the Peoria City Council with copies to trail supporters:

RAIL/TRAiL - "ONE VOICE"

Thanks to Bruce Brown and Mayor Mark Allen of Peoria Heights, nearly 100 concerned supporters of the walking/biking trail attended a meeting at Vonachen's Old Place last week. Mayors, Park Board, Sheriffs office, Tri-County Planning, Springdale Cemetery, Vonachen's Junction and several other representatives of groups from Morton to Princeville attended.

Also attending were Mayor Ardis, Councilman Montelongo, Spain, Gulley, Senator Koehler and representatives of Aaron Schock, John Morris, Jim McConoughey, Senator Durbin and Senator Obama's office.

It was a very strong positive meeting ail in favor of the walking/biking trail and the economic/lifestyle benefits it would have on our area and its future.

During the meeting, a map was presented showing approved traits being used by thousands of people. They were marked in red. See enclosed picture.

Missing was the largest area which was marked in gray and this was our own City of Peoria which has so much to gain. This was brought to the attention of The (Surface) Transportation Board when the presentation was made and they ruled against removing the rails.

We were advised years ago in making an inter-community wide appeal for a project, to speak with ONE VOICE. And so I appeal to our City Council Members, to once again consider & resolution supporting The Walking/Biking Trail. This being a Presidential Election year, we were told this would be an excellent time to take such action. All of Central Illinois would be marked in red in support of the trail speaking as ONE VOICE.

PROS AND CONS

Yes, a new committee has been formed to study side by side trails. This has been done by The Park board. Result? Practically impossible and millions of dollars in costs, A waste of time.

Just the one new development at Junction City, approximately $25,000,000 would bring over ½ million in real estate taxes in addition to increased sales tax dollars. Many more will follow.

Already millions of dollars in new development has taken place near the trail north of Route 6.
Similar plans are already on the drawing board in Peoria Heights. They are our neighbor and we should support their growth and activity.

A possible solution would be to offer the 2 railroads and The Lumber Company a cash settlement over a one year or a ten year plane from the new revenue coming in.

Finally, I speak to you asking for "leadership with courage", Yes, there are objectors and they should be heard. They have been heard for 10 years and there has been no improvement. There have always been objectors. We, during my terms, listened and then made judgment based on what's best for the entire community.

At your next meeting, 2 members from the prevailing side can ask for the matter to be brought up for consideration. I hope there will be "leadership of courage" that says "enough is enough" and we the City Council are voting in the best interest of the entire/area community and say YES, we support the walking/biking trail.

Respectfully,

Jim Maloof

NOTE: Maloof also included a map, which is not reproduced here.

Congratulations to Maloof for speaking truth to power!

Charges against Muller dismissed

PEORIA -- Peoria Area Voices for Animals activist Doris Muller carried a notebook filled with evidence to prove her innocence at a Jan. 31 bench trial in Peoria County Circuit Court. She didn't need it.

The case against her, for disorderly conduct, was dismissed when police officers were not in court to testify.

Duane Bartels, reporter for the Peoria Times Observer who was in the courtroom when Muller arrived, said police were present earlier but left.

Muller, 64, was arrested on Aug. 31 after she photographed animals in a traveling "big cat" zoo appearing at the Shoppes at Grand Prairie. The owner of the show told police Muller was an "animal terrorist," she said, and people took the word of this out-of-tower while never giving her a chance to tell her side of the story.

The grandmotherly animal lover was arrested and roughly handcuffed by Peoria's finest.

The animal show owner apparently was miffed over over bad publicity from earlier photographers.

Muller said she was relieved that the case was dismissed. "The police report was full of lies," she said, adding she was treated roughly by police during the arrest.

She filed a complaint about police conduct but has not received a response.

For her, the case meant "a lot of stress thinking about it and wondering if I could trust the legal system to be just and fair, especially (when) police officers would testify," she said.

Asked whether she regretted her actions, she responded, "next time I will not go alone. There's safety in numbers. Take your witnesses with you."

For a complete account of the arrest and to see a photograph of the animals posted before Muller's arrest, click here and scroll down to Oct. 4 and earlier.

-- Elaine Hopkins

City survey

PEORIA -- The city apparently wants our input.

It has posted a survey on its website and is inviting people to respond. Here's the news release:

"We need your help to make Peoria a better place to live, work, and play. The City is currently updating our Comprehensive Plan, the "Master Plan" for the development of Peoria over the next fifteen to twenty years. Public input is necessary to make this planning process a success.

"Below is a link to an online survey that will take about ten minutes to complete. The answers to these questions will greatly assist the Planning Commission and City staff in the development of the new Comprehensive Plan.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7EY0RiXBvj19DeX9JtQUmQ_3d_3d

"We would request, that in addition to answering the Comprehensive Plan survey yourself, that you forward the survey link to your co-workers, employees, neighbors, friends, and family in Peoria, and encourage them to also complete the survey.

"Further information on the Comprehensive Plan can be found at the Plan Peoria website, accessible from the link below.

www.planpeoria.com

"Please contact Ross Black, Assistant Planning Director, at 494-8601 or [email protected] for further information on the Comprehensive Plan process."

The survey takes a while and forces choices, a style I dislike. Still, it's a chance to tell city officials what you think.

Here are a few of my suggestions: an ice rink on the riverfront; end the regressive garbage tax; set up an independent commission to take complaints of police brutality, harassment and misconduct; free inner city bus service; living wage jobs, stop urban sprawl (and the subsidies that encourage it); build Kellar recreational trail; etc.

I won't hold my breath that any of these will ever happen.

-- Elaine Hopkins

GOP Candidates statements on Kellar Trail

PEORIA -- Here are the three statements, in alphabetical order, submitted by the Republican candidates for Congress from the 18th Congressional District. These statements were read at the Jan. 23 news conference on the Kellar trail. (See story below.)

JIM McCONOUGHEY Statement for Kellar Trail Press Conference

Good Morning. My name is Ginger Hermann and i am here today to represent the position of Republican Candidate for the 18th Congressional District Jim McConoughey -who sends his regrets for not being able to attend in person.

Jim McConoughey fully supports the creation of a Kellar Recreational Trail as an important economic development and quality of life initiative -not only for the City of Peoria and the Village of Peoria Heights, but the entire region.

Jim McConoughey understands the many challenges that continue to face this project and sends his sincere appreciation to all the advocates and volunteers that have worked So hard to advance this issue through the years. Ultimately, each of you in attendance are responsible for continuing to keep this important issue in front of the public.

in Congress, Jim McConoughey promises to continue working with the Surface Transportation Board to advance the cause of the Kellar Trail. In the meantime, Jim will also work with the STB to enforce its own rulings allowing the citizens of Peoria and Peoria Heights to receive a reasonable rate of return from rail operators for use of the publicly owned Kellar Branch. Equally important, Jim will work with the Transportation Safety Administration to make sure that any interim use of the aged Kellar Branch is accomplished with public safety as the top priority.

The successful completion of this ongoing project is just one of the many difficult public challenges facing our region in the coming years. Jim McConoughey is the ideal candidate for Congress with the best track record of working together in order to solve problems and get the job done.

On behalf of Jim McConoughey, thank you for your attendance and for your support of this important project.

__________________________________________________________

JOHN MORRIS STATEMENT ON THE KELLAR TRAIL

I strongly support the conversion of the Kellar Branch railroad line to a recreational trail and will use my authority as your Congressman to:

o Be an authoritative and vocal advocate for conversion to a trail; and
o Sponsor legislative or administrative action to effect the conversion.

My position is based on sound public and legal policy.
A. This small section of rail is publicly owned by the City of Peoria and Village of Peoria Heights.
In this regard the public interest as expressed by these governments should be given the highest
priority.

B. The Kellar Rail Branch provides no Interstate Commerce benefits and should be exempt from
the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board. Authority for this exemption is already
provided by law in US Code Title 49 relating to Interstate Commerce. Exemption is provided in
those cases where the rail service:

(1) is not necessary to carry out the transportation policy of the United States; and
(2) either:
(A) the rail service is of limited scope or
(B) the STB is not needed to protect shippers from the abuse of market power.

All of these conditions have been met in this case.

Our local governments have invested millions of dollars to provide alternative rail service to customers desiring rail service in Pioneer Park. The rail carriers responsible for preventing the conversion to a trail have abused the regulatory system gaming both the STB and the general public. This abuse of the regulatory system has cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary expenses and hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost economic opportunity.

As your Congressman I will use my power to stop this abuse and wasteful spending. I will use my power to return the regulation of the Kellar Rail Branch to its owners, the City of Peoria, the Village of Peoria Heights and the citizens of this community.
_____________________________________________________________

AARON SCHOCK Position on the Kellar Branch Rail to Trail

Because of the combination of overwhelming public support and common sense economics, I support conversion of the Kellar Branch rail line to a recreational trail without further delay.

The City of Peoria and built a western rail access to Pioneer Park with federal grant monies and a local share of funding as well, to accommodate businesses in Pioneer Park who want rail access.

The amount of money to keep the Kellar Branch rail up to safety standards and the annual rent due Peoria Heights and the City of Peoria is vastly more costly than the savings one company obtains by using the Kellar Branch rail spur instead of the western rail access or by truck. Therefore, preventing the completion of a 70 mile recreational trail and positive redevelopment along the trail cannot be justified economically.

As a Congressman I will work to enforce current federal law to have the rail companies pay fair market rent to Peoria and Peoria Heights. The Surface Transportation Board has ruled in previous cases that a proper lease rate is 10-12% per year of the value of the land. Continuation of operating the Kellar Branch rail spur defies basic economics if the rail companies are held to their obligation to fulfill proper lease payments and make adequate safety upgrades.

The Kellar Branch rail spur has been little used in the past ten years and is in disrepair and there has been precious little commercial demand for its operation. On the other hand thousands of area residents are clamoring for the closing of the gap in the 70 mile recreational trail.

Local governments and their citizens must be accurately represented in Congress. Therefore as a Congressman, I will lobby the STB and the FRA relentlessly to facilitate a transformation of the rail to a trail. Additionally, I will work assiduously explore the possibility of working with our two U.S. Senators to enact a federal earmark to supersede federal rules and regulations so the Kellar Branch can be expeditiously converted into a recreational trail.

Until trail proponents obtain a green light to proceed with a conversion to a trail, local governments and our federal Representative and Senators need to hold the rail companies feet to the fire to live up to their obligations regarding safety and operating agreements, with lease payments in the court-sanctioned 10-12% range of the value of the land per year. If rail companies want to point to current law as to their rights to continue to operate, they simply must live up to every obligation that comes with it. If they are held to account for those obligations, I believe they will quickly come to the conclusion that is not economically feasible for them to operate on the Kellar Branch rail spur.

If the rail companies refuse or cannot comply with the reasonable requests to fund safety and operating agreements with lease payments to Peoria Heights and Peoria, then it will be proven that the highest and best use of the land is the recreational trail. A company just cannot continue to claim rights to land it does not own if they have not been paying rent and refuse to pay market value rent in the future.

As a Congressman, it is my intention to work hard to cut to the chase and tie up loose ends with the federal agencies having authority over the Kellar Branch rail line as it currently exists. There has been far too much spinning of wheels in the process so far and final resolution needs to be concluded as soon as possible.
I have no doubt that years from now, when the trail is built, people will look back and be grateful to those advocates who have worked relentlessly to complete this much needed trail.

__________________________

All three candidates offer strong statements, though the statements of Morris and Schock seem to be stronger than that of McConoughey. But judge for yourself.

-- Elaine Hopkins

Train on Kellar Branch

PEORIA -- With an earsplitting blast, a Pioneer Rail Corp. locomotive and one closed freight car made its way through north Peoria around noon on Jan. 26 until it reached Carver Lumber Co. 8700 N. University.

With only a flagman to stop traffic, it crossed busy streets such as Prospect, Knoxville and Pioneer Parkway.

Another man manually operated warning lights on Knoxville but the lights didn't work on Pioneer Parkway, where an observer saw a motorist nearly collide with the train.

There are no signs on these roads warning motorists of a railroad track ahead.

Traffic briefly was backed up on Knoxville and Prospect to allow the slow-moving train to cross.

Carver Lumber Co. was closed, so the engine and boxcar were left inside a locked fence there.

The photo shows the train crossing Knoxville Ave.

Pioneer's contract with the line's owners, the city of Peoria and the village of Peoria Heights, to operate on the rail line expired years ago, but Pioneer insists it has the right to operate based on a ruling by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

The two owners also have demanded that Pioneer pay fair rent to use the line, but Pioneer has refused.

State and local officials have expressed concern that the old rail line is not safe to use, and that the signals also are not working properly.

Trail advocates want to turn the line into a hike and bike trail that would connect Peoria with miles of other trails throughout Illinois, but the railroad has fought to keep the line from being railbanked for the trail.

A committee has been appointed to determine whether a trail can be built beside the rail line, an alternative that a Peoria Park District study has ruled out because of the typography with steep slopes on either side of the rails.

Trail advocates call this committee just another delaying tactic to stall development of the trail.

-- Elaine Hopkins

Amtrak dyfunctional

MACOMB -- This college town has a train link to Chicago, the Illinois Zephyer. an Amtrak train that runs twice daily between Chicago and Quincy. In theory that's a terrific advantage.

In practice, Amtrak is one of the most dysfunctional organizations operating today.

Let me count the ways:

1. Getting tickets. There's a website, but if you need last minute tickets, the site insists on sending them to you for a $12 fee, and you have to sign for them at your residence. Not too helpful if you're traveling, and a terrific waste of money.

So -- call them on the 800 number, and you get voice mail hell, a voice web program that can't tell Macomb Illinois from Macomb Mississippi. So ask for an agent.

The agent says the delivery cost can't be waived and you can't just pick up the tickets at the station or on the train. There's no station agent in Macomb, she says. She advises a call three days before the trip, when you then can arrange to get tickets on the train. Presumably Amtrak is hoping to charge more at the last minute, if the train fills up. She can't say what the tickets will cost.

So -- she's right. The tickets are finally available, and happily at at the same price. This agent also says there's no station agent at Macomb. And Amtrax doesn't do e-tickets like the airlines. She can't explain why. She supplies a reservation number which is valid.

2. The trip from Macomb. The 7 a.m. train is on time, and the station agent in Macomb -- yes, there is one -- laughs when told the reservation system doesn't know he exists. He types up the tickets which say 'flight' on them. Oh well. The trip goes pretty well, though the restroom is dirty. It's an hour late getting into Chicago. Some passengers are worried, since they have to make international airline connections.

3. The return trip. Union Station in Chicago is crowded, but announcements keep everyone informed. The 5:55 p.m. train is almost an hour late leaving. Something about an engine that broke down, had to be replaced.

Finally everyone boards. The train keeps going until it hits Galesburg where the announcement is made that the engine is failing, losing water, and the rest of the trip is uncertain.

Now no one knows anything. It's 10 p.m., and outside it's 7 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The conductor says busses may have to be summoned to take passengers the rest of the way, and that the engine might quit at any time leaving the train without power.

Yikes -- now what? Passengers relate similar horror stories about this line, though one woman says she rides it regularly and this situation is rare. Several people get off the train, and head for the Amtrak station which thankfully is open and warm.

One man rents a car and drives away. Another is frantic because his elderly mother and sister are waiting for him in Macomb and he can't reach them. Several of us call spouses and friends in Macomb who can drive to Galesburg to pick us up.

A few minutes before they arrive, the announcement is made that the train will proceed. And it leaves the station. What happened after that is anyone's guess. Were the passengers stranded in the country? In Bushnell? As the poem says, "if anything were wrong we certainly would have heard." Wouldn't we?

WGEM-TV in Quincy on Jan. 25 reported that the passengers had to be bussed to the final destination, from Galesburg. That's odd. As we drove away from Galesburg, the train had vanished into the night.

Those of us who got off the train drove to Macomb, Rushville and beyond in private autos. The entire trip took almost twice as long as if we had driven the whole way from Chicago.

On the positive side: at least they let us off the train.

Conclusion: and some wonder why more people don't take mass transit.

-- Elaine Hopkins

Citizens key to environmental protection

CHICAGO -- Citizen activism helps public officials protect the environment, says Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Madigan spoke to the Illinois League of Women Voters Jan 24 State of the State meeting in Chicago where she also received the Laura Pollak Fisher award for her activism. She then talked on The State of the State’s Environment.

Madigan said that in her five year tenure as Attorney General, $850 million in fines from pollution violations have been collected to fund environmental protection. Corporate polluters also have agreed to pay for new technology to protect the state‘s air and water, she said.

Her office works with elected officials, community leaders, businesses and citizen groups to enforce the law, she said.

“Getting the public engaged is central to us being able to enforce the laws and prevent the degradation of our environment.” she said.

Balancing economic growth and environmental protection often presents dilemmas, she said, adding one solution is to encourage businesses to develop new technology to protect the environment.

Her office also works with attorney generals in other states, mostly the northeast and California, to take on national environmental issues and encourage the U.S. EPA to enforce federal rules, she said.

“We are engaged in (an effort) to make sure federal efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act do not prevail. Enforcement efforts must be combined with citizen advocacy in these struggles, she said.

-- Elaine Hopkins

The push for the Kellar recreational trail

PEORIA -- Recreational Trail Advocates held a news conference on Wed., Jan. 23 to energize area officials to keep pursuing a hike and bike trail on the Kellar Branch rail line.

The event attracted mayors. elected officials and others from the region, all voicing support for the trail, from both political parties.

Also weighing in and promising to support the trail: all three candidates for the Republican nomination for the 18th District Congressional seat. They sent letters of strong support which were read to the standing-room-only crowd of around 75 people.

The also suggested further tactics, from federal earmarks to new legal strategies.

The candidates were not asked to appear in person since their schedules are already hectic. They promised to work hard with federal officials to make the trail a reality.

Former Peoria Mayor Jim Maloof delivered an eloquent talk on leadership and courage, and called on the assembled officials to stand up and speak out for the trail, a public good that far outweighs small profits for a couple of businesses.

He also emphasized the estimated $40 million in economic development and redevelopment, condos and retail businesses, waiting on the trail,

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said that contrary to rumor, the city favors the trail and will continue to push for it.

Other officials voicing support at the meeting included state Sen, Dave Koehler, and Peoria County Board member Mike Phelan who represents the district,

Both candidates for the 92nd Illinois House seat in the Democratic primary have stated previously that they support development of the trail,

Peoria and Peoria Heights recently appointed a committee re-examine the possibility of a trail beside the rail line, but that possibility has previously been ruled out because of the topography.

RTA supporters believe the committee is another delaying tactic by the anti-trail faction. Its report is supposed to be delivered in April.

One of the railroads fighting for use of the line recently ran an engine over the tracks, reportedly waiting until the ground was frozen solid so the rails would stand up to the use.

Many people at the meeting expressed frustration that this trail, an obvious public benefit, has been stalled for so long.

-- Elaine Hopkins
-- photos by Al Harkrader

Climate change debate

PEORIA -- Peoria is about to experience a real debate on global warming and climate change.

“The Geopolitics of Climate Change: Competition for Limited Resources” is the title of the 38th annual Central Illinois World Affairs Conference, presented by the Peoria Area World Affairs Council on Feb. 15-16 at the Hotel Pere Marquette, Peoria.

The event features nationally known speakers from several ideological viewpoints, which should make for a lively conference.

Meanwhile, a Peoria ad-hoc activist group is working to convince Peoria and other area cities to become more aggressive in promoting conservation, and sign on to the Cool Cities initiative of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

This conference might give them ammunition.

The World Affairs Conference begins with a 6:30 p.m. banquet on Feb. 15 followed by the opening keynote address at 8:15 p.m., “The New Geopolitics of Limited Resources” by Henry Henderson, director, Natural Resources Defense Council, Chicago.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, the conference opens with a 9 a.m. panel discussion that could provoke sparks:

• “International Law and the Environment: Who Owns the World’s Resources?” by Wil Burns, senior fellow, Santa Clara University Law School, in California.
• “Global Health and the Environment,” by Robert Engelman, senior fellow, Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C.
• “Markets and Incentives: The Market-Friendly Response to Climate Change,” by Kenneth Green of the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C. who has offered $10,000 to scientists who can disprove global warming.

After lunch, the closing keynote address will be “A Common Sense Approach to Environmental Stewardship,” by Terry L. Maple, co-author with Newt Gingrich of Contract with the Earth, and president of the Palm Beach Zoo, Florida. Will nay-sayers have the last word? We'll see.

Teachers can receive continuing education units for attending.

Call 309/677-2454 for information on registering, or log on to the World Affairs Council website to learn more about that group. Angela Week is the Council’s executive director, and can be emailed at [email protected].

UPDATE: You can register through the Arts Partners website and in lieu of that, can pay at the door to hear the speakers.

LWV Candidates Forum

PEORIA -- Along with the usual political talk, the Jan. 19 candidates forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria yielded some interesting insights about local government.

The event, which attracted around 75 people, featured speakers from the three contested local races in the Feb. 5 primary, two Democratic party races and one GOP contest.

In the 92nd Illinois House District, Jehan Gordon and Allen Mayer agreed on issues such as the importance of equitable funding for schools. But other qualities defined their differences.

Gordon began by calling “a campaign mistake” her ads which state she “graduated” from college. “I have never indicated that I held a B.A. or B.S.,” she said.

She is three credits short of a bachelors degree and taking a course to finish up, she said. She went through a graduation ceremony, she has said.

The Journal Star revealed that she never acquired her degree, and stated that she has yet to furnish the newspaper her transcripts, as she has promised.

Mayer opened by saying, “I believe we need an independent Democratic voice to represent us in Peoria, someone who can speak for the working families without ties to legislative leaders and the governor.”

The Peoria Democratic establishment recruited Gordon, an appointed school board member, to run for the seat and has supported her with endorsements. Mayer, a member of the Peoria County Board who works for Illinois comptroller Dan Hynes, also has received important endorsements. (See stories below on this race.)

Later, in a sly dig at Mayer, Gordon said a state legislator “must work with local governments and hold elected officials accountable… if they compromise....”

Last year, after leading the opposition to expansion of the Peoria Disposal Co. hazardous waste landfill at Pottstown, Mayer supported a compromise, developed by some landfill opponents, that would have allowed limited expansion.

The measure never came to a vote by the Peoria County Board because PDC refused to accept it, Mayer has said.

Former County Board member Joan Krupa is expected to be slated to run in November against the winner of this race.

The Peoria County Auditor contest, between appointed incumbent Carol Van Winkle and challenger Kent Rotherham, also revealed agreement between the two candidates, as well as differences.

Both agreed that the office is an important part of the checks and balances system in local government, even while Peoria County officials have been nibbling away at its functions and have talked of abolishing it.

Rotherham, a CPA with his own accounting firm, said that he has the educational background to best run the office. Van Winkle, with years of experience in county government, said she has the personal relationships and skills to oversee county spending.

They differed on the employee needs of the office, with Rotherham saying it would be adequately staffed now if the employees have the requisite education, a subtle implication that some may be lacking the needed skills. Van Winkle said another person is needed to keep up with the work of auditing county expenditures and assets.

The county lacks the manpower to determine whether vendors are complying with its equal opportunity policies, and delegates that work to the city of Peoria. “We need to look into this,” Van Winkle said, implying that the city’s process is not thorough enough.

Rotherham agreed, basing his statement on his experience from serving on the Greater Peoria Sanitary District Board. The city’s department may be “a barking dog with no teeth,” he said, so there’s “no compliance.”

The only local government Republican primary contest is a rematch between elected incumbent Johnna Ingersoll and challenger George Blackburn. The winner will face Democrat Steve Schmidt in November.

Ingersoll stressed her qualifications as one of “ten board certified death investigators in Illinois,” and a “state certified law enforcement officer.”

Blackburn, a retired sheriff’s department lieutenant, said he holds a college degree in psychology and sociology, has had “over 3,000 hours of training.”

The office is paying too much in overtime and needs one or two more deputies, he said. Inquests are being delayed too long.

“There’s a lot of negative things going on and I think I could turn that around,” Blackburn said, adding “employees (are) filing grievances.”

Ingersoll never addressed that issue, but said, “I do not want to ask for more staff at this time.” Inquests take time, she said, since reports must be turned in from other local officials.

Both favor expanding the duties to include work for other counties.

The 90-minute session was a civil exercise in local democracy.

-- Elaine Hopkins