Ramsey News~Journal

Headline News

Council still studying TIF district; said to be expensive
Village planner Norris Price told the council Monday evening that he discussed a proposed TIF district with a consultant who was up front with him, telling him it takes several months. His consultant fee would be $15,000 to $30,000, Price was advised.

Mayor John Adermann said he is looking into the local Enterprise Zone for a possible better means to attract new commercial builders.

Ramsey joined the Vandalia-Fayette Co. Enterprise Zone to encourage industry in 2000.

Moving on to other business in Monday's regular council meeting, Hans Christian made the motion to adopt an addition to Mobile Home Ordinance to call for a certificate of ownership for a mobile.

Water/sewer chairman Claude Willis and w/s operator Reggie Eller were still unable to get to well #7 in the river bottom last week due to high water and mud.

Finance chairman Steve Marley reported that the FFA class has all materials to build a shed for the village township dumpster site.

Caleb Sarver is acting Police Chief
Caleb Sarver was appointed acting Police Chief by Ramsey Village Board. The Department now consists of four part-time officers. Newest officer, Ryan Taylor, was sworn in this week.
Police Chief Larry Coultas is on a medical leave.

RR Museum organization
A group of enthusiasts working to save Ramsey Railroad Tower as a historical site gathered in the Village Hall to organize actions and elect officers for 2010.

Elected (left to right in the front row) were President Norris Price, Vice President Jim Stanbery, Secretary-treas. Sharon Mueller; and Directors Dick Herzog (left) and Andy Craig in the back row. Other directors not present.

Plans are to open the tower on Community Sale day and a Saturday each month or by appointment for tours.

Activity report by Fire District for 2009
Ramsey Area Fire District submitted its 2009 report, reports Fire Chief Ronnie "Butch" Stevens.

The department responded to 152 alarms last year; the most numerous of which were EMS calls. Volunteer fire fighters answered 85 EMS calls, excluding vehicle accidents with injury.

Nine times they rushed to vehicle accidents involving injuries,assisted persons in distress on 8 occasions and participated in two swift water rescues.

There were seven building fires, 11 vehicle/heavy equip-ment fires, eight woodland fires plus 11 brush/grass/trash fires, and many miscellaneous services.

Open House honors 9 historic sites along National Road in Vandalia
Vandalia - The National Road Interpretive Center is celebrating its first anniversary on Friday, Feb. 12, in Vandalia. A number of new displays will greet guests; the most outstanding being a conestoga wagon not like any other. Come and see the uniqueness of this wagon and other new displays.

National Road Association of Illinois has outlined a tour of outstanding art and architecture along the old route (U.S. 40). Among the 100 pieces or sites are nine in the Vandalia area to be designated by bronze plaques. Special presentation at 5:00 p.m. at the Open House.

All in the game … Coach Joe Eddy (center) leads his Patoka Warriors past Ramsey Rams to end Friday's Tournament championship game with the traditional handshake and kind words. Warriors won the big game for the second time this season over the Rams. This and all sports in this issue

Altamont mauls Rams
Altamont Indians scalped Ramsey 81-47 in Tuesday night's varsity match, there.
Rams - A Keppler 13, N Belcher 2, J Green 1, R Snow 8, V Thull 2, B Moreland 3, A Carter 8, B Hadley 11.
Ramsey junior varsity fell 17-74 to Altamont.
Rams JV- Webb 2, Wodtka 3, An Cunningham 2, Black 4, Pryor 2, Au Cunningham 4.
The annual Rams Hog Roast and Senior Night is Feb. 13.

Odin slides by Hornets in high-scoring game
Cowden-Herrick Hornets found themselves down 12-23 in the first quarter when Odin came to town Feb. 2nd then the nets at both ends were severely tested. Odin held on for a 93-86 win.

Hornets got hot for 24 in the second quarter and Odin countered with 30. Tyler Parrish had 10 baskets in the half and Cluck hit a pair of 3's, leading Odin to 53-37 at the break.

Tyler Day hit 3's and Heiserman hit free throws, along with baskets by Zach Miller, Jesse Hager and Jalen Hovis to earn Hornets the 49-40 half. Odin made nine free throws as the clock ticked down to save the 93-86 win.

Hornets - T Day 26, C Heiserman 17, Z Miller 12, J Hager 14, B Faulkner, 5, T Dagen 1, J Hovis 11.

Cowden-Herrick jayvees won the prelim game 57-45.

Hornet JV - Turner 14, Mitchell 9, Moore 16, B Barnes 4, Morgason 2, Knearem 12.

Rams bow to Warriors for COR crown
For the second time this season, Patoka Warriors abused the Rams to win a tournament crown. The first time was in Ramsey's own Turkey Tourney. Patoka won that crown-clinching meeting 55-49

On Friday, with both Ramsey and Patoka owning two wins in the Christ Our Rock tournament, Patoka creamed the Big Orange 55-35 for the big prize.

Rams looked good in overtime wins against COR and Mulberry Grove. Andy Carter earned a second All Tournament award for his efforts.

Game 1-Christ Our Rock took the early lead 8-19. Rams attacked in the second half, closing to 43-44 at the third horn. It was tied 58-all in regulation.

In overtime Moreland hit a deuce and a free throw while Belcher hit a free throw, bringing the game down to 62-62. Carter snapped the net at the horn, giving Ramsey the 64-62 victory!

Ramsey - T Dixon 3, E Carlock 2, N Belcher 5, B Moreland 11, A Carter 28, B Hadley 12.

Game 2 was another overtime and again the Rams were up to the added pressure, winning it 62-58 over Mulberry Grove with a fifth period flurry of 15 points.

Moreland dominanted with big scores in the second and third periods to top all scorers with 26, hitting 6 of 13 from the line where he has often struggled.

Ramsey - A Keppler 9, N Belcher 8, B Moreland 26, A Carter 13, B Hadley 6.

Game 3-True to form, the Big Orange had a lousy start against Patoka in the championship match but this time they would not be able to battle back after 10 tough quartersthe last two nights.

This one was decided early when Warriors went up 43-29 by halftime, strolling to the 55-33 win.
Ramsey - T Dixon 4, A Keppler 2, N Belcher 6, B Moreland 11, A Carter 5, B Hadley 5.

Governor candidates remain in tight races
Fayette County voters were decided in who they wanted to send to the Governor's mansion, giving Daniel Hynes and Bill Brady the nod on their respective tickets. But the morning after the Primary found statewide toss-ups on both sides.

Governor Pat Quinn got 726 votes in Fayette, while Democrat challenger Daniel Hynes won 262 votes. Statewide at press time they were nearly locked.

On the Republican side, Bill Brady was the front runner in Fayette with 653 votes, Kirk Dillard received 285, Adam Andrzejewski 291, Jim Ryan 257, Andy McKenna 226, Dan Proft 71 and Bob Schillerstrom 13.

Statewide, Brady held the slightest lead with 154,257, Dillard 152,557, McKenna 141,884.

Not that Fayette County was able to carry any state candidate. Only 18.73 percent of eligible voters bothered to cast ballots in Tuesday's Primary.

One reason was that the only race was State's Attorney Stephen Friedel's bid for Circuit Court Judge. Fayette voters gave him 522 votes; only 249 for Stewart Freeman and 179 for Michelle Coady.

Coady led the cumulative vote 6598 to Freeman's 6113 in the latest tally, versus Friedel's 2934.

For county offices - all incumbents with no Primary competition - County Clerk Terri Braun polled 966, Treasurer Rose Hoover 946, Sheriff Aaron Lay 1657 and Supervisor of Assessments Cindi Lotz 1637.

Winter relenting?
Last week was typical Illinois. Snow, blue sky and clear nights, down to 9 degrees, up to 40! Some ponds had clear water showing only to freeze again by month's end. We will see a slow thaw again this week.

January was a wintry month, not only for us but all the way to the Gulf coast. The Manuels in Florida report January broke a record with 13 consecutive days below freezing.

We get the feeling that winter has given up on central Illinois. Late last week a winter storm buried Tennessee areas in as much as 12 inches of snow. That state doesn't even invest in snow removal equipment! On Sunday, a snow storm covered the Chicago region.

Here, our Jan. 28th snow of 1/2 inch appropriately evaporated down to nil by Sunday, giving February a 'fresh' start. Two out of every three days in January saw snow on the ground. Officially only 4.8 inches fell during the month for rainfall equivalent of 1.28 inches. That means 2010 begins with 1.13 below normal rainfall.

Average January temperatures were 28.8 to 15.0 meaning it was a colder, as well as drier month. Days were 6 degrees colder than normal, nights 2 degrees colder.

Of course it is difficult to observe it being 'drier' than normal with the river all over the place and ground moisture at 100 percent. We welcomed the new frozen ground to be able to drive over muddy ruts rather than trying to wade through them.

So this is February; the month we celebrate the birth of Abe Lincoln who once said, "We can complain because rosebushes have thorns or rejoice because thornbushes have roses."

Average normal temperatures begin an upward trend this week by two degrees, meaning that winter is on its way out, despite the news that Puxsatawny Phil saw his shadow Tuesday. Woefully, records show that February generally delivers our deepest snows.