Madison County Recognizes Green Schools Coordinator of the Year, Kim Antonovich-Merz
Madison County recognized an educator for her leadership and creativity in helping to keep her school “green”. The Madison County Green Schools Program honored Mitchell Elementary School Teacher Kim Antonovich-Merz as its “Coordinator of the Year.” Kim shows her passion for environmental education and is dedicated in her role as the Mitchell Elementary School’s Green School Coordinator. Since 2004, she’s organized and managed the program, including a sustainable recycling program that collects electronics, tabs, shoes and more.
If there is something that needs recycled, Kim finds a way to make it happen.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Kim promoted many of the Madison County competitions and collection programs. This included recycling over 140 pounds of plastic bags, 393 pounds of soda can tabs, 17 pairs of eyeglasses and 59 pairs of shoes, just to name a few. Kim continues to promote paper recycling at the school which she helped start when she became the coordinator. “I feel that the recycling program at Mitchell has had a great impact on students learning to protect our Earth by recycling items instead of sending them to the landfill,” Kim said .
Kari Dioneda, a fellow staff member at Mitchell Elementary School said Kim was the originator of our recycling program. “She has performed this task as Green School Coordinator for 18 years,”Dioneda said. “Her long list of achievements overseeing the recycling program and dedication to our planet should not go unrecognized.
The Madison County Green Schools Program is thankful for Antonovich-Merz’s dedication to improving Mitchell Elementary School’s sustainability and for teaching future generations the importance of taking care of their environment. “Talk Around Town” July 2022
An earlier version of Prenzler’s statement, sent to The Telegraph, named the official but was later retracted, stating an amended version would follow. That version was obtained from another source.
Some hotly-contested Republican primary races, which would have been unheard of in previous years, and long-standing splits within the county’s Republican Party appear to factor into the meeting call. Read more...
Written By Scott Cousins The Telegraph
Ward 4 Alderman Brad Eavenson Recaps the June, 21 2022 Council Meeting
Seven more properties were approved for demolition. Again, while we hate to see more vacant lots, these properties detract from the value of homes in the area and create potential safety problems for neighbors. We’re simply cutting out dead cells from the body of the city.
The council also issued a letter of intent to purchase a piece of property, the former IHOP. Discussions will be held with the current owner. The goal is to enhance that piece of property in an effort to improve the appearance of the entryway.
Under Public Works, the council amended the bid policy to allow contractors a more flexible starting date for scheduled projects. We are losing competitive bids because companies can’t work within our existing specification. Project completion dates won’t be impacted but we hope to see more bidders at the table which ultimately lowers prices.
The city approved bids for new traffic loops at the intersection of Lindell and Nameoki and Manley and Nameoki. In short, you won’t have to sit at a red light in front of Walgreens unless a car has activated the loop by driving over it.
We approved the engineering agreement to move forward with the Safe Schools grant project that will pay for the construction of sidewalks connecting Legacy Subdivision with Grigsby Intermediate School affording those students a safe travel route.
Under Economic Development, we are now refocusing efforts on the Nameoki Road Corridor. We approved a study to develop incentive packages for areas that include the Crossroads Center. All agree that the center is currently in desperate need of upgrades to the buildings and parking lots.
The Finance Committee approved ordinances to provide funding for the police and fire pensions. That’s a brief summary of the business completed this evening. This summary is not intended to be a representation of the minutes of the meeting.
Granite City Fire Department Welcomes a New Firefighter Into the Department
Re Dress Threads & Things Settles into Granite City
We would like to welcome Re Dress Threads & Things to Granite City and as our newest advertising sponsor. This unique shop is on a mission to “Reuse, Redesign and Redress” by offering resale clothing and treasures and reducing the carbon footprint, all while saving you money.
Walking through the doors of this business you will find it’s far more than just a clothing resale shop, it’s an experience. Beginning with the large store front window display, and the ever-changing inventory you never know what you may find. Not only is there a large selection of men’s and women’s clothing items of all kinds, for all seasons, but you just may find a must have antique, or collectible. Whether it’s jewelry, or a handbag or shoes, or a Cardinal’s Baseball T-shirt, visit Re Dress Threads & Things and begin your shopping adventure!
The Niedringhaus Streetscape Planters are in Bloom
Alex Wilson, owner of Premier Lawn Services, Construction and Excavation is helping to beautify Granite City by redesigning the landscaping in the Niedringhaus planters. It appears that the new plants and flowers are thriving and are in full bloom bursting with vibrant colors. The City Hall grounds have also been landscaped, giving the area a fresh new look for the summer season.