By Terra TemplePlanet Reporter

In an action that seems to be commonplace at re-cent Metropolis City Coun-cil meetings, the question of money spent on advice from outside sources arose again as the council wound down its Aug. 22 meeting with the fi nancial report.

As Mayor Billy McDaniel called for a motion regarding the payment of salaries, pay-roll and contract bills, alder-man Jerry Mizell questioned the bill for Economic Devel-opment Resources (EDR), the fi rm assisting the city with zoning issues and TIF desig-nations.

As city attorney Rick Abell explained, the bill was in regard to EDR president Gene Norber's latest visit — which included work-ing with the city's Zoning & Building administrator Chad Murray "on the zoning from the perspective of getting the maps for the adult businesses where they may or may not be able to go" — another ques-tion was raised.

"How many people are working on the adult maps — Scott Bergthold, Norber, Chad," alderman Richard Corzine said, counting off each name.

Bergthold is the Chatta-

nooga, Tenn.-based attorney who drafted the city's sexu-ally oriented business ordi-nance and is defending the city in the case.

Abell explained Murray is working with an EDR em-ployee on the adult business maps from "technical stand-point — strictly the mapping portion of it, and knowing which zones and coming up with the areas. Scott is advis-ing them based on the law and what the law requires of most municipalities so that what they put together will be le-gally suffi cient and will stand the challenge. That's why we're using Scott Bergthold, to avoid those sorts of situa-tions."

Bergthold and attorneys for Metro Pony LLC, the city's only sexually oriented busi-ness, are expected this week to fi le motions for summary judgment as the temporary restraining order against the city's sexually oriented busi-ness ordinance continues.

In an interview last week, Abell said if both sides — the City of Metropolis and Metro Pony LLC — are going to fi le the motions, it will occur this week.

A motion for summary judgment is a request for a decision by a court of the

Harrah’s Special Events Rooms in Metropolis were the site of the annual Miss Metropolis Scholarship Program held Sunday with Jessica Angelly, Samantha Jaco, Olivia Bates and Meredith Hosman competing for the title.

This year’s winner was Meredith Hosman of Metropolis, 18, daughter of Joe and Joni Hosman.

Hosman will be focusing her platform on Adopt a Grand-parent.

During the program, she performed a mideastern dance routine.

According to Sandy Farmer, pageant director, one of the judges stated, “The thing that we loved the most about Mer-edith was her genuineness during her interview.”

Hosman was awarded a $2000 cash scholarship and 15 credit hours from Shawnee Community College. She will be competing next June in the Miss Illinois Pageant in Marion.

First runner-up was Olivia Bates of Brookport, 17, daughter of Richard and Leslea Bates. She received a $400 cash schol-arship.

Hosman also was recognized as a People’s Choice winner and received a $50 savings bond.

This year’s Miss Metropolis Outstanding Teen was Mac- Kenzie Meadows-Puckett of Metropolis, 16, daughter of Rob-ert and Doris Puckett.

Meadows-Puckett’s platform is Heart Smart — Fighting Against Childhood Obesity, and she performed a classical

piano selection Sunday after-noon.

Meadows-Puckett was the recipient of a $500 savings bond.

“She was very graceful on the stage,” said one judge’s re-marks about Meadows-Puck-ett.

First runner-up for Miss Metropolis Teen was Kris-ten Arnold of Metropolis, 16, daughter of Patrick and Lori Arnold. She was awarded a $100 savings bond.

Mikayla Peariso of Metrop-olis, 13, was the recipient of a People’s Choice award and was given a $50 savings bond.

Cami Horman of Metropo-lis, 11, daughter of Bruce and Lanna Horman, was named the fi rst ever Miss Metropolis Out-standing Preteen. Horman was awarded a $250 savings bond.

Horman also played the piano as part of her talent, and her platform will be National Prescription Pill and Drug Dis-posal Program (P2D2).

People’s Choice for preteen was also awarded to Horman, and she received a $50 savings bond.

First runner-up was Danielle Carnes of Metropolis, who was awarded a $75 savings bond.

By Terra TemplePlanet Reporter

Following a closed ses-sion during its regular Aug. 22 meeting, the Metropolis City Council came back into open session to adopt a reso-lution approving a settlement with Laidlaw.

The issue goes back to 2001 when Laidlaw had plans to build a new coat hanger manufacturing plant in Me-

tropolis. At the same time, the company was forming a new fi rm with Shanghai Wells Hanger Co. in China. To keep the plant in Metropolis, the city and Laidlaw entered a private development agree-ment and a loan agreement for constructing a facility in Metropolis Industrial Park.

According to city attorney Rick Abell, when Laidlaw built the new facility, "the city

agreed to loan Laidlaw $2 million and Laidlaw was also supposed to get a ($250,000) grant from the State of Illi-nois" that would be funneled through the city and the city would provide the grant to Laidlaw.

"As it turned out, the city never got the grant," Abell said.

The lawsuit pends from a 2007 dispute between the

City of Metropolis and Laid-law in which both sides fi led claims. The city fi led a fore-closure action to enforce the mortgage while Laidlaw fi led a declaratory judgment, ask-ing a court to review and de-clare the mortgage had been paid in full and satisfi ed and order the city to release it.

"The city took the position that the $2 million it gave to Laidlaw was on loan and

Laidlaw took the position that $1,750,000 should've been loaned and they should've gotten a ($250,000) grant un-der any and all circumstanc-es," Abell explained.

The suit started in circuit court in Peoria. The City of Metropolis fi led a motion to have it removed to Massac County. That motion was granted and the suit has been pending in Massac County

ever since.In the settlement:• Laidlaw agreed it owes

the city $250,000. "That amount will be se-

cured by the mortgage the city has against the property," Abell said. "Since the loan started, there's been a mort-gage there and it's never been released because the city claims there's still $250,000

The Friends of Fort Massac are fi nalizing their plans for the Annual Autumn Feast at Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis. The Feast will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, beginning at 5 p.m. with period music by Heritage Band, a local group from Desoto.

This is the eighth year for the Autumn Feast at the Fort, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Massac. The Autumn Feast provides a look back into a time period between the 18th and 19th centuries. The menu consists of fall foods that would have been available during this time period, and the costumes worn by Friends members will approximate that period as well.

Numerous door prizes will be awarded, and guests

will have the opportunity to bid on various silent auction items. There will be paintings by local artists, pottery by a local artisan, knives, jewelry, a hand crocheted afghan, and an original print entitled "Recruitment" by Michael Haynes, an annual favorite.

This year's Autumn Feast will be held under tents rather than in the barracks at the Fort. Structural issues have made the barracks unsafe. Until repairs are made, the barracks will remain unused. Organizers feel that the coziness and ambience of having the event under tents will only add to the enjoyment of the evening.

The menu will consist of ham, chicken and dumplings, green beans, corn in the husks, cole slaw, cornbread, apple crisps, iced tea, coffee, lemonade and water. Being under tents, the number of tickets has been increased to serving 185 guests. Tickets, priced at $20 each, sell quickly with those

2 SectionsWednesday, August 31, 2011 20 Pages 9 SupplementsVol. 147 No. 35 85 Cents

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MMETROPOLISETROPOLISwww.metropolisplanet.com PPLANLANEETT

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In this issue: Fall Sports section; Unit One could lose state aid, 3A

City, Laidlaw reach agreement in lawsuit

Annual Feast at Fort Massac will be Sept. 24

Metropolis’ Labor Day Celebration has been a holiday tradition for many years.

This year’s celebration brings a wider variety of music, but one thing remains the same — the entertainment is free.

The annual City of Metropolis Labor Day Celebra-tion will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday with the traditional parade along East Fifth Street from the Massac County Courthouse to Fort Massac State Park.

Spectators are welcome to line the streets to watch the parade and col-lect candy and other goodies that are sure to be a part of the fun.

Entries into the parade may line up from 9-9:30 a.m. at the courthouse. No all-ter-rain vehicles will be allowed unless they are being used to pull a fl oat.

The rest of the day’s festivities will be held at Fort Massac State Park.

Immediately following the parade, Rev. Mike Hardison and the Muhlen-berg Sound will performing smooth guitar picking at 11 a.m.

The afternoon lineup includes a mix-

ture of gospel, bluegrass, county and folk, with such entertainers as:

• Leonard the Band, noon, alternative rock

• Joe and Liz Hansen, 1 p.m., folk• Gunn$moke, 2-4 p.m., country• Cross Harmony, 4 p.m., gospel

• The Dove Brothers, 5-7 p.m., gos-pel

Formed in 1998 by brothers Mc-Cray and Eric Dove, the Dove Broth-ers Quartet has quickly become a household name in southern Gospel music with its unique throwback style and current southern Gospel sound.

The group is best known for the hit

songs Didn't It Rain, Get Away Jordan, Just Another Hill, the number one hit Anything but Ordinary, Everything but Typical and its biggest hit to date, 2007 Song of the Year I Can Pray.

The group was awarded Horizon Group of the Year in 1999 and Favorite

Traditional Male Quartet at the 2002 Singing News Fan Awards. Its current re-cording, Nev-er the Same, is the group's most critical-ly acclaimed and ground-breaking al-bum to date.

Cur-rent mem-bers of the Dove Broth-ers Quartet are McCray Dove, Eric Dove, Jerry Martin, Jerry Kelso and David Hester.

All attending the free concerts at Fort Massac are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.

Refreshments at the fort will be avail-able at a stand provided by Bear’s BBQ throughout the day.

For more information about attrac-tions in Metropolis, contact Metropolis Tourism at 877-424-5025 or visit www.metropolistourism.com.

Four young women walked away with crowns on their heads at Sunday af-ternoon’s Miss Metropolis 2012 pag-eant held at Harrah’s Special Events Center. Miss Metropolis 2011 Nikki Spore, far left, Miss Metropolis Prin-cess 2011 Raven Hainline, standing next to Spore, and Miss Metropo-lis Outstanding Teen 2011 Hannah Lowery, far right, are shown with this

year’s winners. They are, from left, Meredith Hosman, Miss Metropolis 2012; MacKenzie Meadows-Puckett, Miss Metropolis Outstanding Teen 2012; Cami Horman, Miss Metropolis Outstanding Preteen 2012; and Ash-lynn Kommer, Miss Metropolis Prin-cess 2012 .

— Photo by Limelight Studio

Hosman named Miss Metropolis 2012

Labor Day will feature variety of music

Dove Brothers

City, Pony to seek motions for summary judgment

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Monday special agents with the Illinois State Police were requested to assist the Pope County Sheriff's De-partment in the investigation surrounding the death of 14-year-old Caellagh Eiler of Metropolis.

Eiler is believed to have died after sustaining inju-

ries on Sunday when she fell from a vehicle traveling in rural Pope County.

Offi cers are continuing the investigation. No further information is available at this time.

For more information on funeral arrangements, see the notice on page 2A.

State police investigate Massac teen’s death