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ALTON TILIORAPHVillage is $6 million in debtROBBINS, 111. (AP) - Uncle iam’s current debt breaks down to [bout $7,621 for every man, woman ■nd child in the United States. The Hhiki residents of Robbins, one of pie poorest suburbs around Chi-igo. are looking at another $680 on ip of that.We’re dealing with the unknown /ery day, ’ said Mayor John Ham Iton, who took over as mayor in pril and has been struggling since len to keep to keep Robbins from ecoming Illinois’ first municipalityto declare insolvency.“Whatever we owe, we’ll pay,” he continued. “But we’re going to need financial assistance from any source we can get it.”The southeast suburb about 15 miles from Chicago is awash in a $6 million sea of red ink, a problem complicated further by its failure to complete the annual financial audit required by the state since 1981-82.‘‘From the financial records we've been able to get, it looks like somebody threw up their hands in2 Granite City men sentencedTwo Granite City men have been sentenced in Circuit Court in Ed-.vardsville in connection with a May 24 burglary in Hartford Jerry Nishke. 40, of the 2500 block if Washington, was sentenced to even years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to residential bur-glary.John J. Nishke. 28, was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to a charge of fel-|»nj theftJerry Nishke pleaded guilty to he burglary lt;»f the residence of Billy J Staton in the 100 block of East Watkins Street, while John Nishke pleaded guilty to possessing property stolen from Staton.Four‘year term«rMango Hudson Jr. of Alton has tx?en sentenced to four years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in 'ircuit Court in Edwardsville to a harge of residential burglary. Hudson. 26, of the 500 block of Washington Avenue, was charged n the May 31 burglary of the residence of Robert L. Ward in the 1200 block of Pearl StreetGets four yearsJay Renfrow of Edwardsville has been sentenced to four years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in 'ircuit Court in Edwardsville to a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.Renfrow, 26, of the 100 block of West Street, was charged with having sexual relations with an Edwardsville girl on May 31.Six-year termhas been sentenced to six years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after his guilty plea in Circuit Court in Edwardsville to a charge of criminal sexual abuse Ewing. 23, of the first block of South 9th Street, was charged with fondling a girl between 13 and 16 years of age on June 20.Gets seven yearsWilliam L. Sutterer of Wood River has been sentenced to seven years in the custody of the Depart ment of Corrections after pleading guilty to a residential burglary charge in Circuit Court in Edwardsville.Sutterer, 31, of the 400 block of Evans, was charge in the Aug. 6 burglary of the residence of Marilyn Sutterer in the 400 block of South Main Street, Wood River.Three-year termRobert M Carter of Alton has been sentenced to three years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in Circuit Court in Edwardsville to felony theft.Carter, of the 1700 block of Mau-pin Street, was charged in the July 23, 1984, burglary of Realty Traders, Inc., 506 Miller, Alton.Pleads guiltyStanley Ash of Alton has been sentenced to five years in the custody of the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a forgery charge in Circuit Court in Edwardsville Ash, 43, of the 1600 block of Langdon, was charged with paying for merchandise with a forged check on Oct. 24, 1984, at the Radio Shack store, 25 Eastgate Plaza,frustration years ago and said, ‘Let’s not even look,’ ” said state Rep. John McNamara, who is at tempting to forge a bailout package for Robbins ‘‘The people there deserve better,” he said.Village officials already have approved a 100 percent increase in the property tax levy — in a community whose per-capita income was $5,504 in 1981 — and laid off 22 percent of the city’s workforce But even so, Hamilton is scram bling to come up with the $18,000 to meet Friday’s bi-weekly payroll And among the bills Hamilton found outstanding when he took over last April were:A $250,000 judgment against the village won by police officers who filed suit in 1978 after the village board temporarily dissolved the police department amid charges of corruption.$826,000 owed the City of Chicago for water bills since 1980.$1 million owed various suppliersThe paper trail of Robbins’ crisis dates back to the early 1980s, when economic hard times meant the town could collect only half of its property taxes, said former Mayor Marion Smith.Bills went unpaid after the village board, beset by infighting, decided in 1980 that all six of its members must sign each of the town’s checks, Smith said.But Robbins' slide toward insolvency reaches beyond that stack of bills back more than a decade, when the steel plants, railroad yards, oil refineries and automobile-related businesses began pulling up stakes ‘‘Of the 300,000 manufacturing jobs the state has lost since 1979 alone, too many have come out of that area,’’ said McNamara Mattie Watkins, 48, a lifelong resident, put it another way “It used to be that out of 10 friends, you might know one, or even two that weren’t working. Now it’s four out of 10,” said Mrs Watkins, who works for a social agency.“My oldest daughter hears about all this and says, Sell your house, move.' I say, Where? Who’d buy the house now anyway?’ I know we’re just about bankrupt, but things haven’t changed much yet.‘‘The firemen and police are still on the job,” she said “I know that because I got a ticket coming here this morning.”Telegraph Want Ads Sell BicyclesforTHANKSGIVINGROAST TURKEY all the Trimmings BUFFET or ELEGANT SIT DOWN DINING LOTTEO’S 3475 Humbert 465-7064VIUaqe of ADMThur.. Nov. 14, 148S C-7IVILLAGE ON THE BRINK — John Hamilton, mayor of the village of Robbins, III., takes time out to stand in front of the villages administrative building Wednesday. Thfe municipality is awash in $6 million of red ink which translates into $680 for each of its 8,800 residents.(AP Laserphoto)*'*‘S L°^LIVE MUSIC FRIDAYS - 9 -1amDART TOURNAMENTEVERY THURSDAY at 8:30 pm* CASH PRIZIS PLUS TROPHIES FOR 1st, 2nd. 3rd PLACEJAMIE'S LOUNGErr 254-1957BINGO!SOUTH ROXANA DAD'S CLUBDANIEL BOONE TRAIL SOUTH ROXANA, ILL.EVERY SATURDAY NIGHTDOORS OPEN 5 P.M.Total 25 Games!2 JACKPOTS!GUARANTEEDNON-SMOKING AREA LIGHTED PARKING REFRESHMENTSTOWN and COUNTRYRESTAURANTRte. 159 — Bunker Hill, IL 585-3011 WEEK END SPECIALS served after 5FRIDAY-FRESH RIVER FISH
Newspaper Details
Alton Telegraph
Alton, Illinois, US
Thu, Nov 14, 1985
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Patuxent R.
AL, USA 28 Sep 2024
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