Speech team thanks council for allowing tournament in Carbondale

No one in the room moved as Ben Ponce grabbed Emily Dennis by the neck and threw her into a chair at the Carbondale City Council meeting Tuesday night - it was all part of an act.

The Carbondale Community High School speech team came to the meeting to display their talents and thank the council for its efforts in allowing the Illinois High School Speech tournament to be in Carbondale. Five members of the team performed parts of their routines to the council and the rest of the people at the meeting. The speech tournament will take place Saturday at Carbondale Community High School.

Mayor Brad Cole resided over a council that was two members short as Maggie Flannigan and Steve Haynes were not present. Cole recently returned from a trip to India in an effort to rekindle a sister city relationship in Shimla. Cole said his trip was successful when it came to relations with government officials in the city.

"It was a very positive experience," Cole said. "We were well received by the people of Shimla." Cole brought with him $5,000 the city raised to aid the Indian people in the tsunami relief. He said he believes the sister city relationship is on the right track, as the Shimla city officials are considering a trip to Carbondale. "I think that was a good first step," Cole said.

On the regular council agenda, the council approved two ordinances for the city. One of the ordinances gave the city manager to acquire property for the Reed Station Road project. This project will allow the city to widen the road, which city officials say will make it safer. The project was projected to cost about $30,000 but City Manager Jeff Doherty said the project will not cost that much because the property owners are willing to donate the property necessary to execute the project.

The council also voted no on a resolution to allow a two-year extension on a deadline for the Ed and Bessie Arnold Trust to provide a development plan for property on which it had planned to build student housing. Cole said the land on

South Illinois Avenue was rezoned in 1999 to allow for the student housing, and the trust has not since had a developer begin construction. Cole recommended the council vote no because the issue has been around long enough.