By Jeff Vorva
The Concerned Citizens of Manteno hit a major speed bump in court, but they still are ready to plow ahead with their protests.
Kankakee County Circuit Judge Lindsay Parkhurst ruled on September 31 against their lawsuit trying to prevent the Chinese-based Gotion EV battery manufacturer from opening a plant near town. However, the arbiter said the CCOM could amend their suit and try again in the coming months.
Those residents against Gotion are not deterred. They were still full of hiss and vinegar during the comments portion of the October 7 village board meeting.
“Our lawsuit is going on, so who is to say some good days aren’t ahead?” resident Francine Fatima said.
Fatima and other residents lauded an October 3 roundtable held at the Hassert Community Center that included Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood, State Rep. Dan Caulkins and Michigan State Rep. John Moolenaar and chided the board for not having anyone represent the village, Kankakee County, or Gotion at the meeting.
Annette Lamore said the panelists at the roundtable agreed Gotion is a “threat to our national security.”
She also recited a long list of extra expenses the village and Kankakee County will incur with Gotion opening, and she warned of potential dangers to the environment and the health and safety of Manteno residents.
“This is a bad deal for Illinois and especially for Manteno,” she said. “We will do everything in our power to stop this from happening.”
Audit presented
The board approved the 2023-2024 audit and Smith Koelling, Dykstra, and Ohm accounting firm representative Carmen Huizenga presented an overview of the 66-page report and had no major issues to report to the board.
She said the village had a fund balance of $18.5 million, which was down more than $4 million because of special projects done in 2023.
She plans to file the audit to the state by October 27.
Drone show rescheduled
A drone show, scheduled during Oktoberfest in late September, was postponed due to windy weather conditions and will be a part of a December 7 holiday event. More information will be forthcoming.
Softball success
The Manteno Junior High eighth grade softball team won the Class 3A Illinois Elementary School Association State Championship in September.
The team will be honored at a meeting in November, and Mayor Tim Nugent said the village will soon erect a street sign to honor the team’s accomplishments.