Sen. Kevin Engler (r) Farmington

An article in the May 23 Mt. Echo states that Sen. Kevin Engler wrote a letter to Gov. Blunt and Doyle Childers strongly suggesting the following be included in a settlement with Ameren.

A lease of no longer that 20 years on Church Mountain.

The inclusion of funds to construct a sewer system for the city of Lesterville.

A requirement that Ameren will inexpensively lease land in the area to a wireless company to lessen the cost of a cell tower.

Funds to cover the operating cost of a 911 call center.

In order to raise sales tax revenues, funds should be included to develop a professional marketing campaign to bring tourists back to Johnson Shut-Ins and the Black River.

Here is what I find interesting. First the local elected officials want the tax money from Church Mt. so they don't want the state to get control of this land. There was an attempt to get a sewer system out of the $5 million, but there just were too many hands out for that money. And as I remember about $500,000 of that money went to the 911 system, but there is fear of what happens when that money is gone. All the out of county people, elected officials and news people, go crazy down here because on the poor cell coverage. Its just part of our life in paradise. As to getting people back to the Black River area I think they should just hand out $50 gas cards. That's about the cost of a round trip to Lesterville from St. Louis.