Published: July 05, 2009 07:52 pm      

Council to honor state track champion

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — City officials will be honoring Mt. Vernon Township High School athlete Margo Richardson during the City Council meeting tonight.

“With all her accomplishments, we think we need to go a step further with a special recognition award from the council and in a public venue,” Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said. “Her accomplishments are so outstanding.”

Richardson earned first place honors at the Illinois High School Association Class 2A State Track and Field Meet in May in both the mile and two-mile races, setting a new team record in the mile run by finishing the state race in 5 minutes, 2.96 seconds. Richardson won the state cross country meet in November 2008. Richardson, who will be a senior at Mt. Vernon Township High School this fall, became Mt. Vernon’s first female state track champion and the only Mt. Vernon athlete to have won three state titles in a single school year.

“She is one of the outstanding athletes to come out of Mt. Vernon Township High School,” Chesley said. “She is very impressive. Her hard work, self-discipline, determination and goal-setting skills are foundations for a successful life in the future.”

In addition to honoring Richardson, business on the council meeting agenda include:

n Bid results for banking services;

n Bid results for painting of the Municipal West Building;

n Bid results for an emulsion tank for the public works department;

n A request to seek bids for five mobile data terminals;

n A resolution to approve a phone agreement with Ameritech; and

n A supplemental resolution to allocate $20,000 in motor fuel tax funds.

The council will also go into executive session to discuss land acquisition and personnel.

The regular meeting of the council will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at the Rolland Lewis Community Building.

terans Park.