Mark Philpot
QUINCY — The Quincy Park Board approved the self-funding of a $1.17 million general obligation (GO) bond, which will be used to purchase equipment and to fund park improvement projects, at its monthly meeting on Wednesday night. GO bonds are a type of municipal bond that are often used to fund non-revenue generating projects pertaining…
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Regardless of how we feel about the election results, what’s important is how we move forward. Our nation’s voices have spoken, and how we treat one another after Nov. 5, is as meaningful (if not more) than before. True Democracy is not the muffling of voices, as it is the amplification of our collective voice as Americans. We…
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains brief descriptions of graphic imagery that may be triggering for some readers. Please read at your discretion. QUINCY — All of the action in Liam Neeson’s “Taken” begins when his teenage daughter informs him – from under a bed across the globe in Paris – that strange men speaking another…
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QUINCY — The Gem City Summer Concert Series is returning to Lincoln Park next summer. Whitney Mintert spoke to the Quincy Park Board during the public input portion of Wednesday night’s monthly meeting. At the same time, concert organizer Scott Edlin was the host of a dinner thanking the sponsors of the series this past…
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QUINCY — About 35 people from Quincy’s boating community attended the Quincy Park Board meeting Wednesday night to learn more about a possible advisory referendum that could help determine the future of Art Keller Marina. No plans for the referendum were determined, but boaters learned from Park Board President Mark Phllpot that a boating committee, suspended…
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QUINCY — Quincy Park Board President Mark Philpot said the Quincy Park District will honor an agreement made with Darin Dodd, founder of Qtown Tournaments, to make $50,000 worth of improvements in 2025 to one of the two T-ball fields in the Wavering Park complex. “It was on paper, and we gave our word,” Philpot…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Park District’s Board of Commissioners discussed during its annual retreat on Friday the possibility of letting the public weigh in on the future of the Art Keller Marina. The seven commissioners spent several hours at the Quincy Park District’s administrative offices planning for 2025 by reviewing finances and proposed capital projects…
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QUINCY — Rome Frericks got a phone call he wasn’t prepared for early Monday morning. “It was the famous 6:30 in the morning phone call from the contractor,” Frericks said. Representatives from Diamond Construction informed Frericks, executive director of the Quincy Park District, and Matt Higley, director of parks, that when they started milling the…
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This past weekend, the Tri-States were fortunate to again have access to world-class entertainment hosted right here in Quincy in your parks. Many thanks to Scott Edlin and his team, and everyone from promotions to tickets to trash pickup, for a job well done. I’m especially proud of the Park District team under Rome Frericks. They moved…
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The president of the Quincy Park Board and chairman of the city’s Human Rights Commission is this week’s guest on MRN This Week.
Read Full Article I want to preface my comments by saying they do not necessarily represent the views of the office I hold as an elected official. Regardless of my position, I’m still a veteran, citizen, taxpayer and resident of the 2nd Ward. Quincy’s city council recently passed an ordinance establishing the TIF South district. Whether you agree…
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QUINCY — Moments after he was elected as the president of the Quincy Park Board, Mark Philpot took time to reflect on the vote’s significance. Philpot was selected to replace Jarid Jones as president during Wednesday’s monthly meeting of the Park Board. He is the first Black person to serve as president. (Alan Hickman was…
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QUINCY — The Quincy Human Rights Commission has called for a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall to address the issue of the American Nazi Party’s potential presence in Quincy. Mark Philpot, chairman of the 15-member commission, said a local business owner in the 62305 ZIP code shared with the group that…
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QUINCY — One member of the Quincy Park Board says he wants to “begin a discussion” about the installation of call boxes in each of the city’s parks. Commissioner Mark Philpot told the seven-member board that the possibility of a study seeking public feedback on the issue was brought to the table during a Finance…
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It has been long understood in the healthcare and social service community in Quincy, and the stateline as a whole, that a crisis exists regarding the lack of placement options for our area’s troubled youths. Some of these children have faced trauma as a result of abuse or neglect. Others have developed behavioral issues that have…
Read Full Article I wanted to take an opportunity to provide clarity on the perception that the Quincy Park District is somehow not interested in partnering with its counterparts on the Quincy City Council, Adams County Board and the Riverfront Development Corporation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Quincy Park District, in its role as a dedicated team of faithful…
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Upon viewing the trailer for the soon-to-be released film, “Civil War,” written and directed by Alex Garland, I pondered the current state of political dysmorphia in which we find our country today. As if COVID had not been isolating enough, the constant redefinition of who belongs in America — and who doesn’t — is…
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I had the privilege of attending the TIF Board annual meeting on Dec. 13 when representatives of the various taxing bodies got together and discussed the progress of the TIF districts currently in operation in the city. There are two, and another is to be proposed very soon. During the public comment section of the…
Read Full Article As I awakened at 4 a.m. the day after the marathon City Council meeting, I experienced an epiphany so profound that I had to put pen to paper (or fingers to keypad — few of us write anymore). I witnessed more of my neighbors taking time out of their busy lives to speak at a City…
Read Full Article I recognize that this letter may make me unpopular with some. I am also aware that, by saying nothing and therefore being complicit, what is occurring before our very eyes outweighs that concern. This past Monday, our City Council saw fit to consider on a future agenda an ordinance designating Quincy as a sanctuary…
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QUINCY — A Friday night cookout could be the catalyst for more community involvement in revitalizing a basketball court in the northwest section of the city. Hamburgers, hot dogs and other refreshments will be available from 5-7 p.m. at the Penny Lewis Community Court, 818 N. Eighth. Mark Philpot, one of the organizers, hopes the…
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I tried really hard not to write this. I really did. But after observing the Supreme Court decisions over the past few days, and recognizing the myriad of responses and opinions that would be derived from them, I felt it was important to have my say. I’m 53, an African American, graduated from the former…
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QUINCY — Jeff Van Camp said he resigned from the Quincy Park Board on Tuesday because of how Jarid Jones was elected as president at the board’s May 11 meeting. Van Camp informed the board of his decision on Tuesday, then explained his decision to commissioners and departments heads in an email on Wednesday. Muddy…
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Park Board learns price tag to install irrigation system on all 27 holes at Westview is $2.8 million
QUINCY — An irrigation consultant told the Quincy Park Board on Wednesday the cost of an irrigation system for all 27 holes at Westview Golf Course would be an estimated $2.8 million. Les Hill of Navasota, Texas, recently completed design work for the proposed system. He said 1,166 sprinkler heads are needed at a cost…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A discussion about installing Wi-Fi service at Art Keller Marina eventually led to an informal vote Wednesday night by the Quincy Park Board to reaffirm its promise to keep the marina operating through 2025. During a report on the finance committee, commissioner Mark Philpot said one topic of interest was an expense with…
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