Mayor Demarais signs 'Scouting Anniversary Week' proclamation at Malta City Council meeting

There were four members of Malta Boy Scout Troop #1429, along with three of their adult leaders and one member of Malta Cub Scout Pack 432 attending the final Malta City Council meeting of January and got a royal treatment.

Malta Mayor John Demarais welcomed troop members Dre Oshio, David Schaldack, Eion Estill, and Marcus Knudsen, along with troop leaders Mark Knudsen, Steve Schumacher, and Sean Estill, along with den member Benjamin Schiffbauer to the nights meeting before requesting Oshio present the US Colors ahead of the National Anthem. After the Anthem, the Scouts led the council, the Mayor and others in attendance in the Boy Scout Oath.

"I know those words and I live by them," Mayor Demarais, who was a member of the troop in his youth, said.

Troop leader Knudsen then explained that the Boy Scouts of America will be celebrating their 110th anniversary in 2020 and Troop #1429 has been a Malta institution since 1929.

The main reason the scouts were in attendance was for the reading and passing of the Scouting Anniversary Proclamation which dedicates the week of February 1 through 9 as Scouting Anniversary Week in Malta.

"This is a great thing, guys," Mayor Demarais told the Scouts. "I take great pride that I was part of the group for many years and having you here tonight brings back lots of great memories."

During the Public Comment portion of the night's meeting, new Villa Theatre owner and former Kirkwood Funeral Home Director Greg Kirkwood voiced his displeasure with a recent turn of events that he said he had with the PhillCo Economic Group when he and then Villa owner David Adams applied for a loan to redo the marquee outside of the Malta movie house.

"If we could get that grant, or that loan, because we wanted a $50,000 loan for five years at a loan percentage, and we could redo the marquee and paint the building and make it look nice on that corner," Kirkwood said. "Well, they denied David from doing it and then they come back and tell me (after he had purchased the Villa) to come back in and (reapply for the loan.)"

Kirkwood said he felt if Adams was denied the loan, he would be also, he said he wouldn't have a chance. Kirkwood said that he has put $60,000 into remodeling the Villa before it reopened at the end of 2019 and said that he had just purchased a new marquee for $30,000 which should be installed by late February or early March.

Kirkwood also questioned why PhillCo meeting notes and meeting announcements were not listed in the Phillips County News or on the KMMR radio station.

"PhillCo is an oxymoron because it does not want economics or development," he said. "The question I have for the City Council is, has anyone ever seen their reports on budgets, on what they bring in, what they sell, what they expend, when the meetings are and accountability of that?"

Councilwoman Bonnie Wiederrick said that she does attend the PhillCo meetings - which are held six times per year, every other month - and Mayor Demarais said that he had written Kirkwood's questions down and would inquire with PhillCo.

"Everybody who lives in Phillips County is on the PhillCo Board," Mayor Demarais said. "I will write these down, go to the annual meeting, and bring these up."