PAGE 1 / SEC A • THE MENDOTA REPORTER
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025
VOLUME 147, NUMBER 29
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025
ONE DOLLAR, 25 CENTS
Midwest Disposal is the new garbage collector for Mendota beginning in August q Recycling won’t be picked up July 21-25; new garbage & recycling bins will be issued By BRANDON LaCHANCE Staff writer MENDOTA – Beginning in August, garbage and recycling in Mendota will be collected by a different company. Midwest Disposal, of Dixon, has signed a fiveyear contract with the City of Mendota. This new deal comes after the past five-year agreement with Republic Services expires in July. One popular question was if the change of companies was because Republic is going through a strike. “Mendota going to a new garbage service has nothing at all to do with the strike their going through,” Mendota City Clerk Emily McConville said. “The contract between the City of Mendota and Republic Services expires at the end of July. We went up for bid a few months ago. “Republic was quite a bit higher than Midwest Disposal. The new company is going to allow us to not have to raise the
Members of the Compton Community Fire Protection District and H&H Builders broke ground on July 8 for a new fire station for the Compton Volunteer Fire Department. (Photo contributed)
pricing to the consumer for approximately three years or more. It’s a bad coincidence for Republic, but our decision had nothing to do with their strike.” Not only did the City of Mendota receive bids from Midwest Disposal and Republic, but also LRS and Northern Illinois Disposal. Midwest Disposal’s bid was a $1.76 per month for each household cheaper than the second-lowest bid. With the deal, garbage rates for Mendota residents will stay at $17.15 per month instead of increasing if another bid was accepted. On the current schedule, recycling was supposed to be picked up the week of July 21-25. Garbage will be collected this week, but there will not be recycling pick up.
During the week of July 28, both your recycling and garbage can need to be curbside so Republic can pick them up. Midwest Disposal will then sweep through Mendota, the same week, delivering the new cans residents will be using for at least the next five years. In August, Midwest Disposal will shift
Mendota’s collection services from a fourday to a two-day service as Tuesday’s will be for residents north of Washington Street and north of the railroad tracks along U.S. 34 and Thursday’s will be for residents south of Washington Street and south of the railroad tracks along U.S. 34.
“The new company is going to allow us to not have to raise the pricing to the consumer for approximately three years or more. It’s a bad coincidence for Republic, but our decision had nothing to do with their strike.” –Emily McConville Mendota City Clerk
Ground broken for new fire station in Compton By BRANDON LaCHANCE Staff writer COMPTON – The fire station in Compton was constructed in 1952. As time has gone by, the size of equipment and vehicles has increased but the size of the station has not. The Compton Community Fire Protection District knew this was an issue and pushed for a new station. On July 8, members of the fire district and H&H Builders of Mendota broke ground on a new fire station for the Compton Volunteer Fire Department. “A new fire station will give us a little more room.
In the station we’re in now, we’re limited for vehicle size and size of doors,” said Chuck Montavon, who has served 40 years with the district, a retired Compton fire chief who is still an active volunteer firefighter and EMT. “The new building is basically so we can get better equipment and bigger equipment in the station. “It’s going to be a sigh of relief to be able to get vehicles in the station and move around them. We’ll have some room. We’ll have an extra bay, so we can get See Compton, Page A5
Preparations underway for 2025 Sweet Corn Festival Queen Pageant q 10 contestants to compete for the crown on August 8 MENDOTA – Selecting the Queen to reign over the festivities of Mendota’s 78th Annual Sweet Corn Festival will not be an easy task. There are 10 young ladies to choose from in this year’s pageant. The girls have been selected by Mendota not-for-profit organizations to represent them in this year’s event. The pageant will be held Friday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. on the First State Bank stage on Washington Street in downtown Mendota. Preparations for the event are underway, as the candidates have recently had their publicity photos taken. Each of the Sweet Corn Queen hopefuls will be very busy during the next few weeks, rehearsing stage presence and getting ready for their interviews with the judges. Here are four candidates vying for the title of Sweet Corn Festival Queen. Rosa Gonzalez has been chosen to represent Mendota BPW in this year’s pageant. She is the daughter of Rosa Villa and Raul Gonzalez. She is five feet, one inch tall, with black hair and brown eyes. Gonzalez graduated from Mendota High School in 2025. During her time at MHS, she was a member of the Spanish Club all four years. This summer, Gonzalez was in Mexico getting her bachelor’s degree in Mexican regional dancing. In her free time Rosa enjoys dancing, going to the gym, painting, learning new makeup technics and helping teach dance class. This fall she plans to attend The
Educators of Beauty then attend IVCC to study education and transfer to get her teaching degree. The Mendota YMCA’s representative in this year’s pageant is Crystal Garcia. She is the daughter of Angelica Garcia and Rafael Garcia. Standing five feet, four inches tall, she has black hair and brown eyes. A 2025 graduate of Mendota High School, Garcia was very active in sports during her years at MHS. She was involved in basketball and soccer all four years and boys’ soccer manager for three years. She was on the regional winning team in soccer and was awarded the girls’ soccer player of the year. Her academics were just as important to her as her sports. She was on the honor roll all eight semesters and was the Vice President of the National Honor Society and President of the Spanish National Honor Society. She earned the seal of biliteracy in Spanish. She was also Senior class president, and in the Interact Club. This summer you can find Garcia training for the upcoming soccer season. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and going on walks, shopping and making Starbucks runs. Garcia plans on attending Rock Valley College in Rockford this fall to become a CRNA while playing soccer as a Golden Eagle. See Pageant, Page A5
Four contestants in this year’s Sweet Corn Festival Queen Pageant, left to right, are Rosa Gonzalez, Crystal Garcia, Kennedy Knaff and Ava Eddy. (Photo contributed)