A man who served as Danville’s first mayor under the mayor-aldermanic form of government has died. Bill Pickett has more….
Bob Jones was 85. He had served as mayor of Danville from 1987 until 2003. The Robert E. Jones Municipal Building bears his name, and it was at a Danville City Council meeting there tonight that current Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr. announced Jones death.
(Current Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr. presents Jones a Key to the City during November’s birthday party.)
Last November an early birthday party was held at city hall honoring Jones. He was asked by Neuhoff Media at that party what he was most proud of during his tenure at mayor….
{AUDIO: “Well I think our first term where we had a change in the form of government, and all the aldermen and we worked together. A team with existing folks that worked for the city and made it work. I think those were some trying times but we got through them good with everyone cooperating and working together.}
Jones had operated the Dairy Queen on East Main Street for many years, and earlier owned another restaurant on East Main. He had also been elected Vermilion County Treasurer in 1978 and was twice re-elected to that office. The former Danville mayor was also instrumental in getting a dyslexia center opened at the Masonic Temple. “We’ve been very blessed there,” said Jones during the interview last November. He quickly added he had lots of help at the center that opened in 2008 and helps dyslexic kids with reading and writing.
During Jones three terms as mayor there was a lot of economic development that occurred in the city, but he said others deserved a lot of the credit for it….
{AUDIO: “We were real blessed to have Vickie Bernthal and the economic development team that was put together. There was a lot of people there – a guy could name a whole bunch that worked really hard to make Danville a better place to live.”}
Former Danville Mayor Bob Jones…dead at 85.
