The Mayor’s Corner, 08/29/18

Mayor Diana Thomas

How quickly fall seems to be on us when school starts. People begin to return to old routines and habits as the weather cools and schedules fill up. Time to remind parents, students, drivers, walkers and runners to dress so others can see you in the mornings and evenings. The change in temperatures seems to bring out dark clothes and the smoke and changing hours add to the difficulty in seeing these colors in the dawn and dusk hours. Please remember to wear reflective clothes as you travel the streets.
It is down. The Scout House and St. Agnes Catholic Church can now be seen from State Street. Thank you to the demolition crew that completed the demolition of the downed Ridley’s building.
The local media reports there will be a ground breaking for the new Ridley’s Store Friday, August 31 at 11 am on the new site on E. 6th Street. I haven’t received any additional information so if you plan to attend or are driving in the area on Friday, please watch for foot and vehicle traffic.
With the ground breaking scheduled, there should be lots of activity beginning in the area. Watch for trucks going in and out over the next several months as progress moves forward on the new store. As you travel to Bi-Mart drive a little slower up the street. Watching the project grow will be a novelty for many of us, so be careful as you drive by.
First rain in many days came on a busy day Monday for our departments. The Street Department along with crews from the Water, Wastewater and Electric Departments worked on the last two ADA ramps we have been putting in for ITD to bring them up to code along the State Highway system. In addition, the crews replaced the walkway on the Greenhouse at Memorial Park. It has been sagging and measures were exhausted to keep it safe for the preschoolers and After School Program until we could get it replaced. We appreciate the parents, kids and staff’s patience as we complete this project this week. The concrete was available so all three projects were done on Monday.
The Bountiful Basket program spearheaded by Kasey Brock at Weiser Memorial Hospital had a successful first delivery Friday at the Weiser School District office. The program allows members to order baskets of fresh produce online and pick it up. The website allows participants to set up an account, order and pay for produce on a regular schedule. If interested check out the website or contact Kasey for more information.
The Farmers’ Market has also had some great fresh produce and other local products to purchase. The Market is set up at the Depot each Thursday through early September from 5-7 pm. There is nothing like fresh corn, tomatoes and peaches right out of the garden or orchard.
Labor Day weekend is here already. This is the end of the ‘100 most dangerous days’ on our highways. Unfortunately, there have been a large number of accidents in our State and area involving some of our friends and family. Many of us are grieving the losses. Please drive carefully.
Thank you again to Sarah Imada and her crew for taking care of the hanging baskets this year. They were beautiful and add a lot to our community. If you are interested in helping keep them up next year contact V.I.B.E. representative, Linda Roundtree.