The Mayor’s Corner 05/08/2024

Mayor Randy Hibberd

This last week has been interesting. The kitchen remodel has been on hiatus the last couple of weeks. At that time, we were finally able to get a plumber to the house to hook up the kitchen faucet, garbage disposal, dishwasher, and the refrigerator’s ice maker. However…… when he looked at the pipe he was to hook up to, it was just about corroded shut. I guess that is what happens to 115-year-old cast iron pipes. He informed me that he could go ahead and hook everything up, but it was just a matter of time until we would have a pipe burst to flood the house. So, I needed to decide right then whether to replace all the pipes in the house. I went ahead and decided now was the time to take care of it.
Of course, he had only reserved that afternoon for our project and was booked out for the next couple of weeks. Cathy was not at home at the time. We had a long discussion between the plumber, my brother (the remodeler), and myself as to who would get to tell her. I drew the short straw. She kind of laughed a little too hard when I told her.
When we began pulling sheet rock away from covering the water pipes we did find moisture, so it was a good call to go ahead and take care of the pipes. But now the ceiling in the master bedroom and downstairs hallway is torn up along with the kitchen and back porch, not to mention the stacks of boxes still creating pathways around the house.
For some reason, Cathy thought it would be an awfully good time to visit her sister in Washington. She is getting back just in time to move into a motel for a couple of days while our pipes are replaced. Someday we may have a fully functioning house again. Someday.
Speaking of pipes, the City has some news.
The water main break on E. Park Street between E. 6th and Highway 95 has now been repaired and a new water main has been installed the length of that block. I did not realize how often I used that section of road until after it was closed. I’m glad to see it open again.
Speaking of closed roads, I have mentioned before that a new wastewater line would be going under the railroad tracks at W. 3rd Street. The wastewater line is to provide service to the new Treasure Valley Farms project as well as Jim Reed’s RV park. The start date keeps getting postponed for one reason or another. A new date has been set for this coming Wednesday, May 14 to start the boring under the railroad.
When the project does get started, the junction of the railroad tracks and W. 3rd Street will be closed for up to three weeks. The reason this project will take so long is due to the pressure testing that must take place during the boring process. The trains traveling over this new wastewater line will exert a tremendous amount of pressure each time one passes above it. Nobody wants to have a broken wastewater line under a train. I don’t even want to think about the consequences.
On a different topic, Ron McDaniel, who oversees the Parks as well as the Street Department says he is delighted every time he finds painted rocks placed for someone to discover in the playground equipment, sidewalks, or other nooks and crannies.
There is one place where it is not fun to find these rocks—namely in the grass. Please do not “hide” rocks of any kind in the grass. Rocks are extremely hard on lawnmower blades, let alone the potential damage to a person from a flying rock.
I agree with Ron. The painted rocks are great! Please just act responsibly as to where they are placed.
Well, that’s it for this week. It’s now time to get back to the cave…. I mean house. Have a great week!