November meetings and pictures

Halloween pictures

There were multiple opportunities for kids to get Halloween candy this year. One of the trunk or treat events was held at Saint Augustines on Halloween evening. Many visitors were greeted by Spiderman, who did not have any candy.

The first stops were at the line of trunks next to the school.

It may be hard to see, but there was a pirate handing out candy from his pirate ship.

From there the kids went into the school where more candy was available.

The skeleton had a box of candy for those brave enough to take some.

Not all those giving out candy were as scary as the skeleton, but maybe this witch was.

And there was a second witch a bit further down the hall.

When I left, there was still a line of kids eager for candy outside.

The organizers said they had 855 people come through.

November 1 was All Saint's Day and the kids at Saint Augustine School dressed up in costumes again, this time as a saint. At the school program each kid told a bit about the saint he or she was representing.

Commissioners meeting

The Commissioners met Monday for a rather uneventful monthly meeting. There were no buried cable requests. However there was mention of a problem with contractors installing cable along State highways. When contractors get permits to install in the County right-of-way along County roads, the County Highway Department gives those applications to the Surveyor to see if there are any drains involved. When contractors get permits to install along State roads, those permits are not forwarded to the Surveyor. Recently about seven miles of cable were installed along US 231 and the cables were installed above tiles rather than below them.

Mayor Phillips addressed the Commissioners informing them of the upcoming project to upgrade the sewer system as required by a court order several years ago. To pay for this project, the City will probably be raising sewer rates over the next three years by 40%, 40%, and 20%. This will about double the sewer bill of the average resident, which is $55.00. It will also have a big impact on the County and for this reason that the Mayor was telling the Commissioners about what to expect.

The Commissioners approved a service agreement for some tax software from a company called GUTS. The Health Department received approval for a new hire of a multi-media communications coordinator. The primary reason for the position is that the Health Department has seen an influx of Hispanics who do not speak English and wants someone who can communicate with them. The Health Department assured the Commissioners that the person would be available to help other departments who might need translations. The Council must approve the funding for this position. Remodeling of the Health Department is going well.

The County''s IT guy noted that the County was left without internet for a day because a fiber-optic cable was cut. He asked that the Commissioners approve a second, backup internet provider so if the main provider's service failed, service would not be interrupted. The cost would be $119.95 per month for three years. The Commissioners approved his request.

The Commissioners approved a Carpenter Wind Farm/Drain Tile memorandum of understanding. This had been requested by the Drainage Board and worked out with input from the County's compliance monitor. The reason that Commissioners were asked for their approval is because they hired the compliance monitor. 

The Commissoners approved two rezones that had been sent to them from the Plan Commission with a favorable recommendation. The first was an amendment to the zoning map adding four parcels to the wind-farm overlay district in Carpenter Township and the second was for a zoning change from A1 to R1 for a possible subdivision in Walker Township.

The building that the Jasper County EMS is using in Remington is owned by Remington and Carpenter Township. They want the County to assume ownership with the provision that if the County does not use it for six months, the ownership reverts back to Remington/Carpenter Township. The Commissioners approved the transfer.

In other business, the Highway Department wants a "yield" sign switched to a "stop" sign in a northern subdivision that has expanded, It will need a public hearing. The Commissioners agreed to a proposal of $20,000 to repair and polish the tiles on the first floor of the Court House. (The second floor was done a year or two ago.) The State Board of Accounts was unhappy that the salary contracts for the Sheriff had not been signed so the Sheriff asked the Commissioners to sign them. He also said that the State Board of Accounts wants a better accounting for inventory. Given the rain on Monday, the Commissioners will let the burn ban expire on Tuesday. The meeting was continued until Nov 18 if needed.

Drainage Board meeting

After a short break, the Drainage Board met on Monday morning. First Church is expanding its parking lot but said that they had planned the existing retention plan to be big enough to handle the expansion. The Board approved. The Board then approved the Carpenter Wind Farm MOU that the Commissioners had approved earlier in the morning. A drainage plan for a proposed community center at Grace Fellowship was approved.

A drainage for a substation that is part of the Biscayne Falls solar project in Walker Township was approved conditional on its getting its State permits. (Biscayne Falls is the new name of what was the Solar Pack solar farm.) Three bids were opened for the Kankakee River phase 5 bank stabilization project. Phase 5 covers the last two miles of the project. There were three bids, but one was incomplete. The bid was awarded to the low bid, Gutwein from Francesville. It covers excavation only. Bids were then opened for the materials. There were three companies bidding and all bids were accepted so that the project will be able to get material when they are needed.

There was a brief discussion of the possibility of a boat launch on a bit of County land along the Kankakee. That lot is considered too small but perhaps some additional land could be purchased. Porter and Lake County tourism are interested in getting better access to the river for recreation and may be adding public-access sites on their side of the River.

The meeting adjourned at 10:50.

Park Board meeting

The first item of business at the Rensselaer Park Board meeting Monday evening was a request from the Little Cousin Jasper Festival to continue use of Potawatomi Park for future festivals. The Festival Committee thinks the Park venue works better than the Courthouse Square. There was some discussion of what changes could be made to make Potawatomi Park work even better in the future, and having electricity in the center was one item mentioned. There may also be some changes downtown that may make it easier to serve beer at events. The Board approved the request to use Potawatomi and nearby parks in 2025.

There followed a discussion of plans for a miniature train display in Foundation Park. Preliminary plans had been presented at the previous meeting and Board members suggested three changes: eliminating the small parking lot off the highway, bringing the display closer to the highway, and shortening it by having only two cars instead of three. There were concerns about the cost of maintenance. The item was tabled for the next meeting.

There were some updates discussed. The Jackson Pickle-ball Courts have been paved. The asphalt will need 30 days to cure. It will have four courts running east and west. During the winter it will probably be fenced and it should be ready for use in the Spring.

The Board approved funding for a mural on the south side of the Brookside Pool building. That side was recently power-washed and primed. The Board also approved investigating how best to illuminate the mural at night.

Below is the LaRue Pool bath house with its new coat of primer paint.

Park restrooms except those at Filson Park have been winterized so are no longer available. The Park takes care of 167 trees that the Urban Forest Ministry has planted and waters them for three years. The Soccer league is thinking about a policy for unruly spectators, which was a problem this year. New roofs are needed for the LaRue Pool bath house and the Gifford Shelter. There is the possibility that next year some of the Park baseball teams might play teams from neighboring towns. The comment was made that no one can pitch; in some games most runs are scored by walks.

The next meeting will be on December 2 if there seems to be a need for a December meeting.

I noticed the other day that some kids were playing in our new splash pad.

Alpenhorns at the Library

The alpenhorns returned to the Rensselaer Library on Sunday. They are part of the German Band Inc from Valparaiso.

Below is a video of part of a song they played. To hear it as it was in the Library, turn up your volume to maximum. The alpenhorns are very loud.

If you want to get your own alpenhorn, you need a bit of money. A cheap one will run about $1500 and the horns being played at the Library cost about $5000. However, they can be a good investment. A horn made by a prominent maker can rise in value a lot after the death of the maker.

Odds and ends

The green machine is making its rounds in Rensselaer.

I had some pictures of oak leaves that turned from green to brown. Not all oaks are so bland. Here is a different species of oak that has orange and red coloring.

Many trees are bare or almost bare. 

I rode to Remington on Sunday and saw only three or four corn fields that were not yet harvested.

Below is the building-trades house at SJC as it appeared Monday morning.

The piece of sidewalk that was removed a few days ago because of a crack has been replaced.

The fire training tower got its first use over the weekend. The Rensselaer Fire Department Facebook page has pictures and stats.

Peak color?


Enjoying Autumn

We are either at or slightly past peak color. Tuesday was very windy and a lot of leaves left the trees. It was fun watching them race down the north-south streets. Trees that are spectacular one day can be partially bare a couple days later, so enjoy what we have because it will not last long.

Tulip trees turn golden in the Fall.

Some oaks have pretty fall leaves, but my oaks just turn brown.

Have a candy-filled eve of All Saints' Day.

City Council meeting

At its second October meeting, the Rensselaer City Council passed a salary ordinance that increases pay by 2%, increases longevity pay, and increases contributions to the HSAs. It also sets on-call terms to one week with a stipend for the week. There were about ten City employees at the meeting and I think they came to see what the salary ordinance would do. The Council suspended the rules that require two readings so the ordinance could be passed with only one.

The second item on the agenda was an amendment to the golf cart ordinance. UTVs that are registered will be grandfathered in but no new UTVs will be registered. The maximum fine was reduced from $300 to $250 because the violations bureau cannot collect fines larger than $250. Again, the rules were suspended so this ordinance would be passed with one reading.

Two items from the Plan Commission were next. The Saint Joe property had no zoning. Now it will be zoned B2, a business zoning. College Woods will be zoned RS, residential suburban. The second item was to allow non-conforming uses to continue when ownership changes and to allow rebuilding if the building is damaged or destroyed. Both passed, with Mr. Watson abstained on the first item.

An ordinance to close the Scott Street rail crossing was next. One reason given was safety. The crossing has no lights. There was a motion to suspend the rules to allow the motion to pass at this meeting, but Mr Armold voted "no" and a motion to suspend the rules must have unanimous consent. The matter will be on the agenda of the next meeting.

The Rensselaer Redevelopment Commission wants to make changes in the TIF areas, creating a new residential TIF and expanding the area in which TIF funds can be spent. Included in the proposed resolution is a list of properties that the Redevelopment Commission may want to acquire in the future. Redevelopment Commissions no longer can use eminent domain to acquire properties, but they still must list them before they start trying to purchase them. The resolution was approved and now goes back to the Redevelopment Commission, which will meet on November 14.

The Council approved some transfers of funds for the Cemetery and Parks. It also approved changes to the entryway of City Hall. It will add power door openers and heating. No dollar figure was given for these changes.

Supply bids for gas and diesel were opened. There were two bids and they were taken under advisement. The Council approved Grimmer pay request #8 for $377,582.42, The Brick Street Project is now 97% complete. A few punch-list items are being completed.

The Council moved the Nov 11 meeting to Nov 12 because of Veterans' Day. The City is seeking applications for a new Gas Department superintendent. (Carol Lockridge is retiring in early January.) The Council will try to stream its next meeting. Two new squad cars are now in service. The first class using the new fire tower is set and it has full enrollment. Gutters are now on the Gas Department building.

Odds and ends

On Tuesday a final asphalt layer was added to what will be new pickleball courts in Brookside Park.

We continue under a no-burn ban. I tried to dig up some plants in my garden but gave up because the ground is too hard.

I learned why workers were tearing up a new sidewalk. The panel they were removing had cracked and the City wanted it replaced.

Three--make that two--ribbon cuttings

Ribbon cutting for a revived greenhouse

On Wednesday the Rensselaer branch of the Indiana Ag and Tech School (IATS) held a ribbon cutting for the reopening of a green house on the SJC campus. The green house was abandoned when SJC suspended operations in 2010 2017. This year IATS moved its Rensselaer location from the Fairgrounds to the campus and decided to take advantage of the greenhouse.

When I saw the announcement I assumed that they had fixed the old hoop house. They had not. Instead they had repaired a smaller building next to it that included a small greenhouse and a classroom behind it.

The skeleton of the hoop house remains but it will take some work to restore it. That may happen next spring.

Before the ribbon cutting, students who had worked to restore the building spoke. They mentioned that the building was full of mouse droppings and they began cleaning it wearing hazmat suits. They had to replace some of the panels of the green house and there was a lot of work needed to get the hydroponics part of the greenhouse working. They also cleaned, painted, and refinished floors in the classroom part of the building. They were proud of what they had accomplished and deservedly so.

The Rensselaer branch has about 35 students. IATS is a public charter school that draws students from as far away as Clinton County. After the ribbon cutting I had a guide take me through the building and he was an eighth grader from the Rossville area. The bulk of their classroom work is done on-line using Edgenuity, a national provider of on-line instruction. Once a week, on Wednesdays, they meet together at SJC.

Below is a picture of the ribbon cutting. The people on either side of the door are IATS students.

Below is a very short video showing the ribbon being cut.

Below is the classroom behind the greenhouse. There are also some storage closets and a small room used to germinate plants.

To keep the plants from freezing in the winter, the greenhouse has a heating unit.

Those attending were treated to some homemade cookies after the ribbon cutting.

I asked a couple of students why they chose IATS. One girl said she lived on a farm and entered many animals in 4H, but the key to her choosing IATS seemed to be that she was bullied at her regular school. I wish I had talked to more of them and gotten their stories.

Fall fun at Filson Park

A ribbon-cutting event had been scheduled for Filson Park Thursday evening but it was postponed because one of the principals was ill. However, the rest of the planned activities took place including a concert, pumpkin carving, roasting hot dogs, making smores, and the movie, "Hocus Pocus".

The bird that for the past few years has been sitting outside eMbers has a new home. It was given to the City but until now the City had no place to display it.

This ringed globe is new. It was provided by the Prairie Arts Council.

The fire hydrant on the corner has been made into an art piece.

A lot of asphalt patching has been done recently, including around the new sidewalks at Filson Park.

Fire tower dedication

I left Filson Park before the sun set to get ready to go the second planned ribbon cutting of the day. That ceremony began with about 20 minutes of various people thanking the many people who contributed to the planning and building of the fire tower.

There was no ribbon cutting. Instead two hoses were uncoupled. The people standing above were firefighters from Rensselaer with a few from neighboring departments.

Then the best part of the evening began. Those attending were invited to explore the tower, which is constructed from shipping containers. There are many hallways that have white walls. They may not stay white after bales of hay are set on fire as part of training.

Metal stairs take up a lot of the room inside.

I kept climbing until I reached the top so I could take some pictures. The final ascent was on a ladder, not stairs. The bright lights made it hard to get pictures in some directions. Below is the view looking to the east. Notice the partial circle next to the building. That is around a second ladder, this one on the outside of the building. I contemplated descending using it but decided to go back down the way I had come up.

Below is the view of the fire station from atop the fire tower.

Coming back down I left the building to go onto the deck that the firefighters had used for the uncoupling picture. 

After leaving the building, I thought the southeast corner was lit very nicely so I stopped and took a picture. Notice the cage around the ladder mentioned earlier.

The tower will provide training not only for fire fighters from around the state but for other first responders including police and EMTs. One of the reasons that Rensselaer wanted this is to reduce the burden of traveling for training. There is a lot of training needed to become a fireman and if it includes frequent trips lasting a couple of hours, that makes the training burdensome.

Odd and ends

On Thursday morning we had another patchy frost. The first light frost was a week earlier. The first frost damaged some of my garden plants but I do not think it killed any.

Work on converting the old tennis courts at Brookside Park to pickleball courts continues. On Wednesday the foundation was being prepared.

The next step was to put on a layer of crushed stone.

I was asked if I knew what was happening with YNG. I do not know but the large space that they rented in the College Mall is empty. (Update: See comment at end.)

Finally, a picture of Fall.

It feels like autumn

Short takes

Last Wednesday I noticed workers jackhammering the very new sidewalk on the corner of Harrison and Van Rensselaer. I do not know why they were destroying a new sidewalk but maybe I will find out at the next City Council meeting.

Notice how nicely the grass has come in behind them. That lot lost its grass when it was used for storage during the replacement of bricks.

The old tennis courts at Brookside Park were taken out last week.

Below is what the site looked like on Saturday.

The old courts will be replaced by four pickleball courts. Pickleball has become very popular and the new tennis courts are much more used for pickleball than for tennis.

What I thought might be vandalism on the side of the shed by the Roth Field was permitted graffiti. 65 members from the class of 2025 spent a day in the parks cleaning, repairing, painting, etc. Their names are on this wall.

The Saturday Farmers' Market is winding down. There were only a few vendors when I stopped by on Saturday. Maybe more came after I left.

The Mexican grocery that opened on Washington Street is gone. The store opened in late June or early July.

Also closed is Janet's Kitchen. One of the owners died at the end of September.

Remington has a video touting its revival of the downtown.

The Rensselaer Republican put a note on Facebook that RCHS might be leaving the Hoosier Conference. The conference has a very large range of school sizes.

 Rensselaer Plan Commission meeting

The Rensselaer Advisory Plan Commission met Thursday afternoon. Under old business it discussed what the Commission wanted before it approves the plat for the St. Joseph's Building & Trades subdivision. They decided that if the City completes the sidewalk along Sparling (which currently stops at the Fr. Banet substation), the subdivision also needs to have a sidewalk along Sparling. Curbs and gutters will not be needed, but street signs and street lights will be. The item was continued to the next meeting.

The Commission approved a five-acre split from a larger parcel north of Donaldsons. The approval was needed for a building permit to be issued.

Earlier in October the Redevelopment Commission passed a plan for the Rensselaer Drexel/Fairgrounds Economic Development area that adds to the area in which TIF funds can be spent and also establishes a small residential TIF area. It was approved and will now move to the City Council.

Jasper County Plan Commission meeting

I decided to attend the JC Plan Commission via Zoom on Monday evening. It was a frustrating experience at the start because all I had was a dark screen with the names of the other people who were using Zoom. It turned out that the meeting did not have a quorum when it was supposed to start. After about twenty minutes enough members were found and the meeting started. Then I had audio and no video. Video came on twice during the meeting for a few minutes each time, but the camera was not aimed at the front of the room. I believe Vince Urbano presided based on the voice.

There were three causes on the agenda. The first was a rezone from A1 to R1 in Walker Township. The parcel is 8+ acres and the petitioner wants to sell off part of the parcel for housing and develop three smaller lots. He said the land was not used for agriculture. The request was approved and will now go to the Commissioners for final approval.

The second cause was a request to add four parcels to the existing Wind Farm Overlay District in Carpenter and Jordan Townships. That overlay district had been approved in May but there was some additional land needed for underground wiring and a turn lane. There was one comment from the audience, a neighbor wondering how the change affected him. I could not hear some of the response but it seemed he was not affected. The request was approved and will be on the agenda of the November Commissioners meeting.

The final item was an amendment to the UPO. The members received a handout with the proposed changes that eliminate some things not used and clean up language. No action was taken at this meeting. The members were encouraged to review the changes and the changes will be considered at a future meeting. The meeting adjourned a few minutes before 8:00.

Continued Commissioners meeting

The continued Commissioners meeting on Tuesday dealt with routine matters. The Commissioners formally approved memoranda of understanding with the Soil & Water District for funding a position. There were two memoranda, one for this year and one for next. They heard an update on the medical plan renewal, which they approved. Total costs will go down by 0.86% and the dental benefit will increase from $1000 to $1500. They formally approved the new canteen service agreement with the Sheriff's Department. The cost of meals will increase by 10¢ per meal. The average number of inmates at the jail has been 88, though on Tuesday it was only 76. The Commissioners extended the burn ban for another seven days.

They approved financial commitment letters for the Highway Department seeking grants for safety funding. The commitment is that the County will provide a match if the grant is awarded. The proposal is for pavement marking and a sign inventory. The head of JCEDO requested that she be approved for a license on the Beacon mapping system that would allow her to see what County licensees see. She said the information would be useful in promoting economic development and the request was approved. The Commissioners approved a repair bill for Community Services. 

The Surveyor noted that Comcast has been boring without getting approval for boring under County drains. He told them to stop. He also noted that a drainage plan that had been approved in 2012 at the Roselawn exit had never been finished and the business involved now wants to add a Burger King to its site. 

The Coroner is working with Hamstra to design a new forensic center. He talked about an incident without really explaining what it was. Apparently there were privacy issues. He noted that there have been three traumatic cases recently.

The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.

More Scarecrow Trail Pictures

I have shown some of the scarecrows in Milroy Park in the past few posts. I think the collection below gets the ones I have missed.

First, from McDonalds.

ASG is an employment agency in the same building as Fifth Third Bank.

White Castle.

The City of Rensselaer. 

Rensselaer Parks

Donaldsons

A fall festival

The Faith Pentecostal Church and Seeds of Hope sponsored a free fall festival on Saturday at Brookside Park. They had a small bounce house and two rings in which small children could run to make the rings roll.

People could take a hayride around the Park.

They served a free lunch and a lot of people enjoyed it.

They also had a band. I did not take a picture from the front because I was afraid the sound from the loudspeakers might injure my hearing. The music was very clear several blocks away.

More pictures can be found here.

Autumn leaves

The maples are at their peak color this week.