Another view.
Before the City Council meeting, the Board of Public Works met. They approved paying Bowen Construction for completing the lining of the sewer from Van Rensselaer to the lift station and released the final payment for the high water treatment plant, signaling that the City considers the project finished. They also approved payments to Commonwealth Engineering for helping the City get up to speed in operating the high rate treatment plant and to Titan Construction for work converting the old fire station for use as a police station. In a meeting with Titan, the City said they wanted stronger glass in the windows and that will probably be the subject of a future change order. Finally, the Board approved to changes to the Standard Operating Procedures of the Police Department. A dress code change will allow certain styles of facial hair, and the Department is now authorized to use stop sticks. A few weeks ago the State Police requested help in stopping a vehicle on I-65 and the local police had to decline because they did not have stop sticks. What is a bit strange about their lack of stop sticks is that the current police chief is an instructor in how to use stop sticks.
There were a lot of items on the City Council agenda. The Council approved additional appropriations that transferred $1000 that CSX paid the City for police work on the train derailment to the line for police salaries and approved $525,423.28 from the LOIT tax for streets. The gas tracker for February will be a five cent per hundred cubic feet decrease. In a hard-to-follow conversation, the Council ratified a telephone poll approving payment to state unemployment for a person who had resigned rather than facing termination. The decision was done with a phone poll because there was a late-fee penalty looming. No one was quite sure if he should get or was getting benefits.
The utility department had two changes that were approved. One makes the final invoice penalty-exempt because the second change will cause utility deposits to be used to pay the final bill, with any remainder being refunded (and any shortage billed).
The Council approved the purchase of a new wood chipper by the electric utility and allowed the project coordinator to seek bids for a replacement dump truck, plow, and salt box for the current 1992 truck. One of the three pumps in the lift station has failed and it is unclear whether it would be better to repair or replace it. The cost of a new pump is about $30K and plans for the future include rebuilding the lift station. (These pumps were installed in 2011.)
The Council approved granting $250 from the public relations fund to help purchase a trailer to be used to provide identification documents for children in case they are lost or missing. The Council also approved forming a committee to plan a City employee picnic.
The Mayor and Council congratulated Lenny Larson on his election as President of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Municipal Electric Association. The Park Department is beginning to get ready for summer programs.
LGS, which was awarded the contract for constructing the water main connecting the new well to the treatment plant, has been spotting utilities and may soon begin digging. And almost at the end of the meeting came the announcement about the demolition of Grandmas.
The Rensselaer Republican story on the demolition is here.
I remember eating at Grandmas when it was Nickerson Farms. The date was April 15, 1978. The reason I know this is because there were a number of Merrillville High School basketball fans eating there. They were on their way to Indianapolis because MHS was playing in the final four that year at Market Square Arena.
ReplyDeleteThis building is on the northwest portion of the intersection, based upon my very vague recollection of the exit. I did make a 30-minute appearance in Rensselaer last summer, my first in several years, and I think we used the exit west of town both times, as I was the passenger and not paying close attention when we reached the south exit on our way from Cincy to Milwaukee (and eventually home to Minnesota).
ReplyDeleteWas this building once a Stuckey's?
I'm hoping to spend a weekend in Rensselaer this coming June, and it ought to be a real trip retracing my steps from the 1970s.
Dear 38 year refugee,
ReplyDeleteNo, the Nickerson Farms/Grandma's was never a Stuckey's. The Stuckey's was south of Rensselaer at the US 231 and I-65 intersection. It was on the southwest corner of the intersection and is now totally gone except for the concrete floor. I worked there pumping gas for a couple of years in the early 70s. Across I-65 was the Carson Inn, now demolished, along with Shell and AMACO gas stations. The empty BP station was originally the AMACO gas station.
Thanks for the info Gary. I can vaguely remember the 231/65 area from my youth. I remember gas stations being there, and I remember pumping gas there at least once for my family. That was a big responsibility for a youngster in the 1970s.
ReplyDeleteI remember driving past the exit area on my way in/out of Rensselear several years ago and was surprised by what I didn't see. I was kinda stunned that the area was all but abandoned. I don't recall if there were any visible remnants of what use to be. I wish I had taken pictures. I plan to take a bunch of pics this summer, assuming I make it to Indiana as planned.
I remember the Carson Inn, vaguely. I recall going to dinner at a restaurant there, and I thought it was kind of a fancy place compared to what I was use to. That can't possibly be right, can it?
Thanks again!
It saddens me that Grandma's is gone. I always went out of my way to stop there driving home from the East Coast. I'd take classmates from DC, Philly, and NY who would be amazed at the isolation of the area and how cheap a good meal was. The last time I tried to take friends from near Pittsburgh it was already abandoned. So many good memories there.
ReplyDelete