October is almost gone

Halloween may not yet be here, but most tricks-and-treating is finished for Rensselaer. The Halloween mural received a fair number of visitors on Sunday evening, and you can see some of them posing on Facebook. I asked what the future of the mural would be and was told that it will soon be painted over with a Christmas theme. So enjoy it while it lasts.

The Rensselaer City Council had a routine meeting on Monday evening. The Council changed the date of its next meeting from November 11 (Veterans Day) to November 12 (a Tuesday). It approved a couple of requests for public-relations funds. One was for a City utility entry for the upcoming Christmas Tree Trail in Potawatomi Park. The plan is to purchase a live tree that will be planted in the park after the event.

Trunk or Treat had a big crowd, a reported 1800+ people.

A letter has been sent to the owner of the building at Clark and Cullen, the former bottling plant/laundry, telling him that he has 30 days to either begin improving the building or demolishing it, or else the City will demolish it. There was a discussion of the problems that the Fire Department is having with its aerial truck. The control of the ladder and bucket is not reliable. The Council approved a transfer within the Fire Department to see if it can be repaired, which may take several months. Parts for the truck are no longer manufactured. The Council also gave permission to the Fire Chief to start planning for a possible replacement. It will be expensive, with a new truck costing in the $1.2 to $1.5 million range. Rensselaer may be without an aerial truck for months to several years.

A while back a gas line was exposed in the ditch east of the I-65 intersection. A contractor has finished installing a new line six feet below the bottom of the ditch. Paving of Scott Street is finished but there is still work needed to fill around the curbs and new sidewalks. The house that the City recently purchased on Clark Street will probably be demolished this week.

As of Monday, the equipment was set up to pour a new surface for the SR 114 bridge over the Iroquois. The new surface will not be in place until next week.

 Last week Fall Fest attracted a large crowd. The hay ride seemed to be especially popular.

 From limited driving in the country, it appears that about half the harvest is completed. There is still a lot of moisture in the corn.

 Main Street Rensselaer is preparing some short videos promoting Rensselaer. You can see them here.

The Rensselaer football team won its first sectional game so the signs on the stores downtown will remain for at least another week. I like the ones that connect to the business, such as Gutwein Seeds.

First Merchants Bank.

 DeMotte Carpeting.

 Fenwich Farms Brewing.