Odds and ends during the Dog Days of Summer (Updated)

 The Rensselaer City Council met Monday evening. There were three events using streets or parks that needed approval. The Jared Valentine 5K that raises money for a memorial scholarship will start and end in Foundation Park. It is scheduled for September 25. Also on the 25th is Oktoberfest. The Council approved closing the block of Van Rensselaer next to the Court House from 10 am until 11 pm. The Eagles will have a dinner on September 11 and the Council approved closing half of a block of Harrison Street.

There was nothing very exciting in the rest of the agenda. The Council approved trading in a 2012 John Deere backhoe and purchasing a new John Deere backhoe. In the past the Gas Department had entered hedging agreements to purchase gas that needed the Mayor's approval. For some reason this year the agreement needed Council approval, which was granted. The Council affirmed a zoning change passed by the Rensselaer Plan Commission for a property at the north end of Owen Street. REMC wanted the change and it was passed contingent on purchase by REMC and getting the tenants out. The Council approved $200 from the public relations fund for Oktoberfest. The Mayor appointed an insurance committee to look at health insurance. They will report back at the Sept 13 meeting, which will also have the budget hearing.

Mr Cover made a motion to amend the salary ordinance, which was passed. The Electric Utility has lost two lineman to area REMCs and it appears that the City pay and benefits are not competitive with surrounding electric utilities. The specific amendment to the ordinance will be presented at the next meeting.  

The Police Department has recently lost two officers and a crossing guard. The Council approved replacing the crossing guard and conducting a search for the two officers. The new gas line connecting to the trunk line went active last week.

The fall soccer season is underway. As it gets going, swimming is coming to an end. The last day at LaRue Pool will be Sunday, August 29. Have you noticed that the days are getting shorter?

The Main Street Bakery of Medaryville is planning to open its Rensselaer store Friday. It will be in the east end of the bowling alley. Fenwick Farms is closed this week for remodeling. For a while I could not tell if the carriage house behind Fenwick Farms was being repaired or demolished. It is being repaired.

The Court House sign is now showing messages. 

I was pleased to learn last week that Strack and Van Til has resumed its bag policy: if you bring your own bags instead of using their plastic bags, you get 5¢ deducted from you bill for each bag. They had stopped the policy for a while because of Covid.

Construction of the McDonald's addition is going quickly and a supervisor told me that it should be finished in early September.  Last week the concrete footings for the new walls were poured.

By the weekend the front of the building was being removed.

The footers were ready for masonry.

By Tuesday new walls were being put in place and more of the old front was being removed.

A day or two ago someone e-mailed me asking if I know what this sign in the County parking lot was about. She had tried to google for info and found nothing. I told here that her question was the first I had heard of it. Coming home from the City Council meeting I noticed another by the parking lot at the end of Kellner. My guess is that they are for workers for a contractor, perhaps doing road work. Anyone know the right answer?

Last weekend for the first time in several years I traveled via the Tri-State tollway around Chicago. I was surprised to find that there are no people manning toll booths. Cameras take pictures of your license plates and the State of Illinois bills you. So far I have not seen the bill.

Update: I forgot to mention that in the legals of last weeks Rensselaer Republican the Rensselaer Central Multi-School Building Corporation announced that they were selling $5,575,000 worth of bonds. I do not attend School Board meetings because they meet at the same time the Jasper County Council meets. Does anyone know what is planned with that money?