MOUNT VERNON — Off-season work continues at Hiawatha Water Park. This week, a contractor replaced the caulking in the bottoms of all three pools, Parks Superintendent Dave Carpenter reported, and the bottoms will be painted when dry weather returns.
Filling of the pools should start in early May.
Work on the pump room addition continues but is delayed by problems getting the split-face colored block that is needed. It should arrive by Wednesday.
Carpenter said he received quotes for the paving of the parking lot and basketball court areas at Shellmar Park, but the total was $39,158.75 and only $15,000 in funding is available right now. Carpenter said he will sit down with Mayor Richard Mavis, Safety Service Director Joel Daniels and Auditor Terry Scott to address the problem and decide whether to proceed with part of the paving this year or see if they can find additional funds.
The Parks department is also looking for two people to do tree watering this summer. All of the more than 300 trees planted last fall will need watering from May to October. Applications are the same as for other seasonal work, but Carpenter said you can make a note on the application if you are interested in the watering work. Knox County Fish and Game Association will sponsor the annual Youth Fishing Derby from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the center lake of Ariel-Foundation Park.
Fishing poles and bait will be available for free use and there will be prize drawings for the kids. There will also be free food for the kids and adults can get food with donations.
The Fish and Game Club is funding the event and will be stocking $3,500 worth of trout, hybrid bluegill, largemouth bass and perch.
A crew was in town for two days this week to glue the seams together in the surface of the Inclusive Playground at Memorial Park. They completed about 40 percent of the seams and another team will be coming back to finish the gluing and to fix a bad bearing on the merry-go-round.
Streets
Superintendent Tom Hinkle said the street sweeper will be out at least another week while a part for the repair is obtained.
Street crews had completed rebuilding three of the four catch basins at the intersection of Teryl Drive and Marita Drive when they discovered that the bottoms of two storm pipes, one 22 inches and one 18 inches, had rotted out. A steel plate has been placed over the remaining basin until the pipes can be replaced. Hinkle said he doesn’t know how soon the repair can be made, which will require closing the entire intersection.
Catch basins were repaired this week at Sandusky Street and Belmont Avenue, at the dead end of Madison Street and in front of 656 Sandusky.
While locating utility lines on East Pleasant Street, three manholes had to be dug out from under 18 inches of pavement. They also may have discovered another old fire cistern in front of the school.
“It’s not a problem as it seems to be undamaged, but we haven’t tried to look into it yet,” Hinkle said.
Hinkle said they used another 10 tons of asphalt this week repairing potholes and the pavement on Vine Street in front of Plum Alley.
The upgrade of the traffic light at Mechanic and West High streets was completed this week and crews began installing the wiring for improving the traffic lights at the intersection of South Main Street, Newark Road and Mount Vernon Road. Video detectors will be used to control the lights instead of sensor loops in the pavement.
As part of the upcoming project on South Main Street, Hinkle said the mast arms will be updated and set back from the intersections, tree pits will be added in front of The Happy Bean and supplemental lights will be added to the utility poles.
The Columbus Road sidewalk and curbing beside the C.A.&C. Depot was completed.
Law Construction was awarded the contract for construction of the Yellow Jacket Drive water line.
A brick repair was completed at a utility dig on West Burgess.
Egg Hunt
Mavis reported that members of Lakeholm Nazarene Church have colored 240 dozen eggs for the city’s Easter egg hunt that begins at 10 a.m. today at Memorial Park. Thirty dozen plastic eggs will also be used.
The Mayor has proclaimed Monday, April 29, as “Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon Day” in honor of the club’s 75th anniversary and long history of support of youth programs and community activities.
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