Local News – Tuesday, November 21st, 2017
The Salem Park Board met Thursday night at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. Parks and Recreation Director Tye Lydon reported that last year, 85 boys and girls signed up for youth basketball for the 2016-17 season. As of meeting time on Thursday, 77 children had been registered. Late registration will run through November 30th. Participants will be charged an additional $10/participant. Lydon updated the board on the inventory of baseball and softball equipment and supplies. Lydon stated Don Smith fixed the jugs machines saving the Park Board about $3,000 to $5,000 for a new machine. Lydon then proposed a special opening ceremonies event for all the kids that participate in the baseball/softball leagues. He proposed switching our shirt sponsors from one major sponsor to having different business sponsor the teams. At the City Fields, a Park and Recreation Board member would announce every child and the team they are on. The team would then hold the banner of the sponsor representing their team to get team pictures taken with a representative of the business in the team photo if they want. The board liked the idea and Lydon will finalize the plans. Lydon updated the board on the improvements at the park including new LED lights in the bathrooms, in the concessions stand, the two rentable pavilions along with new GFCI fixtures. Lydon showed the board pictures taken with his drone of the Alice Lou Craig Municipal Pool that showed a lot of the work that had been done. He also explained that Westport Pools had removed some of the piping in the pump and filter room as they were redoing the pool drainage area. The Park Board reviewed color options for the amenities that are being added to the pool and made suggestions that will be presented to Westport Pools. The board discussed the proposed work to be done on the bath house and how the pool and bathhouse would be financed. City Administrator Ray Walden was in attendance and discussed the Certificates of Participation that would have to be secured to pay for the work at the pool. Park Board President Stan Podorski discussed the impacts of each possible scenario on future projects on the Park and Recreation Budget from this financing. With all the information presented, the board approved to recommend to the Board of Aldermen to finance the work on the pool and pool house with funds received from the Certificates of Participation for 1.7 million dollars and be paid back over a 25-year period. The meeting was then adjourned.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is holding an online public meeting to share information about an upcoming project that will replace two bridges on Dent County Route F –MoDOT is seeking input from the public about this project online at: www.modot.org/central. At the webpage, area residents can find out information and make comments about the project. The online public meeting will run now through December 1st. The Dry Fork Creek bridge is located approximately one mile north of Route E and the Holt Creek bridge is located approximately a mile south of Highway 32. Construction is scheduled to take place between mid-March and mid-August of 2018. During construction Route F will be closed at each bridge location. The Holt Creek bridge will be constructed first, followed by the bridge over Dry Fork Creek. Construction will not begin on the Dry Fork Creek bridge until the Holt Creek bridge is completed. Signed detours will direct traffic to alternate routes around each closure. The roadway will be closed to traffic from Highway 32 to Route E near the location of each bridge during construction. The total project cost is an estimated $871,000. If you would like more information or to comment on the project, please contact Transportation Project Manager Danica Stovall-Taylor at (573) 526-8099.
The Dent County Sheriff’s Department has released some reports for Monday, November 13th. The first report deputies responded to was in the 4000 block of Dent County Road 2050 for a report of a burglary. It was reported that a residence had been broken into and drawers and cabinets had been gone through. This report is still under investigation. Later that day, deputies responded to the 45000 block of Highway 72 for a report of property damage. Deputies met with the property owner and were shown the inside of a rental property that had been damaged, including several fists sized holes in the wall and doors ripped off the wall. The property owner valued the damage at $4,650. Charges are being sought on the renter. If you have any information regarding any investigation, call the Dent County Sheriff’s Office at 729-3241.