CLAYPOOL – Applause broke out at the Claypool town meeting Monday when councilman Don Miller announced that the Ind. 15 overpass may open Aug. 31.
He said he had been unofficially informed of the opening date of the bridge, with the caveat not to hold him responsible if it doesn’t pan out.
The overpass at CR 700S has been closed since February 20, forcing Claypool residents to take lengthy, sometimes bumpy detours to get in and out of town.
Council President Niki Miller jokingly suggested holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Something the town will do to celebrate is hold a family festival downtown Sept. 8. Sponsored by the town Lions Club, the Claypool Fun Day will start start with a parade at 11 a.m. and close with a pie-eating contest at 2 p.m.
Events will include a baby crawl, games, face-painting, and possibly a dunk tank, as well as an outdoor movie at dusk, said Park Board member Dave Morgan.
Morgan and his wife, Connie, will also use the festival as an official grand opening for their sandwich shop, Red’s Sweets.
“Tell all your friends and neighbors, please,” Niki Miller told attendees at the meeting. “It’s going to be really fun.”
Also during the meeting, the board approved up to $3,800 for an ammonia tester at the request of Wastewater Superintendent Danny Warner. Warner said the current tester is broken, requiring him to drive to Sherry Laboratories in Daleville five or six times a month.
Council members agreed that purchasing a replacement tester makes more sense than paying for gas and the $25 cost per test at the lab.
Warner also requested at the meeting that residents not flush non-flushables down their toilets, such as rags and tampons, because of the problems they cause at the water treatment plant; and that residents not blow their grass clippings into the street when they mow their lawns, since the town does not own a street sweeper to keep storm drains clear.
