MENTONE – At the town council meeting Monday night, councilwoman Shelley Krueger announced Mentone’s first annual “Giving Back in the Park.” Free to the Mentone community, it will be held at Mentzer Park July 27. Food will be served at noon immediately following prayer. At 1 p.m., games and activities begin. Starting at 2 p.m., there will be live music, a disc jockey and karaoke. From 4 to 6 p.m., there will be bingo. Activities will include a bouncy house, corn hole, volleyball, a basketball tournament, horseshoes, dunk tank, cotton candy, funnel cakes and more. Krueger said residents should bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and their own non-alcoholic drinks. The event is sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, merchants, EMS, fire department and police department. She said Reserve Officer Randy Bays was instrumental in getting the businesses and groups to support the event. Bays thanked the community and businesses for all their support. In other business, the town council heard from Utilities Superintendent Josh Shepherd that his department repaired the storm tile on North Morgan Street. It’s now probably 80 percent working well, he said. At the June meeting, residents Terry Hivley, Michael Stutzman and Chase Gunter voiced concerns about the amount of water they had in their basements during the recent rain storm. They asked if the tile could be compromised. Monday night, Hivley said it was better and she hasn’t had flooding in her basement. She thanked everyone for all their efforts. Since Shepherd now has his certification in wastewater, Council President Tim Croy reminded the council that they previously promised him a $1,000 raise with each certification he gets. Utilities department employee Mervin Jones also has been with the town for more than a year, and the council promised him a $1,000 raise. Croy made a motion to give both men their promised raises, which was approved, effective yesterday. Croy then reported that an inspector will tour the Richard Surface building, 123 E. Main St., next week. A recommendation on what the town can do should be presented at the August meeting. At the June meeting, town attorney Larry Beeson reported receiving a letter from Surface stating he would offer the town a quit claim deed for the property. Also last night, Croy reported the recycle dumpsters need to be moved soon from the Mentone Agri-Center. “We do appreciate the Mentone Agri-Center allowing them to sit there. It is a service he’s doing for the community to allow them to sit there,” Croy stated. Shepherd said people were speeding through the property, and when they were told to slow down, the speeding drivers would yell back. Shepherd said he can’t think of anywhere else in town to put the dumpsters because there has to be room for a truck.
