Waterville Celebrates The 4th With Wacky Wheels, Fireworks
BY KAREN BERGER — MIRROR REPORTER
A morning Wacky Wheels Parade and a nighttime fireworks display with live music will provide plenty of Fourth of July entertainment for Waterville and area residents.
On Friday, July 4 at 10:00 a.m., everyone is welcome to watch as children of all ages put on their own parade, with decorated scooters, riding mowers, doll buggies, bikes, wagons and anything on wheels for the third annual Wacky Wheels Parade in Mill Creek Farms.
The subdivision is located west of Waterville-Monclova Road between Michigan Avenue and Farnsworth Road. The parade will begin at the corner of Mill Creek Lane and Ridgepoint West. Roadblocks will be set up 20 minutes prior to the parade.
At 8:00 p.m. the Academy Brass Quintet will perform in Prairie Trail Park, with selections such as “Dixieland Revival Meeting,” “As Time Goes By,” “Mood Indigo” and “America The Beautiful.”
A DJ will play patriotic music during the ninth annual fireworks display, which will begin at 10:00 p.m.
Public viewing areas for fireworks are just east of the fire station on Waterville-Monclova Road, behind Waterville Primary School and in Prairie Trail Park, reached by a trail off of Royal Hampton. Visitors should enter the area from Royal Hampton, the street just south of the fire department.
In the event of rain, the fireworks will be set off at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5.
Kroger Development Projected For 2010 Completion
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
A Kroger supermarket, gas station, commercial businesses and multi-family housing are part of a future development at the SR 64 and new US 24 bypass in Waterville, Tom Schlacter of Moses-Schlacter Group told Waterville Village Council members on Monday.
Construction on the Kroger is to begin in the spring 2009, with an opening date in spring 2010, according to James Bagdonas, Waterville municipal administrator.
Kroger has not yet purchased the land from the developer. Zoning changes will also be necessary before beginning construction, Bagdonas said.
A public hearing will be held on Monday, August 25 to discuss the zoning changes needed, including designating the area east of the bypass and west of Waterville-Monclova Road as C-3 highway commercial from R-3 residential.
Council will also consider changing land zoned as single-family development to multi-family development such as apartments or condominiums.
Also at monday’s meeting, the council members:
• Commended veterans Sgt. Bud Lerch and Sgt. Don Simpson. Lerch served in the Marines during the Korean War and Simpson served as a Marine in World War II.
• Approved an ordinance to make the speed limit on Waterville-Monclova Road 45 miles per hour.
• Passed a resolution to contract with Henry W. Bergman, Inc., for this summer’s reconstruction of the tennis and basketball courts in Baer Park. The contractor has also done work in Waterworks Park.
• Agreed to send a petition to the planning commission asking for a sentence to be added to the Waterville ordinance dealing with appointments to the historic district committee.
The petition asks that a nominee be required to be a residential property owner, explained Phyllis Hyder. Other residents in the community voiced their desire to have a resident on the committee.
The planning committee will review the petition during their July 14 meeting at 7:00 p.m.
The next Waterville Village Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Waterville Town Hall, 25 N. Second St.
Waterville Primary Students Learn About Public Services
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Most third-graders know who is responsible for putting out fires, but they may not know who is responsible for their running water or sewage.
Waterville third-graders were invited to the annual public service day for a chance to learn more about the services provided by the village.
At the Waterville fire station, the students learned about fire safety. Activities with the fire department included using a fire hose and evacuating a trailer filled with smoke.
The police department taught children about bicycle safety.
Students also had the opportunity to see a fire engine, EMS vehicle and a telephone truck up close.
Sewer superintendent Richard Hannum taught the third-graders about sewer management and pumping, showing off the truck used for the process.
They also learned about street cleaning and the upkeep of village grounds from the streets department and the building and grounds department.
According to Kenny Blair, public works director, the village of Waterville has held a public service day for 13 years. For the first 11 years the event was an open house, and only the public works departments participated. Third-graders would come to the open house during the day and an evening session was held for other community members, according to Blair.
The day has expanded to include the police department and the fire department.
“This town rolls out the red carpet for these kids and they have a great times doing it,” said Paula Miller, a third-grade teacher at Waterville Primary.
Before the visit, the third-graders had their own mock council in order to better understand their town government. The students elected their own council and mayor.
They held a meeting in which they discussed issues of concern for them, such as parks, sidewalks and street lights. The third-graders came up with questions for their own local government.
“We write all these down and if there’s something that really needs to be looked at, we follow through,” Blair said.
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