Your World Today – Tuesday, January 3, 2017
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NEWS: Tuesday, January 3, 2017
LOCAL NEWS:
The Salem Park and Recreation Board met Thursday evening. Parks and Recreation Director Tye Lydon gave the report on the fall basketball league. There are 34 children in the pre-school to 2nd grade and they make up four teams and they will play on the split high school basketball floor at 9:00 and 9:30 Saturdays. He said they have 28 boys in 3rd through 6th grade signed up that make up three teams and a full team from Bunker makes it four teams in that division. He also said there are 12 girls in 3rd through 6th grade that make up two teams plus there is a full girl’s team from Bunker. He said the adult basketball would begin in January. Lydon said he is also preparing for the Spring Soccer season that will be held in March and April and the adult kickball league will start in April this year at the City Park. The cost for a team in the kickball league will be $200 with shirts and $125 for a team that doesn’t want shirts or who will get their own. He said he is thinking about creating a wiffle ball league for adults during the summer months, but that is just in the development stage. Lydon said most of the baseball equipment is in decent to good shape, but some does need to be replaced before the season begins. Lydon opened the one bid received from Unlimited Play for the All-Inclusive Playground that is to be located on the north side of the current city park playground. That bid was for $350,000. There was also discussion about converting the surface of the current city playground that would allow seamless flow from one park to other, but that would be an additional cost of about $50,000. Park Board President Stan Podorski said that is definitely something that should be considered, but warned the board members this new park will encumber funds annually from the Park and Recreation Sales tax once the park is established in the amount of $20,000 to $25,000 per year for the replacement of the equipment and surface materials. The park board approved recommending the bid from Unlimited Play to the Board of Aldermen for approval. He also said that it appears the City of Salem and the Park and Recreation Department will receive the TAP grant. This would allow for the building of a walkway from the Salem R-80 District Administrative Offices along Route J to the Salem Community Center@ The Armory and then through the City Park to the northeast part of the city park to the All-Inclusive Playground area. The existing sidewalks in the park would be widened to between 5 and 6 feet to make them handicapped accessible, and a sidewalk would be added from the east parking lot to the pavilion by Field 3 and then to the bridge. Podorski said the best strategy would be to combine the All-Inclusive Playground and sidewalk construction efforts to maximize the output from the dollars being provided. A meeting with all parties involved in those projects is hoped for in January. The board also discussed the needed roof replacement on the Pool House at the Salem City Park. Podorski reported that unfortunately this falls under the State’s Prevailing Wage rules and the local bids received could not be used as they were not prepared using prevailing wage. Using prevailing wage to replace the roof could cost as much as $50,000 to $54,000. Podorski reported the Missouri legislature is looking at doing something with the prevailing wage for rural areas, but doesn’t know if that will be done this year. He said faced with the TAP grant and the All-Inclusive Park commitment, the Parks and Recreation budget probably can’t absorb this kind of hit. City Administrator Ray Walden suggested that the Park Board may be able to use a municipal lease/purchase agreement to pay for the replacement. Podorski said he would look into that further. Podorski also said at the Al Brown Field, the building of a concrete walk from the north field to the open field area at the south side of the complex is going to be asked for in the upcoming budget. He also said a small building could be purchased and placed near the walkway for concessions near the fields. The old concession stand could then be used for storage of equipment and field supplies. The board also approved to move forward with the preliminary work to create soccer fields with the intent on creating a soccer park on the Highway 19 South on property purchased by the city for soccer over ten years ago. The board agreed to inform the Board of Aldermen of their decision. In other business, Joyce Bradley talked with the park board about adding trees to the Salem City Parks. She said a plan would need to be developed for the parks and then students could actually plant the trees in April under the supervision of SACBA members when juniors are taking required tests for Student Community Projects. The trees would be provided through the federal “Forest Relief Program” and would be larger than just seedlings. David Massengale with the US Forest Service would be getting the trees. Bradley felt she could get the funds from SACBA to pay for a landscaper to create a plan that would have to include plans on the planting, maintenance and supervision of the trees. The board approved to let Bradley apply for the funds to hire a landscaper and develop the plan at no cost to the park and recreation department. The meeting was then adjourned.
The City of Salem Board of Alderman will conduct their first meeting of the New Year tonight at the City Hall Council Chambers located at 202 North Washington beginning at 7:00 pm. During the hearing of persons, Fred Whitaker is requesting the closing of Fourth Street from Highway 19 to Jackson Street from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm for the Moonlight Madness on June 3, 2017. In bids, the city had requested proposals for the design, manufacture and installation of a Universally Accessible Playground. Parks and Recreation Director Tye Lydon will present the proposals and report on the Parks and Recreation meeting from December 28th. City Administrator Ray Walden will then present an updated policy regarding alcohol use at the Old City Hall as unfinished business for discussion by the Board. Also during unfinished business, City Attorney William Camm Seay will present a draft ordinance concerning the requirements for a company renting and picking up demolition dumpsters. City Administrator Walden and Mayor Brad Nash will give reports before the board goes into closed session. The first meeting for the New Year of the City of Salem Board of Alderman is open to the public.
SPORTS [TOP]
The Salem Lady Basketball Tigers lost to Gainesville in the Family Pharmacy Tournament Championship last week, 37-30 to drop Salem to 6-4 on the year. The Lady Tigers will host Rolla tonight starting at 6:00 at the SHS Gym.
The Salem Boys Basketball Tigers will face Bourbon tonight at 5:30 in Owensville. Salem is 4-5 going into the game. You can hear the game on KSMO and online at ksmoradio.com
Vladimir Tarasenko scored two third period goals and the St. Louis Blues won their first ever outdoor game in front of 46,556 fans at Busch Stadium in the Winter Classic over Chicago Monday, 4-1. Patrick Berglund and Alex Steen also scored for St. Louis who will play again Thursday night at the Scottrade Center against Carolina at 7:00.
OBITUARIES [TOP]
Funeral services for Shirley Cleone Wilkins of Bixby, age 81, will be held Thursday at noon at the Wilson Mortuary Viburnum Chapel. Visitation will be held from 10:00 in the morning until service time Thursday. Interment will be in the Dotson Cemetery in Bixby.
Funeral services for Orville “Pat” Miller of Salem, age 93, will be held at a later date. All arrangements are under the direction of the James and Gahr Mortuary in Salem.
WEATHER [TOP]
Today..Cloudy with patchy fog in the morning and a 40% chance for rain, high temp of 45 in the early morning.
Tonight..Cloudy early, then partly cloudy and sharply colder, low of 19.
Wednesday..Mostly sunny, high around 30.
Wednesday night..Mostly cloudy, low of 16.
