By By NORMA LERNER / Vigilant/Argus
EDWARDSBURG – What would you like to see in Edwardsburg?
The Uptown Improvement Association along with Wightman Associates, engineers from Benton Harbor, will make a presentation at the Ontwa Township Hall at 7 p.m. Sept. 8 to present ideas of what the U.S. 12 corridor should look like.
On Sept. 10 the Uptown Improvement Association will have a special meeting at the Ontwa Township Hall inviting the local business owners and residents to give the association their ideas of what they would like to see the U.S. 12 corridor look like. Food and beverages will be served at 6 p.m.
Both meetings were announced Monday night at the Edwardsburg Village Council by Trustee Nancy Stoner.
President James Robinson said the Corridor Improvement Authority cannot come to the village hall for a meeting on Monday, Sept. 15, which is the meeting night of the village council, but can meet on Sept. 22. The council agreed to reschedule the meeting night from Sept. 15 to Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.
Robinson said one purpose of the authority is to establish a district for financial purposes.
"It's a big thing for the community," he said. "The corridor allows them to apply for grants."
Robinson also announced that police will conduct a child safety-seat program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the new fire station on M-62.
He also announced that emergency personnel are required to wear reflective vest when working on state or federal highways. The new gear is required to be in possession by Sept. 16. The cost to buy the equipment is $22 to $24 per vest.
He reported that Fire Chief Harold "Willie" Eltzroth said a $111,000 federal grant was received for the department to purchase air packs. The grant will be 95 percent funded. "That's really great thing for the fire department," Robinson said.
Eltzroth also said that the loan for the new fire station was paid off saving the department $79,000 in interest cost. "That's amazing," said both Robinson and Stoner. The department used the money from the sale of the old fire station on U.S. 12 and other money which had been saved.
In other matters, the council heard from the pastor of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on U.S. 12 west. The church is looking for a great relationship with the village and has a Bibles for Africa collection where Bibles can be dropped off. They are trying to collect four million Bibles, new or used, or a donation of $2 for each Bible. The church also has healthier cooking classes, health seminars, youth programs and a program for helping each other with house repairs.
Also speaking was 59th-District House of Representative Democratic candidate Carol Higgins.
The council approved to send water superintendent David Herman to the American Water Works State Conference Sept. 9 in Kalamazoo. He will return a champion traveling trophy for best water, the village won last year.