As we all said good bye to 2020 and welcomed 2021 with open arms, where do we go from here? First, about 2020. Let’s face it, this was a year no one wants to remember.
What started out like any other year quickly turned when the pandemic hit us and hit us hard. I can say that our village employees had to make certain sacrifices within each department to do what they do best to serve all the residents of Montpelier.
I for one cannot thank them enough for their tireless efforts. In addition to the normal projects each of our departments had planned, below would be a few key projects that were completed:
•Completed a reclamation project for a portion of the Southwest Subdivision Street.
•Continued to work on the CSO project in a section of town.
•Demolished buildings in the 400 block of West Main that will be turned into a greenspace.
•Dedicated a new solar field.
•Dedicated a new splash pad at the park. With having to make a decision to not open the pool, the splash pad was something positive that the residents needed to bring smiles to a number of our youth. A big thank you goes to our Park Board who were very instrumental in this project.
So, where do we go from here? As each of the village departments start planning on various projects within the village, other committees are also planning. A couple of areas that have been identified as long term projects would be:
•Iron Horse Trail: The committee continues to work with the outside design group and the state departments. It should be said that this trail has been an ongoing effort for approximately 2 years.
•The village is working with NORDA to retain sections of the current Cannonball Trail starting at County Road 13 and heading east for a few miles. By working with other agencies, the goal would be to tie other hiking trails together that would help get the word out about Montpelier.
•Looking and planning for a bike trail that would tie other bike routes from outside of the county with other states’ biking and hiking trails.
•Various streets have been scheduled for resurfacing this spring.
Just like everyone else with the setbacks that 2020 gave us, I am looking forward to hopefully getting back to what will now be known as a new normal where our youth can enjoy what our parks have to offer… Swimming, baseball, softball, t-ball, Bean Days and even Ole Town Country Gatherings.
Not only is this type of activity wonderful for youth of all ages, but it is also a time where friends and families can get together in the open space and reflect on life in general.
Stay safe, stay strong, but most of all enjoy 2021!