The Climax Village Council was recognized by Calhoun County Voiture 181 as its Village of the Year recipient for 2024 at the Council’s regular meeting September 17.
Current Voiture 181 Chef de Gare, Alice Berger, who represented Calhoun County Voiture 181 40 & 8, said one of the programs the organization supports is the Town, City or Village of the year award and presented Interim Village Council President David Miller with a plaque, recognizing the Village of Climax for all the support the village has offered.
She said the award recognizes and honors a community that has done, or continues to do something significant for veterans.
Berger noted every Memorial Day, C-S American Legion #468 provides an honor guard and speakers for a wreath laying ceremony at the Village Park and Prairie Home Cemetery. The local American Legion Post is open for free hot dogs and soda, a band, corn hole and other fun activities following the parade. A big attraction is the Voiture 181 40 & 8 train. After the parade, the train is parked in front of the legion where the community can walk through and learn more about the 40 & 8.
The local American Legion Post also provides an Honor Guard for Climax-Scotts home football games.
Berger adds Voiture 181 and Legion Riders participate in the honor guard at Ft. Custer National Cemeteries in Battle Creek. Berger served on the Ft. Custer National Cemetery committee representing all of Michigan 40 & 8. Current Chef De Train and honor guard member, Paul Rose, now serves on that committee.
In August, 2023, Voiture 181 hosted a Steak Fry. Steaks were grilled to order by Voiture 181 former Chef de Gare and current Aumonier, Bob Berger and Correspondent, Dave Hlatko.
The Legion serves breakfast every Saturday throughout the year with Voiture 181 preparing the breakfast on the fifth Saturday. A food drive give-away is held once a month from spring through fall for veterans and others throughout the village.
It was also noted by Berger the Village of Climax continues to enhance and improve the village, installing two “Buddy Benches” and a memorial marker honoring eight veterans of Climax who lost their lives in World War II in the Village Park.
DPW employee Roger Smith spearheaded the effort to have the memorial plaque and Buddy Benches installed in the Village Park.
Berger adds last Veteran’s Day, the C-S American Legion Post #465 and Voiture 181 received grateful letters and drawings from C-S elementary school students.
Vandalism at Library Reported
Jamie Camp, president of the Board of Directors for Lawrence Memorial District Library, informed the Council there were vandalism incidents on the Library’s Blessing food pantry box and newel post located at the library. She said twice the non-perishable food items placed in the blessing box were torn apart and the food has gone to waste. She said one of the containers of peanut butter was opened, the fence newel post top was removed and the peanut butter was poured inside the post. She adds some landscape rocks in front of the library were removed and placed in front of the library door.
Library Director Bill Lewis said the library receives many items from a food bank and the vandalism puts the library in a difficult situation requesting for more supplies when there is a chance more vandalism could take place.
In other items covered at the September 17 meeting:
• Climax Township Assistant Fire Chief Sean Perrin informed the Council there were 35 calls for service in August, representing the largest number of runs in a month the local fire department has had in the 26 years he has been on the department.
• Streets, Sidewalks and Census Chairperson Joline Chaney said the traffic count study that needs to be included for a grant opportunity to rebuild the North Main Street railroad crossing has been completed and the local grade crossing surface program grant has been submitted.
She said the traffic count was 1,832 for a 24-hour period over the North Main Street crossing, which was much higher then last year when the Village was turned down for the grant because traffic count criteria was not met.
Chaney said the Village will learn in November if the grant application has been approved.
Earlier, the streets, sidewalks and census chairperson informed the council the estimate to rebuild the North Main Street crossing is $537,678.
She adds if a grant through the annual local grade crossing surface program is successfully obtained, 60 percent of the funding will be covered by the state and the other 40 percent will be covered by Canadian National.
• Public Safety and Fire Chairman performed some research and learned American Rescue Plan Act funding can be used to purchase a weather warning siren. The Council has expressed interest in purchasing a new weather warning siren to replace an old siren that no longer functions.
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