Old Harvester lot is recommended location
By Bruce Rolfe
A used weather warning siren the Climax Village Council approved the purchase for at its regular meeting October 1, may be installed near the site where the Village’s original warning siren was located for decades.
After discussing the purchase of a weather warning siren for nearly two months, the Climax Village Council unanimously approved the purchase at a cost for $18,100 for a used warning siren from West Shore Services (Janet Sutherland and Alyssa Schwili were absent).
While a location for the weather warning siren can be determined later, Public Safety/Fire/Law Enforcement/Disaster Planning Chairman Nick Ludwig recommended the Council install the warning siren near or in the old Harvester Lot next to the Village Hall because it would be less costly then installing the unit on top of the Climax Township Fire Station. Plus, the siren would be in the middle of the Village, offering louder audible levels to the entire village. The Council invites feedback from the public for the weather warning siren location.
If the Council chooses to instal the weather warning siren in the old Harvester Lot that was donated to the village by Kyle and Athena Smith after the Harvester was destroyed by fire, or near it, the siren would return near the location an old siren was located since 1951 until the siren was moved to the old township hall that sat where the current Climax Township Fire Station is located.
The current village hall was constructed and completed in 1939. There was a tower behind the village hall that housed an old fire bell before a fire and weather warning siren was added in 1951.
The tower that housed the old fire bell and later the fire and weather warning siren came tumbling down November 11, 1977. According to the Climax Crescent archives the structure was weakened after the driver of a motor home in the Harvester parking lot backed into the tower and a short time later it buckled and came down to the ground. The siren was salvaged and mounted on the peak of the Village Hall roof.
Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith said the siren was used to alert firefighters of a call before pagers were used. Sometime in the mid-1980s to the late 1980s the siren stopped functioning. Smith thought at some point when the siren was moved to the old township hall it was struck by lightening and was removed from the building. It was not replaced because pagers were being used by firefighters.
In 2011 former late Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Chief Gary Henson was able to purchase five weather warning sirens. One was offered to the Village of Climax and installed near well house No. 3 located on the west side of the Village near the railroad tracks. Eatons provided the pole and Burkett Signs, with assistance from the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Department, set the pole at the location. The cost to the village to install the system was $875 for hardware parts and electrical expense to hook the system up.
The Village’s weather warning siren worked in 2014 but did not rotate. With more people using cell phones that provided weather alerts, the Council at the time chose not to have the unit repaired and the village has been without one ever since.
Last summer’s tornado that caused significant damage in Portage and parts of nearby Pavilion Township, sparked discussion about the need for a working weather warning siren.
The used federal AC/DC siren the Council approved to purchase will come with four new batteries that are used for backup. The warning siren will be hooked up to a local electrical source, but would still function if there is a loss of electricity with the battery backup. The warning siren has a 360 degree rotating head with a one-mile range, and carries a one year guarantee. The unit comes with a new 50-foot class II wood pole with aluminum conduit, and necessary interconnection wiring between the siren components. The unit will come equipped with a disconnect for underground or overhead electrical hookup.
Ludwig said he was told the warning siren would be installed no later then March 31, 2025, but more likely in October or November.
ARPA funds will be used to pay for the weather warning siren.
Leaf Pickup Has Started
Department of Public Works Manager T.J. Gibson said leaf pickup in the village has started.
Leaf pickup will end the Monday before Thanksgiving or if a significant snow fall occurs before the Monday. No sticks, walnuts or pine needles mixed in with leaves please.
Leave pickup is Monday: Main & Maple Streets - Curbs and Gutters ONLY; Tuesday: Church, Cherry and Sheldon Streets; Wednesday: Main & Maple (Non-curbs and Gutters) and Ebinger; Thursday: Hancock, all of Lovell and Watson Streets; Friday: Maple Circle area Streets and Sunnymead area Streets.
In other items covered at the October 1 meeting:
• Streets/Sidewalks/Census Chairperson Joline Chaney provided the Council with estimates to mill and repave Columbine Street and Maple Circle. The cost for Columbine is $23,750 and $51,300 for Maple Circle. Clerk Linda Coburn said there is no more money left in the current budget for local streets, so the two road maintenance projects will be reviewed again in the next fiscal year budget.
• After Kevin Harvey approached the Council about joining Kelly Leach of Climax, about having a food truck available for a tailgate event homecoming October 11 in the old Harvester lot owned by the Village, pending approval of a food service permit, the council unanimously approved permission to use the lot (Janet Sutherland and Alyssa Schwili were absent) from 2:30-6 p.m. The permit is for up to 14 days, leaving the option open for another event. He said the menu would be smoked wings, smash burgers, cole slaw and non-alcoholic beverages.
A used weather warning siren the Climax Village Council approved the purchase for at its regular meeting October 1, may be installed near the site where the Village’s original warning siren was located for decades.
After discussing the purchase of a weather warning siren for nearly two months, the Climax Village Council unanimously approved the purchase at a cost for $18,100 for a used warning siren from West Shore Services (Janet Sutherland and Alyssa Schwili were absent).
While a location for the weather warning siren can be determined later, Public Safety/Fire/Law Enforcement/Disaster Planning Chairman Nick Ludwig recommended the Council install the warning siren near or in the old Harvester Lot next to the Village Hall because it would be less costly then installing the unit on top of the Climax Township Fire Station. Plus, the siren would be in the middle of the Village, offering louder audible levels to the entire village. The Council invites feedback from the public for the weather warning siren location.
If the Council chooses to instal the weather warning siren in the old Harvester Lot that was donated to the village by Kyle and Athena Smith after the Harvester was destroyed by fire, or near it, the siren would return near the location an old siren was located since 1951 until the siren was moved to the old township hall that sat where the current Climax Township Fire Station is located.
The current village hall was constructed and completed in 1939. There was a tower behind the village hall that housed an old fire bell before a fire and weather warning siren was added in 1951.
The tower that housed the old fire bell and later the fire and weather warning siren came tumbling down November 11, 1977. According to the Climax Crescent archives the structure was weakened after the driver of a motor home in the Harvester parking lot backed into the tower and a short time later it buckled and came down to the ground. The siren was salvaged and mounted on the peak of the Village Hall roof.
Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith said the siren was used to alert firefighters of a call before pagers were used. Sometime in the mid-1980s to the late 1980s the siren stopped functioning. Smith thought at some point when the siren was moved to the old township hall it was struck by lightening and was removed from the building. It was not replaced because pagers were being used by firefighters.
In 2011 former late Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Chief Gary Henson was able to purchase five weather warning sirens. One was offered to the Village of Climax and installed near well house No. 3 located on the west side of the Village near the railroad tracks. Eatons provided the pole and Burkett Signs, with assistance from the Galesburg-Charleston Township Fire Department, set the pole at the location. The cost to the village to install the system was $875 for hardware parts and electrical expense to hook the system up.
The Village’s weather warning siren worked in 2014 but did not rotate. With more people using cell phones that provided weather alerts, the Council at the time chose not to have the unit repaired and the village has been without one ever since.
Last summer’s tornado that caused significant damage in Portage and parts of nearby Pavilion Township, sparked discussion about the need for a working weather warning siren.
The used federal AC/DC siren the Council approved to purchase will come with four new batteries that are used for backup. The warning siren will be hooked up to a local electrical source, but would still function if there is a loss of electricity with the battery backup. The warning siren has a 360 degree rotating head with a one-mile range, and carries a one year guarantee. The unit comes with a new 50-foot class II wood pole with aluminum conduit, and necessary interconnection wiring between the siren components. The unit will come equipped with a disconnect for underground or overhead electrical hookup.
Ludwig said he was told the warning siren would be installed no later then March 31, 2025, but more likely in October or November.
ARPA funds will be used to pay for the weather warning siren.
Leaf Pickup Has Started
Department of Public Works Manager T.J. Gibson said leaf pickup in the village has started.
Leaf pickup will end the Monday before Thanksgiving or if a significant snow fall occurs before the Monday. No sticks, walnuts or pine needles mixed in with leaves please.
Leave pickup is Monday: Main & Maple Streets - Curbs and Gutters ONLY; Tuesday: Church, Cherry and Sheldon Streets; Wednesday: Main & Maple (Non-curbs and Gutters) and Ebinger; Thursday: Hancock, all of Lovell and Watson Streets; Friday: Maple Circle area Streets and Sunnymead area Streets.
In other items covered at the October 1 meeting:
• Streets/Sidewalks/Census Chairperson Joline Chaney provided the Council with estimates to mill and repave Columbine Street and Maple Circle. The cost for Columbine is $23,750 and $51,300 for Maple Circle. Clerk Linda Coburn said there is no more money left in the current budget for local streets, so the two road maintenance projects will be reviewed again in the next fiscal year budget.
• After Kevin Harvey approached the Council about joining Kelly Leach of Climax, about having a food truck available for a tailgate event homecoming October 11 in the old Harvester lot owned by the Village, pending approval of a food service permit, the council unanimously approved permission to use the lot (Janet Sutherland and Alyssa Schwili were absent) from 2:30-6 p.m. The permit is for up to 14 days, leaving the option open for another event. He said the menu would be smoked wings, smash burgers, cole slaw and non-alcoholic beverages.
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