A Minute with Lyons Mayor Andy Fuston

Happy Hot July everyone! I hope everyone is staying as cool as possible. I know if you’ve been going to the pool, you’ve been able to do that. It has been a great first season. Attendance is up and the smiles are large. I know there have been some hiccups this season but we are working through those. We expected some growing pains with all the new things to do down there. We have been working on being consistent with rules and regulations that are posted. We are figuring out the best practice with the life guard stands; balancing swimmer and life guard safety. It is all feedback we appreciate because we hadn’t been through it yet with this pool. The season is winding down and as we get closer to school starting our pool hours are going to be more limited. Lifeguards are also going back to school and their availability will dictate how long and how often the pool will remain open the last two weeks of August.   Any changes to the schedule will be posted at the pool.

The community center is, for all intensive purpose, completed. We continue to wait on the exterior signage to be installed. The council will be setting an open house/dedication date. The council approved another building permit to Three Rivers Housing Development Corp for a new ranch house with a basement at the corner of 5^th and Pearl. Three Rivers has been a fantastic community partner and we look forward to this property being developed along with future projects they are involved with. We also have a new house being built on the north side of town. People are investing in Lyons. It is good for our school system and good for the community. We continue to have issues with vehicles driving faster than the posted speed limit, especially on Diamond Street and Main Street. Main Street, particularly as you are coming into town from the west, is even a bigger concern now that we have the pool open and lots of kids out and about in that area. The council is looking at different options because the speed limit signs aren’t working very well. We are looking at possibly putting in speed bumps, writing more tickets for speeding or adding additional signage/signaling to those areas. We would prefer people just slow down and then we wouldn’t have to do any of these things but until that happens, we will need to do something.

It sounds like progress is being made on the byway outdoor theater art project on Main Street.   It will really be a neat way to bring the community together for some fun. We have received all the information needed to submit our grant proposal for the Main Street lighting project. This is another big grant that if awarded, will allow us to improve and upgrade a much needed infrastructure issue. The railroad crossing on Main St. has also been upgraded. It makes going over the tracks there so much nicer. It is usually the little things that make the biggest difference in quality life and that certainly is one of those areas that you don’t really notice when it is nice but really notice with it’s not. Finally, I just have to say, as I do every year, how great the 4^th of July was. The weather was great. All of the events were fun and the fireworks were absolutely terrific! I tend to forget the fire and rescue departments when thanking everyone involved with making the day a great one right before the fireworks show begins. Chalk it off to nerves and not writing down all I need to say I guess! That doesn’t mean however that all of their hard work isn’t appreciated. I am always so proud of our community when that first fireworks explosion lightens up the dark sky. To think our display rivals any other community around just make me proud to live in Lyons. That couldn’t pride wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for other volunteers who take the time to set them up and shoot them off. My hat is always off to Lyons Community Club and the Lyons Volunteer Fire Department for carrying the torch, year after year, for making the July 4^th celebration one of Lyons’ crowning jewels. That’s all I got for now. Enjoy the rest of the summer. School is coming parents so hand in there! Stay cool and we’ll talk to you soon.