Bethel Baptist Church plans day of service April 13 in Fillmore

FILLMORE -- Already spearheading an effort to start a town park in Fillmore, the Bethel Baptist Church congregation will spend Palm Sunday doing more service for the community.

During the last two Fillmore Town Council meetings, Associate Pastor Adam Waite has shared the plans with the council to perform a day of service on Sunday, April 13.

"Instead of going to church, we've decided to 'do church,'" Waite told the council and community members during the February meeting.

At the Thursday, March 6 meeting, Waite shared further plans.

The church will be erecting a number of welcome signs around town, including larger signs at the north and south ends of Main Street, as well as smaller versions on all other streets leading into town. There will also be similar signs placed at the park and at Town Hall.

All signs will be red and white for the Fillmore Cardinals, the mascot of the former Fillmore High School and currently of Fillmore Elementary.

Besides this, though, six teams of church members will be in charge of different parts of town to cleaning, repairs and other volunteer work on both public and private property.

Town improvement was a common theme throughout the Thursday meeting, between road repairs and the ongoing pursuit of grant money for a new station for the Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department.

With a long, cold winter nearing its conclusion, road repairs will be necessary soon. Utility Supervisor Joe Cash will obtain some cold mix asphalt for some of the potholes, but a bigger solution is likely in order for some of the roads in town.

Council President Alan Jones said he is likely to look into renting a paving machine for more durable street repairs. Although the paving was not performed in 2013, Jones has overseen similar efforts multiple times in recent years.

"What we've been putting in has been holding up better than cold mix by far," Jones said. "That's why we didn't need to rent the paver last year."

Jones added that he has been advised that rather than renting the paver for two weeks in the spring, the town should rent it for one week each in the spring and fall, filling cracks in the fall as a preventive measure before winter.

Later in the meeting, Councilman Curt Leonard also floated the idea of seeing if enough money is available to resurface either a section or all of Putnam Street.

"If we have enough money to do the whole street instead of patching, we're better off," Leonard said. "It will last."

Jones said he would check on the cost of repaving the street.

Following a successful Feb. 10 public hearing regarding federal grant funding for a new fire station, the Fillmore Fire Department is again asking for public support for a Monday, March 31 public hearing.

The town needed at least 65 people to attend the February meeting and had overwhelming support, with more than 200 showing up to tiny Fillmore Town Hall.

For the upcoming meeting, the department is prepared with more space and a sign of appreciation to those who attend.

The 7 p.m. meeting will take place at Fillmore Elementary School to accommodate more citizens. Attendees were actually standing in line outside in freezing temperatures to get into the previous meeting.

Department members will also be serving biscuits and gravy and pancakes at the upcoming meeting in appreciation of the public support. Serving will begin at 6 p.m. Freewill donations will be accepted.