City awards street resurfacing project

Not to go out on a limb, but if you live on a Greencastle street with a tree in its name, there's a good chance a portion of your road will be resurfaced this year.

Thirteen city streets -- eight of which coincidentally include tree or tree-related names like Dogwood, Redbud, Poplar, Maple and more -- are scheduled to be resurfaced in the annual repaving project bid out Tuesday afternoon by the Greencastle Board of Public Works and Safety.

Wabash Valley Asphalt emerged as the low bidder on the repaving work at $458,127 when bids were opened Tuesday.

Also submitting proposals were Gray Brothers Asphalt Paving Contractors, Indianapolis, which did the 2014 resurfacing work and Rieth-Riley Construction, Indianapolis, which did the Indiana Street streetscape project last summer.

No starting date has been announced yet for the work. However, the contract stipulates that the resurfacing project must be substantially completed by Oct. 1.

The 13 streets Department of Public Works Superintendent Brad Phillips has marked for resurfacing this summer or early fall are:

-- Main Street, from Maple Street to Berry Street.

-- Warren Drive, from State Road 240 to the city limits.

-- Wood Street, from Tennessee Street to the eastern Robe-Ann Park entrance.

-- Dogwood Lane, from Shadowlawn Avenue to Redbud Lane.

-- Redbud Lane, from Shadowlawn Avenue to Terrace Lane.

-- Poplar Street, from Jackson to Indiana Street.

-- Poplar Street, from Indiana to Vine Street.

-- Daggy Street, from Jackson and Madison Street.

-- Manhattan Road, between Veterans Memorial Highway and the city limits.

-- Gillespie Street, from Walnut Street to Liberty Street.

-- Washington Street, from Wood Street to Percy Julian Drive.

-- Center Street, from Fairview to West Street in Foxridge.

-- Liberty Street, from Gillespie to Jackson Street.

On a motion from Board of Works member Thom Morris, a notice of award and notice to proceed were issued to Wabash Valley Asphalt.

With other construction projects such as city sidewalks, Cancilla Park and Robe-Ann Park tennis court improvements still on tap, the Board of Works will hold a special session at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5 to help "keep the projects moving," Mayor Murray said.

In other business Tuesday, the board voted to hire Elsiana Crosby as a new city police officer following the resignation of Patrolman Jeff Modlin, whose last day is July 31.

Crosby was a finalist earlier this summer when Zach Rhine was hired as a new police officer. At that time, Board of Works member Trudy Selvia said she wished there were two vacancies because the city had two excellent candidates for the one position.

Pending Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF) approval, Crosby is scheduled to become the lone female officer within Greencastle City Police ranks.

She will become only the city's third-ever fulltime female GPD officer, following in the footsteps of retired pioneer Carol Boggess Deom and Kristy Mason, who left the Greencastle force to join the Indiana State Police.

Local residents may also remember Kim Sheldon, who was a reserve officer for a number of years before she took a police position in northern Indiana.