January 20, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Oct. 12, 2021

Thanks to MX electric for sponsoring our live blogs.

Talking Splash PAD.

I was late because I was shooting Oakwood vs. STM Soccer for the News-Gazette.

Hearing a presentation from the village clerk from Catlin on their splash pad.

The annual ongoing cost to maintain this $1,800 to $3,600.

Cost to install was about $100,000.

They sold memorial benches for $2,500, the cost was $600 to fundraise.

Julie discussing how Catlin did a door hanger to collect money. 2500 would cost close to $500. Hackler family has been having people donate money towards it. Both Hackler girls have young grandchildren who would use the splash pad. The idea is that the splash pad would go by the retention pond in the sports complex.

Art has a question. Asking about lifeguards. There are no lifeguards at a splash pad.

Asking if there has been any vandalism problems. There has not been.

Said the biggest issues are doing the software updates because people wait until the last minute. Recommending doing it six weeks ahead of time. Said people call if it isn’t open exactly on time.

Catlin Village Board donated half of the cost to the fundraising.

Discussing where the splash pad would go and what type of water to use.


Okay, my internet dropped. Basically- The board wants the committee chaired by Julie Hendrickson to come up with a size and what exactly would be in it but is also giving us permission to fundraise so look for the door hangers coming soon.

There was lot of discussion regarding where it would go. Maybe it would go at Hackler, not Woodard.

Tami saying it would be good to fundraise to see if the town even wants one. #GOOD IDEA

Max, Dan and Jim are on board and want to fundraise to see where it is going. Terri is also supportive but also wants to remind the village that they would have to budget for the cost for water, etc.

The committee is looking at grants to fund the water usage. Catlin said it could be as much as $3600 a year.

Committee, chaired by Julie Hendrickson, thinks a splash pad would be good for the following reasons 1. It would benefit children who aren’t in to sports, which the village does spent a lot of money on. 2. It would be a draw for out of town residents if done correctly. 3. If we can fundraise enough the cost to the village is very, very small.

If the funds aren’t raised the money will be returned to the donors.

Look for more information forthcoming.

Discussing crossing guard situation. They want a wireless sign on Rt. 150 telling people to SLOW DOWN.

BIGGEST NEWS: Halloween Parade at 10 a.m. with the mayor to area towns. It is delightful. Sawyer and I go every year. #freecandy

Discussing intergovernmental agreements for other towns to use our equipment. Basically, they rent it from us instead of somewhere in town.

THIS IS THE WORST PART. I was told about this last week. Julie is retiring on Dec. 31. I cannot tell you how much Julie does for the village, for the residents and gets very little credit. She has held the position for 21 plus years. She is awesome and she will be missed. But also, it’s a happy time because if anyone deserves a happy retirement it is our friend Julie. #stillgotherforafewmonths













Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, Jan. 13, 2026

January 13, 2026

January 13, 2026

Happy 2026. The village board will be discussing an extension of the RFP for the sanitary sewer system, letting board...

Live at Village Board, Nov. 23

November 23, 2021

November 23, 2021

We are live at village board. Where we will discuss the Splash Pad and failed lift stations that cause sewer...

Fruhling-Voges to retire from public office, endorses Page for Mayor

September 2, 2024

September 2, 2024

Tami Fruhling-Voges has announced she will not be running for re-election as Mayor of St. Joseph. “I am ready to...

Get to know our Little Princess Candidates: Annah Fiedler

August 9, 2024

August 9, 2024

What is your favorite part of summer?Favorite part of summer: riding bikes, going to the pool, and going boating at...

5 things you don’t know about me… Deklan Quinn

August 7, 2019

August 7, 2019

Deklan is in the running for the title of Little Prince! He is six years old. We asked him to...

Troop 2191 purchases Christmas Tree for community

July 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

Girl Scout Troop 2191 wants St. Joseph to have a very merry Christmas. In April the troop approached the village...

Mold issue being addressed at SJO

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

A mold issue in St. Joseph-Ogden High School is being addressed. Superintendent Brian Brooks said the mold was discovered last...

Weekend Family Fun Guide

July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

This post is sponsored by Island Travel Group and Events On Saturday, St. Joseph plays host to hundreds of runners...

Vendor profile: The Ribcage

August 8, 2024

August 8, 2024

1. Tell me about your business. Locally owned and operated BBQ 2. What has been the most challenging part about...

Live at St. Joseph Village Board, July 22, 2025

July 22, 2025

July 22, 2025

Ginger Mohr, lived in town for 25 years. Bought the property. Been approached for numerous things. Best idea we had was a...

Kern, Cafarelli, Carter and Atwood help SJO golf team have continued success

September 20, 2022

September 20, 2022

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School golf team has established a pretty common routine this season. Jacob Kern or Ashten Cafarelli...

Get to know Mitch Schluter

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Mitch is running for the SJO School Board. What motivated you to run for school board? I WANTED TO GET...

Former St. Joseph resident shares “100 things Illinois fans should know”

April 14, 2025

April 14, 2025

Kent Brown always wanted to write a book. The Hammond native and former Sports Information Director at the University of...

Five question Friday with SJO senior soccer player Will Page

September 9, 2022

September 9, 2022

What is the best part about playing soccer for SJO? The community and fans are good, and my teammates are...

A letter to the residents of St. Joseph from Jim Page

April 9, 2025

April 9, 2025

There has been a lot of discussion over kitchen tables and online about the Tax Increment Financing District (TIF). A...

Comments
Leave a Reply