Mount Pleasant Halloween display recognized at city commission meeting
Kriss and Mike Roethlisberger's “Haunted Yard” has supplied the citizens of Mount Pleasant with scares and frightening sights for 22 years.
At an Oct. 22 Mount Pleasant City Commission meeting, the couple’s service to the community was recognized by commissioners.
Mayor Allison Quast-Lents said the creativity and time surrendered to the display was a testament to the Roethlisbergers’ dedication to the community.
“The Haunted yard on North Lansing Street will always be remembered as a Halloween tradition for families where visitors were transported to the out-of-this-word display, sequel to screams and squeals heard from blocks away,” Quast-Lents said.
The display also raised over $50,000 for local charities.
As the meeting concluded, City Commissioner Tony Kulick recommended that citizens giving out candy to trick-or-treaters leave their porch lights on.
“That way kids know who is participating and don’t fall down steps,” he said.
Additional items discussed at the Oct. 22 meeting included promoted city employees, Mount Pleasant's Experimental Aircraft Association and approval for a Christmas firework display.
Newly promoted employees introduced
Water System Operators Jason DeFeyter and Tyler Heard and Assistant Public Works Director Jason Moore — three newly promoted city employees — were introduced to the commission.
DeFeyter and Heard are both licensed water system operators with years of experience in drinking-water treatment. Both will be operating a water treatment facility, analyzing water control samples in a laboratory and performing distribution maintenance, said Jamie Hockemeyer, water treatment plant superintendent.
Director of Public Works John Zang spoke of his new assistant’s experience.
“Moore started working for the city nearly 20 years ago in engineering, working on road design,” Zang said. “When the city experienced flooding in 2017, Moore was one of the most important personnel coordinating the operation center.”
EAA lease renewed with minor changes
Founded in the Spring of 1988, Mount Pleasant's Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter is a group of aviation enthusiasts, aircraft builders and pilots who get together to share ideas, exchange information and encourage safety.
For the past year, the EAA has operated in a city-owned airport hangar at Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport. In exchange for maintenance, the association is allowed to inhabit the hangar rent-free.
Different amendments were proposed by City Commissioner Lori Gillis and Kulick about the lease. After discussion and some confusion, an amendment to renew the lease annually with the condition of having a report presented to city commission prior was agreed upon.
2018 Christmas celebration firework display authorized
This year marks the 85th anniversary of The Bird Bar and Grill and the 25th anniversary of Mount Pleasant’s Christmas celebration, said City Manager Nancy Ridley. As a result, the Breidenstein family and owner of The Bird offered to allocate funds for a firework display to be held at the end of the Christmas parade on Dec. 1.
City ordinance states that fireworks are allowed on a holiday, the day before or the day after. Since Dec. 1 is neither of those, the commission had to approve this particular display.
Gillis said she looks forward to fireworks and congratulated The Bird on its anniversary.
“This is another fantastic example of the involvement of the community,” Quast-Lents said.
