By Jef Rietsma
Vicksburg Village Council member Denny Olson expressed concern about two intersections in the area that he said feature an inordinate number of crashes.
During trustee comments at the end of the council’s Aug. 19 meeting, Olson said he addressed the Kalamazoo County Road Commission Board in July regarding Sprinkle Road and TU Avenue.
“I’m a little tired of all these accidents at TU and Sprinkle,” he said. “A guy blew through the stop sign doing 60-plus miles an hour, did an almost-head-on crash with a young lady.”
Meanwhile, Olson said he’s aware of a crash at U Avenue and Portage Road two days earlier.
“There has been a grant submitted by (Brady Township supervisor) Tracy Locey and in November, that a grant will be coming up for review … hopefully it will be approved for a roundabout at TU Avenue and Sprinkle,” Olsen said. “I don’t care if they make it a four-way stop, I don’t care if they put rumble strips, I don’t care what they do but they’ve got to do something.”
Olson said more has to be done to make the two intersections safer.
“TU Avenue and Sprinkle, and U Avenue and Portage are on the top 20 list of intersections in the county that have to be addressed,” he said.
An intersection between those two locations, at TU and 23rd Street, is the site of a roundabout proposed by the Road Commission for Kalamazoo County and opposed by nearby residents and Schoolcraft Township officials. The road commission has said it has a grant for the project.
In other action:
Council member Wendy Phelis said the 2024 “Movie Night in the Park” was a success, thanks in large part to the Vicksburg District Library. The series concluded last month with a “Date Night” theme. Phelis said it was well attended, featured ‘80s trivia and was strongly supported by local businesses.
Board President Tim Frisbie, a member of the South County Sewer and Water Authority, said the village of Schoolcraft is in talks with St. Joseph County’s Lockport Township about extending water service into Schoolcraft.
Phelis said WWMT Channel 3 is now including Vicksburg during its live views of various communities at the onset of the station’s weather report. Phelis said she met WWMT meteorologist Will Haenni and his wife at a recent ‘Burg Days event. A discussion about showcasing Vicksburg in the weather report ensued and a bird’s-eye view of the village is now included in the rotating community feature.
Council member Gail Reisterer, who chairs the village’s Tree Committee, said the next round of village water and sewer bills will include an invitation for residents to request a tree. She said the goal is to get at least 25 people to respond.
Village Manager Jim Mallery said he was recently contacted by representatives from three different municipalities interested in learning more about what it takes to make ‘Burg Days as successful as it has been in its first two seasons and its impact on downtown. “I hope to be in a position the third week of October to make a more formal presentation in how that breaks down,” he said. He said the village is looking at an impact of at least $30,000 per Wednesday. “We think it’ll be more than that.”
