Painting, electrical work remains in downtown Waupaca
By James Card
“We had a fantastic turnout and had a lot of good comments on it,” said Justin Berrens, Waupaca’s director of Public Works.
Hundreds of people roamed Main Street last Friday evening and admired the downtown makeover while also trick-or-treating and partaking in various events, games and live music.
The Waupaca Community Arts Board had a display poll that offered multiple choice questions about Waupaca.
To vote, participants dropped a token into a slot that fell into a transparent box.
Regarding a question of how people liked the new Main Street, the positive review columns were loaded with tokens, indicating widespread approval of a job well done.
But the job isn’t quite done yet. As of press time, work is still continuing on Main Street and Berrens is hopeful that Main Street to be fully opened to traffic by Wednesday, Nov. 3.
The contractor did not meet the Nov. 1 deadline and is being fined $2,000 for Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The tree planting and mulching is finished and the street is lined with a mix of gingko, common hackberry, honey locust, American elm and Kentucky coffee trees.
Electricians are stringing wire but the street lights are delayed.
“We’re just waiting for the manufacturer to get them here,” said Berrens, citing supply chain issues.
A painting crew is painting the double yellow centerlines, parking slots and stop sign bars.
There are 16 poems that are embedded in the concrete of the Main Street sidewalks.
A company in Minnesota made the stamps for each poem and the concrete crews stamped them in.
A specialist will return in the spring and stain the letters black so the poems stand out better.