Candy Drive-Through, Revised ‘Egg Hunt’ Planned In Mentone
MENTONE — The Mentone Town Council announced two upcoming Easter-related activities in the town.
Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the town canceled its annual Easter egg hunt at Mentzer Park.
Councilmember Tim Croy announced that an easter candy drive-through will take the place of the annual egg hunt. At 10 a.m. Saturday, April 11, the town will set up in the parking lot of Deli N Dough on East Main Street/SR 25.
According to Croy, parents would drive their car in from the east side of the parking lot. Someone would hand the parent a paper bag of Easter candy. The vehicles would exit the parking lot onto Morgan Street.
The event will also accommodate families who choose to walk to the event. As a way to discourage crowds, each family must distance themselves from another. Only the parent would be able to approach the table to receive the bags of candy.
“We’re just trying to keep everyone safe,” said Croy. The Easter Bunny will be at the April 11 event, as well as a special “mystery guest,” Croy said.
The second event was announced as more of community organized effort. In a similar vein to the trend of teddy bear hunts, residents are asked to color an egg to place in a window of their home. The effort, started by Mentone resident Sierra Ritchey, seeks to provide an Easter egg hunt of sorts in place of the canceled annual event.
In a statement provided by Ritchey to InkFreeNews via Facebook Messenger, she said she got the idea from another community planning a similar egg hunt.
Ritchey has two small children, “any activities that give them some sense of normalcy and families making great memories during this time is also great,” she said.
Ritchey pitched the idea to the town and the town leadership wholeheartedly supported it. She hopes in some small way, “our community can get out and enjoy a day with their kids and forget what’s going on,” said Ritchey.
If residents wish to participate, a coloring page is available on the Mentone News and Information Facebook page. Any coloring page of an easter egg would work, according to Croy.
The egg hunt starts Sunday, April 5 and ends Easter weekend.
In other matters, the town council elected to withdraw the proposed extension of the town sewage utility to part of the Dickerhoff property on South SR 19, outside of the town limits. Brent and Lora Herendeen are buying the segment of the Dickerhoff property. The proposal withdraw allows the couple to install a septic system on the property. The issue was introduced at the March 4 Town Council meeting.
The decision to withdraw the proposal comes after the council discovered a difference in language regarding state codes versus the existing town codes. According to the state code, if a property exists within 300 feet of a public utility, the town has the right to extend the usage of the utility to said property. According to the Mentone town code, the extension only applies to properties within the town limits. The property lies just south of the Mentone town limits.
“We just wanted a decision,” said Brent Herendeen. The utility issue held up progress in acquiring the property. Property owner Doug Dickerhoff echoed Herendeen’s sentiments as he claimed others expressed interest in the property in the event the Herendeen’s backed out.
To justify the decision, Council President Jill Gross said the town does whatever it can to “Welcome people to Mentone, not turn them away.”
The town council also approved a motion to refrain from annexing the property in the future.
Other business included:
- Gross spoke on behalf of Town Marshal Jim Eads. He expressed appreciation to residents limiting their travel under Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Stay-At-Home order. According to Gross, Eads urges residents to continue for at least the next two to three weeks.
- The next Mentone Town Council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 at the Mentone Community Emergency Services Building.