Arrangements still being made for Pilsen festivities
Staff writer
County department heads are working to prepare for thousands of people expected to be in Pilsen for the return Sept. 25 of Father Emil Kapaun’s remains.
County engineer Brice Goebel told commissioners Tuesday that road crews had filled in areas of Remington Rd. to prepare for resurfacing.
However, two contractors he spoke to about chip-sealing the surface said they were too busy.
Road and bridge crews will have to do the work themselves, but Goebel said he thought he could get the job done in time.
Emergency manager Randy Frank told commissioners he has been working on security.
Frank has contacted law enforcement agencies to help and made arrangements for drones to hover over the crowd.
“It will be over the entire crowd, and if something happens, we can mitigate that problem,” he said.
The drones will be operated by outside companies, not the county.
Kapaun, a Korean War chaplain taken prisoner, died in a prisoner-of-war camp. He is a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and a candidate for sainthood.
His remains, recently identified through DNA testing, will be escorted in procession from Eisenhower Airport to St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, where Kapaun grew up.
Other county projects also are proceeding.
Goebel said work on Nighthawk Rd. was finished last week.
Material removed from the road remains in its ditches, Goebel said, noting that removal of the debris, which prevents water from draining properly, was delayed by heavy rain.
Department of Revenue officials will speak to commissioners next week about an Aug. 25 letter in which they said county appraisers had met performance standards for residential property but not commercial and industrial property.
State officials will meet with appraiser staff to discuss actions that may be needed.