1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:09,240 thank you for tuning in to our first episode of inside Argus uh my name is 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:14,839 Mark vanderwell I'm here with my co-host Joe Stone Good morning Joe how we doing 3 00:00:11,799 --> 00:00:18,720 today I'm doing today is a wonderful day and we will get to that here just a 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:24,800 little bit why it is such a wonderful day uh but uh we wanted to come to you 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:29,320 and and kind of let you know what's happening in Argus uh as everyone knows 6 00:00:27,599 --> 00:00:33,120 there's rumors that fly around there's different things said uh we're just 7 00:00:31,119 --> 00:00:37,480 trying to bring some transparency so we thought we'd uh try to start these 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:41,079 episodes maybe monthly just trying to fill everybody in and let them know 9 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:44,920 what's going on so everybody has the correct 10 00:00:42,399 --> 00:00:49,680 information yes transparency is everything yes it is uh so the first 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:53,800 topic we're going to start with today is housing 12 00:00:51,359 --> 00:00:58,840 Joe we need everybody needs it right we need more housing everybody needs it 13 00:00:56,399 --> 00:01:03,680 more affordable housing over the last 10 to 12 years uh as you can tell Argus has 14 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:07,640 become very Progressive we've tried to to move forward we've tried to to to 15 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,920 push ourselves to go in a different direction of just being stagnant housing 16 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:16,840 has been a big push and it's taken a long time to try to get to the point 17 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:22,040 that we are uh but we've finally gotten to the point where we've got the last 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:27,439 stage of colonial courts done there's one lot left to build one lot uh and 19 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:31,280 we've got the first phase of Deerfield Meadows almost completed out of the 20 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:35,280 three there's two houses left in that first 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:40,759 phase so we actually this week signed the contract to to start the next three 22 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:46,200 so that'll be be coming down the pike in the next few months uh so Argus is 23 00:01:43,159 --> 00:01:50,880 growing uh I know it's not a rapid Pace uh but I always ask people because a lot 24 00:01:49,119 --> 00:01:55,399 of times I get questions growth takes time it doesn't happen overnight and I 25 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,880 turn return that that question to them what do you want to be what do you want 26 00:01:57,479 --> 00:02:02,240 Argus to be I I don't want to be something I don't want to be 27 00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:07,600 what is the happy medium and I don't know if there's an answer to that it's 28 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:12,160 just continuing to to see some type of growth and not be stagnant yeah it's 29 00:02:09,399 --> 00:02:16,720 it's it's tough I mean it's a tough uh it's a tough question to ask because you 30 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:21,120 have one one side you want to grow you want to get bigger you you want more 31 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:25,680 industry but on the other side you don't want to get too big where you know we 32 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:30,440 have too many too influx of people coming into town too quickly so I mean 33 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:34,400 it's it's it's a very tough question because we've got a limit uh the school 34 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:38,640 can only take so many students and you don't want to get into a problem where 35 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:42,519 oh you've added 200 houses and you've added 200 students and now we have to 36 00:02:40,239 --> 00:02:46,959 add on so we try to look at all of those things as we move 37 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:51,280 forward uh obviously Deerfield is not the only housing project there are other 38 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:56,720 things in the planning stages uh so it'll be interesting to see here in the 39 00:02:52,959 --> 00:03:00,959 next uh while what does come forward so uh and we I mean we'd love to hear from 40 00:02:59,239 --> 00:03:05,640 from the towns people what's their perspective how do they want to see 41 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:09,080 Argus grow yep uh and in doing that that brings up another another thing that 42 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:14,040 we're working on we're updating our comp plan uh our comprehension plan is 43 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:19,799 basically a strategic plan it's what we use to to grow uh it shows the areas we 44 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:25,959 want growth to be uh kind of the mix of what we need uh what we need to do to 45 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:30,599 move forward so uh as Joe said it kind of gives you a chance to tell us what 46 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:34,599 you need and during that process will be a couple different surveys that will be 47 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:38,519 sent out that will need to be taken uh the first one will be roughly the end of 48 00:03:36,519 --> 00:03:42,599 March 1 of April you'll see information on that we ask please and this is 49 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:47,959 everybody in the AR Community please fill those surveys out uh that'll help 50 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:51,840 us get us information and and by all means just because we put in there you 51 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:55,920 know we need ABC Warehouse that doesn't mean that's going to come obviously 52 00:03:54,120 --> 00:04:01,760 within perspective there are things that need done uh but the town is very 53 00:03:58,519 --> 00:04:06,680 limited on what can do uh private business is what sparks everything and 54 00:04:05,079 --> 00:04:10,640 and that doesn't always go the way we want but we try what we can do and and 55 00:04:08,799 --> 00:04:15,359 go from there but like I said that'll be coming here over the next few months so 56 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:20,160 we will need assistance in completing that so uh the other thing we want to 57 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:25,680 talk about today and some people may not know this but in 58 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:32,000 2022 the town of Vargus was awarded a $700,000 okra Grant okra is the office 59 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:39,560 of community rural Affairs uh we applied for that Grant to do uh water tower 60 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:44,759 maintenance keep and we replaced some some water mains and lines around town y 61 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:48,880 uh you obviously know the areas running the water department that we put all 62 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:52,919 those lines so yeah well I mean we did new water extension main extension um 63 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:59,840 down North Maple Street all the way to Marshall Street um that was huge we got 64 00:04:55,759 --> 00:05:04,120 rid of an old 2-inch galvanized line which if you don't know we're going 65 00:05:01,759 --> 00:05:11,000 through this new lead survey through Indiana uh Department of um management 66 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:15,680 and uh it's it's huge uh getting rid of that we put a 6inch water main we Loop 67 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:20,600 the whole entire system from Michigan Street down Marshall all the way up 68 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:25,120 North Maple so it's all one giant Loop which is wonderful for fire protection 69 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:30,520 and you know helps our ISO raing out immensely we added in two hydrants uh 70 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,800 it's just a huge project which you know shout out to the town of 71 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:39,000 Argus it took us two and a half days to do so well and some of those is with any 72 00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:42,960 project as you know and I I totally get it uh some of those streets were tore up 73 00:05:40,759 --> 00:05:46,479 for some time yeah but obviously we had to plan when we did these projects to be 74 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:51,479 able to come back through and pave in that same year correct and you know 75 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:58,720 that's why we sorry about that that's why we did uh we do what we do y um you 76 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:04,880 know uh especially with the with the Stella Grant for the sidewalks and yep 77 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:09,639 and oh Stellar was uh some of those were ochre projects also that was amazing I 78 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:14,919 mean that's basically what paid for your downtown Square it it did the upgrades 79 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:20,080 of Folker Park uh and one portion we've not got completed yet is sidewalks along 80 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:23,720 State Road 10 yeah that that project has been slow uh there's been some funding 81 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:28,360 issues but hopefully at some point it will get completed Y and with the soer 82 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:33,199 grant we did a whole new water line got another rid of another lying down on 83 00:06:30,479 --> 00:06:37,880 South Street West South Street all the way around to Short Street back up 84 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:43,919 Broadway which is another huge Loop um we put an 8 inch ductal iron water M 85 00:06:40,039 --> 00:06:49,199 through there um and got rid of a 2in I mean 2- in was feeding 11 houses and now 86 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:52,720 we have it all at 8 in added a fire hydrant again I think that helped the 87 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:58,400 water pressure that helped the water pressure immensely down in that area um 88 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:04,080 have nothing but good good you know like I said it took a while to get the uh the 89 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:09,919 street repaired and paved en Paving did it this year and U new curbs but uh it 90 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:14,680 looks wonderful down there it's amazing all new water taps to each house there's 91 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:18,319 11 houses on a 2-inch line it was amazing that nobody ever called in and 92 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:23,639 complained about water pressure I get that I get that so those are are just a 93 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:27,360 few of the things going on but one of the main topics today the reason we we 94 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:34,280 wanted to come to you as you can see Joe is bright and yellow yes right today is 95 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:40,440 a is a very happy day but also a sad day in the town of Argus sad day a sad day 96 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:46,599 for myself how many 3 33 years Joe stone is retiring from the town of Argus uh 97 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:50,639 today is actually his last day uh 33 years that's kind of a long time that's 98 00:07:48,199 --> 00:07:55,280 a very long time but I started when I was very young and that's a rarity in 99 00:07:53,199 --> 00:08:02,759 today's age that that is somebody stays at one job for that long that is so so 3 100 00:07:59,919 --> 00:08:09,599 years wow the things I've seen I'm not even that old yeah you are oh okay sorry 101 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:13,800 so uh I mean most people probably know you uh and know you've been here I mean 102 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:19,319 I I doubt there's many that don't know you but uh there's some there's some new 103 00:08:17,639 --> 00:08:23,319 people I don't know I mean you've lived here that that entire time probably your 104 00:08:21,159 --> 00:08:28,280 whole life pretty much yeah I've like I said moved into Argus so you have uh 105 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:35,760 when I was six months old and been here ever since yeah so married you are 106 00:08:31,759 --> 00:08:39,039 course married for 30 years so and that's Amy with a Y we Amy with a you 107 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:44,959 don't want to confuse that with with Andy's Amy with two e yeah big Amy 108 00:08:41,599 --> 00:08:48,760 little Amy so yep and and you you've blessed our our town and our schools 109 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:52,560 with how many kids five five kids yes five kids so and you've added you've 110 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:57,920 added a son-in-law at least right yeah I've had one son-in-law you got kids are 111 00:08:55,320 --> 00:09:03,320 all graduated born raised here in Argus graduated life life is good then oh 112 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:06,680 life's wonderful here so moving on you moving on what what does that bring what 113 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:13,200 are you what are you looking to do now I have no idea okay I I just uh I knew it 114 00:09:10,399 --> 00:09:17,440 was time to go um because I guess that's what I should say we call that 115 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:21,320 retirement but yeah not going to not do anything it's great to have options I've 116 00:09:19,279 --> 00:09:24,680 had a lot I can list all your future jobs that that Doug Middleton's found 117 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:28,399 for you but that that may not be we don't have enough time yeah Doug Doug's 118 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:33,279 been Doug's been wonderful and trying to find me a job on the outside but uh so I 119 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,640 guess one of my questions I always try to ask people and you've been here your 120 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:39,640 whole life I've been here my whole life I can answer it one way and you're going 121 00:09:37,959 --> 00:09:45,839 to answer a different way I'm sure but why Argus uh it's just a great Community 122 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:50,360 I mean great school system you know uh great services that the town offers when 123 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:54,800 I first started here we we didn't chip limbs we brought that service in we 124 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:59,519 didn't pick up leaves when when I first started here people burn their leaves uh 125 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:04,160 along the curbs which you know the entire town was under a smoke Hazard for 126 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:10,000 a while but um and so we brought in leaf leaf leaf 127 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:15,760 pickup and uh tree trimming we took trees down for people that needed it um 128 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:19,440 we don't do that much anymore you know the entire Town's getting old we're 129 00:10:18,079 --> 00:10:24,240 getting old the whole Workforce is getting old well you know but we brought 130 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:28,720 in a lot of services and did a lot of we poured all of our own sidewalks we did 131 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:33,560 all of our own sidewalk repair and I mean Jamie and I Jamie Lindstrom our 132 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:37,399 superintendent now but back then it was him and I and two part-time kids and we 133 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:41,519 put in every bit almost every bit of the sidewalk that was in the town of Argus 134 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:46,399 and you've seen a lot of amenity changes in that time FR yeah a lot I mean look 135 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:50,040 at we've added Community Park Community Park was not there when you started n it 136 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:56,040 wasn't started you know it was just one big giant field and you know I had to do 137 00:10:53,120 --> 00:11:01,959 all the mowing back then so fulker park that wasn't there it was just one 138 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:06,120 big one big giant field and you know we added two ponds together I was there 139 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:10,959 when we cut the two coun pond with Zer Pond and we cut it out dredged it all 140 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:15,959 out and put it all one giant Pond you know BP wasn't here when I first started 141 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:20,440 Casey's General Store wasn't here you know I mean there's there's been a lot 142 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:25,399 of growth since I've started here so what uh in looking at all of that I'm 143 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:29,880 going to ask you a simple question what direction would you like to see I would 144 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:34,320 like to see I mean I bleed black and gold everybody 145 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:40,240 knows that uh coached at The Argus Community Schools for started out at 146 00:11:37,279 --> 00:11:44,600 Junior High elementary basketball then went to Junior High soccer to high 147 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:49,079 school soccer to college one year at College back to high school soccer and 148 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:55,680 and I'm still here coaching I retired from the girls program soccer and they 149 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:59,959 coach lacrosse is it yeah I got swindled into doing 150 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:03,800 lacrosse so um the high school coach here at Argus LA and I would agree with 151 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:09,200 that I I get that I mean school is everything the school is our backbone so 152 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:13,959 I'd love to see growth where I mean we have growth we've had a lot of houses 153 00:12:10,959 --> 00:12:18,000 bought in Argus here lately but some of them you know some of them have been 154 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:23,920 retired people wanting to come in and move in and you know I I just love to 155 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:29,680 see to see growth where our school get does get bigger and you know yep and I 156 00:12:27,519 --> 00:12:35,240 and I think uh one of our I would say one of our disadvantages one 157 00:12:31,639 --> 00:12:40,519 of the hardest things in in development uh working towards making your town 158 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:43,480 better is trying to retain those students that they come back and it's 159 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,440 not just here I mean it's everywhere most students where they go to high 160 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:53,160 school they do not end up in life and I get that yeah uh trying to if we could 161 00:12:49,399 --> 00:12:58,199 hit 20% I would be happy agree but Argus is it's a great school I mean and it's a 162 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:03,639 tough school you know I mean I got one one boy Vincent he's lives in Wisconsin 163 00:13:01,279 --> 00:13:09,199 now he's a police officer up there you know so he left Argus and I mean he in a 164 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:13,800 big city of Jamesville Wisconsin it's a size of to put it relatively it's a 165 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:19,240 little bit bigger than what mishal is you know so he's he's doing a wonderful 166 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:24,639 job up there and you know I mean artists get you ready for life and that's what 167 00:13:21,519 --> 00:13:29,760 we want well good well 33 years has been nice so yeah it's been wonderful okay 168 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:36,320 our our next few topics before we we wrap it up for today uh just some 169 00:13:32,519 --> 00:13:40,320 upcoming things uh I wanted to hit on uh event wise our next event's probably 170 00:13:38,399 --> 00:13:45,279 going to be the Easter egg hunt in the Memorial Park in April uh we're kind of 171 00:13:42,839 --> 00:13:50,600 in that that winter time we're not much is going on but we did want to hit on 172 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:54,880 that uh a couple other points today uh I know trash has been a big topic uh if 173 00:13:53,360 --> 00:14:00,720 you can if you've driven around town you're seeing red cans uh obviously back 174 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:05,120 at the end of last year the town uh their contract was up with the Republic 175 00:14:02,519 --> 00:14:10,519 so we quoted out trash service uh and the Town Council made the decision to 176 00:14:07,759 --> 00:14:14,360 change uh the only big difference I see between the two right now that is hard 177 00:14:12,199 --> 00:14:19,480 for people to get used to trash is Thursday recycles every other 178 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:24,759 Friday uh if you do have any problems by all means please reach out to the town 179 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:30,079 office uh they will assist you in any way that they can uh to try to get this 180 00:14:27,639 --> 00:14:34,560 this uh change over to make it smooth as possible uh I've had no problems I've 181 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:38,600 had no no complaints the only thing I am seeing I see a lot of people still do 182 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:43,480 they will not take trash that is left on the ground you have to have all of your 183 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:47,199 trash in the container yes uh I sorry that but they are not getting out with 184 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:52,160 their trucks uh and I have noticed they're pretty stinging on on 185 00:14:49,959 --> 00:14:56,120 Recycle uh so on the top of the the container it says basically what they 186 00:14:53,880 --> 00:15:03,800 will and won't take so please check that out uh and make their job easier but uh 187 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:09,160 the last topic today is kind of an a a growth thing I think moving forward into 188 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:14,600 the the 2st century uh the town of Argus has recently signed on to add a phone 189 00:15:12,199 --> 00:15:18,000 app so in the next month or so you'll see information coming about how to get 190 00:15:16,519 --> 00:15:22,399 signed up for that once it's up and running uh but I think that'll be a 191 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:26,360 great tool and asset for our town uh being able to send out 192 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:30,519 notifications uh being able to to let people know what events are going on 193 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:35,360 obviously any emergencies any situations like that uh with this currently we use 194 00:15:32,959 --> 00:15:39,480 a a service called reach alert uh that will be ending it'll last most of this 195 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:45,000 year but this new service will actually have a phone and email notification or 196 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:48,560 an SMS notification with it uh so we'll just have to assist people in getting 197 00:15:46,319 --> 00:15:54,360 signed up for that uh but we hope it's going to be a good tool for the town and 198 00:15:51,399 --> 00:15:57,880 keep us up and running so uh that was pretty much all I had in this episode 199 00:15:55,839 --> 00:16:01,959 Joe I know we'll be back another day oh yeah we have a lot a lot of topics to 200 00:16:00,079 --> 00:16:06,199 talk about we have fire territory we can talk about I mean um come one of the 201 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:10,480 next episodes I can tell you maybe not the next but down the pike will be the 202 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:14,800 uh R screen Development Corporation yep I'll probably have Ron Lee from B there 203 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:19,079 dump that come in with us and talk and it'll be a good yep I think it'll be a 204 00:16:16,839 --> 00:16:22,639 good thing so uh just so everybody knows today remember is a great day Joe's 205 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:26,519 leaving us uh but he's not going anywhere he'll still no I'll still be 206 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:30,240 living here in Argus I'm not leaving but what can we say everything's going good 207 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:35,480 everything's great I guess until next time I'm Mark and I'm Joe there we go 208 00:16:32,839 --> 00:16:35,480 see you later