Out with the old...the new is up and running
by Trinity Gruenberg
The old Verndale water tower came down on Tuesday, July 12. The landmark’s removal forever changed the familiar skyline.
The new water tower has been up and running since the end of June.
Iseler Demolition was brought in to dismantle the tower. The crew began by removing the roof, cutting the tank into four pieces, as well as the base around the shaft for the water. The balcony and legs were cut and removed in sections. The sections were placed on the road in front of city hall where the ground crew made quick work of chopping the metal into smaller pieces with long torches. It was then placed in dumpsters to be transported to a scrap metal and recycling facility.
As much as residents wished to see the top of the tower saved, it just wasn’t feasible and would have cost much more to do that.
Public Works Supervisor Matt Uselman shared he had received many calls and people stopping by to ask if they were going to save the Pirate head logos and what they were going to do with them. Both of the logos were saved.
Uselman explained that one will probably go to the museum, potentially the building in the park, once it is cleaned up and the rough edges are taken care of. He will discuss options with the city council on their thoughts of what to do with the second one and they may potentially sell it. . .