Weiser Vendome reopening for public use on May 30

By: 
Steve Lyon

Weiser’s Vendome Events Center will be allowed to host public gatherings in stage three of the governor’s four-stage plan for reopening as long as safety guidelines are met and there is no significant increase in coronavirus cases.
 Stage three of the governor’s Idaho Rebounds timeline begins on May 30. Under the reopening plan, restrictions will be eased on gatherings, both public and private. Groups of 10 to 50 people can gather as long as social distancing and precautionary measures can occur.
 Numerous events that are usually held in the Vendome every year have had to cancel due to the state’s restrictions on public gatherings over 10 people. Among the major events that could not be held was the crab feed, a major fundraiser for the Weiser Chamber of Commerce.
 The public can start making plans to use the Vendome beginning on May 30. The Weiser Chamber of Commerce manages the Vendome for the city. Call the Chamber office to reserve the Vendome.
 In stage four of the governor’s reopen plan, which begins on June 13, public gatherings of more than 50 people can occur as long as physical distancing is followed. Large venues can also open, such as movie theaters and sporting events.
 Weiser City Hall, the Vendome and the public library all closed on March 25 due to the stay-home order issued by the governor, which also closed all non-essential businesses. The Washington County Courthouse and county buildings also closed to the public on that date.
 Two months later, city and county officials are slowly trying to reopen facilities to the public, while maintaining health guidelines to curb the spread of coronavirus.
 City hall closed again to the public after allowing one person inside at a time in light of the additional coronavirus cases.  
 The county courthouse remains closed,  but the public can make appointments with county departments like the treasurer and assessor to conduct business.
 The Weiser public library was scheduled to open this week and limit the number of people inside at any one time to nine. That plan has changed following a meeting of the library’s board of trustees, library director Pat Hamilton said.
 The new date for reopening as far as book borrowing is Tuesday, May 26. The library won’t actually be open to the public. Instead, librarians will take orders for books from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
 The public can call to request books or reserve books online. They will be available for pickup the following morning in the foyer of the library in a bag with the borrower’s name on it. All other libraries are doing it this way, Hamilton said.
 With the warmer weather, the city has started twice-weekly trash pickup around town as a courtesy. The new schedule took effect on May 11. The city increases the frequency of trash removal to keep odors down during the summer months. There is no extra charge to residents.
 The city does not have an official date yet for opening the swimming pool at Memorial Park, but it will likely be sometime in stage three, when groups of up to 50 people can gather in one place.
 The city tries to open the pool around Memorial Day. The city plans to offer all of the pool programs it usually does with the exception of public swim lessons, pool rentals and limiting evening swims.
 

Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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