Afton prepares for summer events in June

AFTON - Afton City Council approved on Tuesday a multitude of permits and road closures to suit the needs of summer activities being hosted by community organizations.

The Afton Community Club received alcohol permits for their Tuesday Night in the Park events. These events use the square park in the center of town to host a variety of public shows, from music performances to kids nights where children can play and make crafts. The first night will take place Tuesday, June 4 with a musical performance by Roger Burger.

Four events on the summer schedule for Tuesday Night in the Park are classified as adult nights; a feature of these nights will allow attendees to bring their own alcoholic beverages in the park. Children would still not be allowed to consume alcohol, and the Afton Community Club reported never having a problem with underage drinking.

Road closure signs will be given to the Afton Community Club for the street dance scheduled for Saturday, June 29. The event will bring the Afton community to Kansas Street as part of the Kansas Street Boogie and will feature music by local community band Garett and the Relics.

The council also approved street closures for around the square on Sunday, June 30 for the Afton Lions Club’s Pre-4th Celebration. The event will bring vendors, fundraisers, a car show, kids activities and live music to celebrate the weekend before the Fourth of July.

A 14 Day Class C Alcohol License for the Mud Volleyball Fundraiser in Union County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 8 was also approved. The tournament, officially known as Play for the Palace, will be raise funds for construction of a playground on the fairgrounds. Teams who signup online will spend the day competing while also raising funds for a community cause. More information can be found on the Play for the Palace Facebook page.

The council also reviewed and approved construction related to the splash pad in the park square. A fence will be built along with a sidewalk around the splash pad. An additional extension was proposed which would have built a sidewalk and extended the fence to the end of the square. This extension was deemed too expensive and potentially dangerous for children, with claims that it could encourage children to run out onto the street.

In other Afton city council news...

The board approved an alternate work schedule for the lone Afton maintenance employee Jesse Shade, moving his hours to a four-day week. Shade’s schedule gives him four 10-hour days for regular maintenance across the city from Monday through Thursday while still being on call for emergencies. Shade cited East Union Schools’s move to a four-day schedule as an inspiration and claimed the move would be more efficient for the city.

Council discussed the availability of the Afton WiFi Center with the Afton Development Corporation after an incident where three 10-12-year-old boys vandalized the property. Restrictions on the property regarding when the building will be available were left to be decided by the Afton Development Corporation. The three boys were sentenced to 10 hours of community service left to the digression of the Afton Police Chief, who will decide the schedule and service for the kids.

More discussions were held over the regulation of livestock permits. Comparisons to livestock as pets were made, regarding the fees and medical care that is required to own a pet. The council has discussed changes to livestock permits since March when residents were sent letters with new livestock permits for updated information.

The basketball court in the Afton square will have a new look by the end of the summer as Afton council has approved its conversion into a local pickleball court. The ongoing project has been developed since November 2023 and will see the basketball court refloored with a springy material and a net to complete the pickleball transformation. The project has been championed by councilmember Steve Kinyon.