By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

CLAYPOOL — A Claypool resident asked about police presence during the Lions Club’s monthly fish fries at the town council’s March 16 meeting.

Jack Warren with the Claypool Lions Club said there’s been an officer stationed on each side of town pulling people over during the fish fries.

Town Marshal Ben Sanders said the Claypool Police Department has received complaints about people speeding in town whenever the fish fries are held.

“I had five complaints in early January about speeders,” said Sanders. “We sat out there, stopped 22 cars in excess of 45 mph in a 30 mph zone. The fastest car coming in to the fish fry was 62 mph. They were afraid there would be no fish by the time they got there.”

During March’s fish fry, the first vehicle Sanders stopped coming into town was traveling 59 mph in a 30 mph zone. Out of 22 speeders stopped in January and 12 in February, Sanders said a total of two tickets were written; however, the two tickets were related to seatbelt violations.

“I give everyone a warning for speed,” said Sanders. “I look at everyone’s history; everyone got a warning for speeding. I didn’t write a single speeding ticket. The main complaint was the most traffic that occurs is during the fish fry. We just want to make sure people understand that they need to slow down coming into town. And you need to slow down leaving town.”

Council President Benny Stage Jr. said he appreciates the Lions Club for everything they do for the community and that their events are not being targeted by police.

“It’s nothing to do with the fish fries,” said Sanders. “It has to do with the traffic times in town and the traffic picks up big time during your fish fries. I apologize if it seems like I am targeting the Lions Club, but I am not.”

In other business, the council further explained its reasonings for increasing burial expenses at Graceland Cemetery. The council raised the rates during its February meeting.

“There hasn’t been an increase for quite some time on burials,” said Stage. “It had gotten to the point where we had funeral directors keep asking us, ‘Are you sure that’s your price?’ because we were so far under everybody else around.”

Council Member Liz Heiman said the town hires someone with a backhoe to dig graves at the cemetery. This is due to the town’s backhoe needing replaced.

“There’s a lot of times where we have to come in and have someone dig for us,” said Stage.

Council also:

• Announced that the town’s spring clean-up will take place on April 14.
• Heard that grave decorations at Graceland Cemetery must be removed by April 1; they can be replaced on May 1.

The council’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20.