Farmers market kicks off busy month in Jackson

May is another busy month in the city of Jackson. The farmers market is starting its season today. It will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday in the City Park by the band shell. There will be approximately 12 vendors selling craft items and produce.

The St. Louis Iron Mountain Railroad has already started its season with a train ride on April 27 and the grand opening of its Gift Shop and Railroad Museum -- appropriately set up in a railroad car. They will have train rides every Saturday through December, with charter trains also available. The schedule for May includes a celebration of National Train Day on May 11, a Zoo Train on May 18, and a James Gang Robbery on May 25.

Cruisin' Jackson also started its season in April, and they will be in uptown Jackson between the courthouse and county administration building the second Saturday of every month through October. Special events are planned in conjunction with some of the car shows.

Uptown Jackson has just about everything you need to plan a wedding, from getting a license at the county recorder of deeds to getting married a block or two away at one of our various uptown churches. The upcoming Uptown Evening for Brides will highlight "all that pertains to weddings" and will be held on South High St. in uptown Jackson from 5 to 9 p.m. May 23. More than 30 vendors from throughout the region will be offering products and services for weddings, brides-to-be, and newlyweds. The admission fee is only $5. Prospective brides will receive a tote bag and the opportunity to visit with all vendors and enter the drawings for door prizes. There will also be "mini classes" related to weddings. The event is being presented by the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization and is sponsored by several local businesses.

As is our tradition, the Jackson swimming pool will be opening on May 25, the Memorial Day weekend. The pool will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. A schedule for swimming lessons and other pool events can be picked up at City Hall, or you can visit our website at www.jacksonmo.org.

May is also a busy month for our schools. Sports teams are participating in district and sectional events to gain eligibility for state competition. The elementary schools are all going on field trips. Of course, the biggest event for the schools is high school graduation. Students -- and teachers -- are ready for school to be out for the summer.

Even though we have all these fun things going on, our regular work still goes on here at City Hall. The five-year cycle for our Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System [MS4] permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources [MDNR] needs to be renewed. Even though we do yearly reports regarding our compliance with MDNR requirements, staff engineer Erica Bogenpohl is still required to do extensive revisions to our stormwater management plan, a detailed 50-page document.

Barbara Lohr is the mayor of Jackson.