BonnerSprings.com

• Have you noticed the big machinery and workers along the railroad lines next to Front Street? Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific, said the work is part of the railroad’s more than $18.5 million project to enhance the rail line. The 69-mile project — Kansas City, Kan., to just west of Topeka — includes removing and installing nearly 64,600 ties and more than 18 miles of rail, as well as renewing the surfaces at 100 road crossings. Crews placed the new rail in November and have been working on the road crossing surfaces since August. The crossing surface projects should be completed by the end of December. The tie replacement project began Dec. 1 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.

• Deffenbaugh Industries reports that, with the holidays on the weekend this year, the trash pickup schedule following Christmas and New Year’s will not be delayed. The trucks will pick up both residential trash and recycle bins per the regular schedule on Monday, Dec. 26, and Tuesday, Dec. 27, and on Monday, Jan. 2 and Tuesday, Jan. 3. However, Deffenbaugh offices will be closed on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. We’ll try to get this reminder in this week’s paper.

• Forgot to mention last week that I went to the grand opening Thursday of Papa Murphy’s Pizza, 608 Tulip Drive. The take-and-bake chain recently was ranked as the No. 1 rated pizza chain in the country on Zagat’s Annual Fast Food Survey. While the Bonner Springs store has been open since mid-November, it had grand opening activities from Dec. 15 to 18. Some in Bonner may know the franchise owner Kelly Geist, who has worked in Bonner before, I believe for Subway. She was complimentary of all the Bonner residents she had hired and said she believed the franchises in the K-7/Kansas Avenue area needed to do more to support and promote downtown businesses.