Italy — When conducting business in downtown Italy, be sure to look up at our town’s water tower to check the progress of the R&K Sandblasting & Paint crew out of Bremond, Texas.

With the City of Italy’s water superintendent, Dean Carrell, overseeing the beautification effort, a fresh coat of paint is covering rust stains and returning the tower to its original glory.

Carrell, is working with Kasey Montgomery and Barry Byers from Monolithic Constructors, Inc. of Italy to create a 25 foot wide template to add “Gladiators” underneath the 19.7 foot wide “Italy” that currently serves as our town’s ultimate billboard.

The tower itself stands about 130 feet tall and is part of several city-wide water renovation projects covered under the $22.00 Water Debt Service bond which went into effect on October 1, 2011. The current installation of the new Smart Meters throughout the city is also part of the bond.