5.a) Report - Veterans MemorialSTAFF REPORT
Date: April 11, 2016
To: Parks and Recreation Committee
From: Terry Gorham
Re: Veterans Memorial
Veterans Memorial Update
Here is an update regarding the Veterans memorial. My intent is to explain a few points that can help
drive our questions for Dave Wilson at the next PRC meeting.
I met with the Veterans Memorial group on April 11.
The original concept was approved by the PRC and council in July of 2015.
Design is getting close. The intent is to have the memorial blend in with the natural background of the
park, with low maintenance grounds. I visited the site with Dave Wilson and Randal Simonson on April
17. The site flows to the north from the parking area, and is adjacent to the trail entrance. It faces
south, with the focus on someone walking up to it from the parking lot.
Planning appears to be going along well. Various members of the committee have been visiting other
locations with similar memorials for ideas. They have settled on a three pillar design with an honor wall
behind it, similar to a memorial located in River Falls WI. The middle pillar will have a yet TBD
inscription, the pillars on the sides will display service emblems to represent the military branches, and
the honor wall will include bricks with veteran's names. There is a good drawing in this article from the
Country Messenger.
Country Messenger link.
The area is currently marked off. I have added a picture for your reference, I would encourage you to
stop by and have a look before our next meeting. Gives you a better feel.
There remain some details in the final design, to include final landscaping, final bench layout, and use of
some additional donated quarry stones from Bruce Swenson. Also, as we discussed at the 4-4 meeting,
some additional fill will be required, and I am unsure if this has been fully funded/ arranged.
The project is about %2 funded, driven by the memorial committee. Additional funding is expected from
these sources:
There is a May 21 benefit at Meisters. Members of the memorial committee stated that
Meisters has stepped up nicely as a partner in the fund raiser, with proceeds from the Classic car
show going to the memorial. This includes staging for an 80 -mile motorcycle ride, with $17 of
the $25 entry fee going to the memorial and all '2nd rider' fees contributed 100%.
The purchase of bricks for $100 each in honor of a veteran, to be displayed on the honor
wall. The veteran may be living or deceased, from any branch of the service, and need not be
residents or past residents of Scandia or the surrounding area.
There is the desire to have the honor wall in place by July 4. That is pretty aggressive, even if PRC and
council approval is given in the May meetings.
I hope this helps frame the discussion and help you formulate questions. Let me know if there are
additional questions I can attempt to answer.
Terry