VFW to work on veteran memorial
Staff writer
Marion VFW’s vision of a countywide veteran memorial inched closer to reality Monday when county commissioners designated a location at the county park and lake and agreed to have it surveyed.
Warren Kreutziger said the effort to make a memorial has been the VFW’s idea for a long time.
“Since seven years ago we have wanted to establish a countywide veterans memorial,” he said. “Seven years ago, when we first brought it up, we went to the county lake because that’s county property. The county was all for it and designated an area, but we haven’t done anything since.”
Getting the land surveyed is an important step, Kreutziger said.
“We can’t apply for any grants or ask anybody for help until we know how much property we have to work with,” he said.
After the VFW knows how much space it will have, members will be able to plan exactly what to build. Then VFW can apply for grants to help pay for the memorial.
Commissioners chose an area south of Lakeshore Dr. and west of Upland Dr. intersection.
County clerk Tina Spencer suggested a flag retirement fire pit near the memorial.
David Crofoot suggested naming the lake road that goes past it Memorial Dr. and its loop Memorial Circle.
Lake supervisor Isaac Hett told commissioners a woman had asked permission to hold a formal military memorial ceremony at the lake.
Commissioners said they were fine with it but recommended that the sheriff’s office be notified before the ceremony.
Spencer recommended that the request come to the county as an application for a special event permit. Such applications automatically go through the sheriff’s department, she said.
“There is a $50 fee that goes with a special event permit, if the commission wants to waive that,” Spencer said.