What started with a letter from Green resident Samantha Kelley to Green’s Mayor Dick Norton regarding the building of a Veteran’s Memorial Park is one step closer to completion today.
Kelley wrote to Norton after attending a memorial service with Les and Donna Kuglics the parents of Special Agent Matthew Kuglics who was killed in Iraq on June 5, 2007. She asked Donna if it would be OK if she wrote to the City regarding building a Veteran’s Memorial Park and Donna agreed. Kelley wrote the letter to Norton in July 2009 and by August the beginning ideas were taking shape. By October the Veteran’s Memorial Committee was formed.
The Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee is comprised of: John Dodovich, Mike Elkins, Samantha Kelley, Dave Hart, Lori Howerton, Justin Pratt, Joe Sheehan and Valerie Wolford. The committees’ responsibilities were to design the park, get a location for the park, fund it and build it. The committee formed a 503C not for profit organization to accept donations to build the $200,000 park. The committee has received more than $68,000 in donations; DRB systems recently donated $12,000, Park Honda/Acura, Toth Buick and Lockheed Martin have each donated $10,000;
Kuwatch & Co. has donated $2,000 and Riztman Pharmacy, SB Equities and Guiseppe's Pizza of Green have each donated $1,000.
When it came time to design the park Kelley explained that the Committee decided their mission was to “design a place of patriotism and pride.” Kelley continued, “I think we all started out thinking this was going to be something really small. Now it just knocks you over that someone thought of something this awesome!”
The beginning of 2010 the Committee held a contest to award the design contract to the best design and the design was awarded to Pod Design of Columbus. The park will have four distinct features: the Ribbon Walk, Honor Terrace, Celebration Lawn and Stories of Service Grove. The park will be located in conjunction with the John Torok Community and Senior Center and will be behind Fire Station #1 at Massillon and Steese Roads.
A sudden thunderstorm delayed the groundbreaking part of the ceremony but the Memorial Ceremony continued in the John Torok Community and Senior Center where three Green residents who have served in the armed forces were recognized: Speed Wilson, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and three-war veteran; Dick Goddard, a graduate of Green High, a Korean War U.S. Air Force veteran and current FOX 8 meteorologist; and Justin Pratt, a former U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant who served in Iraq is currently a Green firemedic and a member of the Veteran’s Memorial Park Committee.
The Park is scheduled for dedication on Veterans Day November 11, 2010.
For more information contact either Superintendent Mike Elkins at melkins@cityofgreen.org or Valerie Wolford at communications@cityofgreen.org or both can be reached at 330-896-6621.
