More than a dozen people showed up for the planning meeting to re-purpose Village Pond Park as Veterans Park. The attendees included former Army and Air Force veterans as well as relatives of veterans. In addition, Mayor Pro Tem Leah Basile and Parks Commissioners Jim Rosenberg, Loretta Herrin and Victor Sheer were present. Among others were Col. Tom Cagley, Larissa Clark, and Bob Holtzclaw.
On Sept 5 the City Council agreed to allocate $100,000 for building the monument and associated costs. On that basis, the group discussed the details. Here is the general consensus –
· The area is designed for tranquility and reflection.
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· Simple and dignified is better.
· The area would be located closer to the street and away from the Butterfly Garden. This would give the area some “drive-by” recognition and also make it easier for people to detect any possible vandalism. It would also make it easier for disabled visitors.
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· The area should be designed to look like a part of the park and not an “add-on”.
· The memorial area should not be designed for picnics, eating, and other activities that would cause litter.
· There should be a formal memorial area and then an “overflow”area in case of events or large gatherings.
· Main events such as those held at the cemetery should remain at the cemetery, and not be transferred here.
· Some form of interactive technology would be desirable to provide information, especially if school children come by.
· The area should be made unattractive to ducks and geese.
There was some discussion about memorial “bricks” or “plagues” that people could purchase to honor a veteran. There was also discussion about the benefits and problems associated with having a flag pole and using night lighting. FWIW – this park, like the others in Lake Forest, is closed at night.
The next step will be for the designers to come back and offer their vision. A new date and time will be set.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.
Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a mini town meeting every month. The next meeting will be on Dec 2 at 2 pm at the El Toro Public Library.
