This Monday, Whitefish Bay will celebrate Memorial Day by dedicating the Veterans Memorial & Gardens at Armory Park.  The public is invited.

Officiated by Brigadier General Dunbar & Rev. Ray Stubbe, the ceremony begins at 11am.  

Armory Park is located on the corner of Lake and Henry Clay. 

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As a follow up to the Armory Park dedication, the Friends of the Whitefish Bay Library has arranged to have noted Wisconsin author, James Campbell, give a talk on Monday, June 1st at 7pm.

James Campbell, author of The Ghost Mountain Boys will discuss the book and expects to be joined in this talk by two Red Arrow veterans from the Oconomowoc area. The Red Arrow Division, more formally known at the 32nd Division, was principally made up of soldiers from Wisconsin and Michigan.

So why this guy?   The WFB Armory was part of the 32nd Division.  Ever notice all those Highway 32 signs on Lake Drive?   The full name is the 32nd Division Memorial Highway. 

Those little red arrows on the sign?  The 32nd Division's insignia was a red arrow.

The new Armory Park, from above, looks like an arrow.

I hope to see you Monday & Tuesday night!

Here's the run-down of the October 5th Trustee Meeting:

• Former WFB Trustee, current Milwaukee County Supervisor Joe Rice gave us a County Budget update.  To summarize: It's gone to hell in a handbasket.  It's a little premature to discuss, since County Exec Scott Walker just created Budget 1.0, and we've seen this movie before.  The County Supervisors will severely alter the budget in the next month.
   
• Also former WFB Trustee John Kearns dropped by to give an update on the Armory Park Memorial project. 
  
  The project has raised enough money to put shovels in the ground, and will complete significant parts before the ground freezes.
  
  Funds are still needed for example, for water access, to allow gardens .. so take a moment and consider a donation.  Click here for their donation form.
   
• We approved a contract for study of a Lake Drive Traffic Calming / Pedestrian Enhancement project.  The project will look at Lake Drive in its entirety as it runs through WFB, and suggest enhancements.  However -- since Lake is State trunk Highway 32, there are a number of typical traffic calming features that might not be approved by the State DOT.
   
• We were presented with 3 bids to tear down the Klode Park play structure and replace it with something from the same company that manufactured the Cahill structure.   The reason for this change is to comply with ADA regulations to make playgrounds more handicapped accessible.  -- Most of the funds for this comes from CDBG grants.
  
  However.   A number of Trustees, myself included, were hoping for a better option, whereby the playground would be added to, instead of replaced.  The current structure is less than 15 years old, and was donated by many generous families, as memorial plaques attest.   It would be a shame if we tore it all down, and I assume some or all who donated would be displeased.
  
  One aspect of the new playground is that the wood chips would be removed, to be replaced by rubber mats, which are more wheelchair friendly.  This complicates the possibility of keeping the old structure, since significant ground prep is needed to install the mats.
  
  In the end, the project was tabled, and we'll give Village staff a week to rethink, and hopefully propose something with a middle ground.  (Villager thoughts?)
   
• We spent several hours combing through the Village's Comprehensive Plan.  Take a look at it, it's quite impressive, documenting WFB's characteristics, yielding recommendations for the future.  Public input for the plan has been ongoing, and a Public Hearing is scheduled in two weeks.

Two pieces of news today:

The Armory Park Project has had a productive summer. In the past two weeks, a number of donations and pledges have arrived, including a sizable bequest.

The project is now $5,000 away from their goal to start construction. That's outstanding news, especially in this economy.

If you are interested in joining the many other donors, please visit the project website at www.ArmoryPark.Org or click here for a donation form or send a check, made out to "Friends of Armory Park" to: Friends of Armory Park / PO Box 170344, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217.

If you have any questions about the project, contact John Kearns at armorypark@sbcglobal.net

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Also .. a week ago, the Whitefish Bay Board of Trustees voted to allow the Police Department to move staff around to create a School Resource Officer. One has been chosen.

Officer Dave Hryniewicki has been assigned as the Whitefish Bay School Resource Officer, who will begin his new role near the beginning of school.

From the Chief: "The PD believes that this assignment is very important for developing better relationships with school staff, students and parents, and has the potential to have a significant positive impact in dealing with youth related problems."

Many have asked about the status of the Amory Park project. Last week, I contacted John Kearns, one of the leaders of the project and he sent me a status update:
 

We are writing to update you on the grassroots effort to honor the sacrifice made by local veterans of our armed services.

Two successful mail campaigns in 2006 & 2007 generated contributions and a tree planting ceremony was conducted in November 2007. Since that time we have sought additional personal and corporate funds and our balance continues to grow. As of June 2009 we are heading into the final stages of fund raising with the target date of construction by the end of 2009.

The Veterans’ monument and memorial gardens at Whitefish Bay Armory Park is designed as a place of education, a place of healing and hope, a place of peace, serenity and beauty. Features will include benches encircling a flag pole, memorial gardens and donor plaques on walls constructed from bricks reclaimed from the former armory. The project has been designed by local architect Jim French and is representative of the 32nd Red Arrow Division.

Nearly 240 current and former residents of Whitefish Bay have already made significant contributions to the Memorial at Armory Park. Now is the time for everyone in the community to join in and support this worthy project before it’s construction this fall. All gifts are tax deductible and can be made to The Friends of Armory Park, LLC. Contributions will be used to complete the Memorial Project as well as establish an endowment fund to maintain the Memorial.

Please take the time today to visit the website www.ArmoryPark.Org and click on the Contribute tab for your gift, in memory of a special friend or family member, or in honor of all of those who have served our Nation defending freedom at home and abroad.

Thank you for your generous support!

It's clear that raising money during this recession has been a challenge. Hopefully, this last push for donations will get the project to its final stage.

If you are interested in joining the many other donors, please visit the project website at www.ArmoryPark.Org or click here for a donation form.

If you have any questions about the project, contact John Kearns at armorypark@sbcglobal.net

Here's a video of what the project should look like: