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CJE, Mayor want to build a veterans park in Columbia Possible locations being studied: Adair County Fairgrounds. At a new park on the out skirts of Columbia. Near downtown, but likelihood of finding suitable, available location is not great By Ed Waggener It was a proposal Adair County Judge Executive Ann Melton made in her 2006 campaign election campaign: To build a park in Adair County commemorating the service of Adair County Veterans. Now, Adair County Mayor Pat Bell has told her that he's behind the effort, and will work to have the City of Columbia help with the venture. Park could be similar to one in Liberty, KY The park would be, in tone, along the lines of the Veterans Memorial Park in Liberty, KY, on a triangular plot of ground one block north of the square at an intersection Hustonville ST and KY 49. The CJE, Mayor Bell, Economic Development Executive Director Sue Stivers, and Richard Lee Walker visited the site on a recent visit to Frankfort, and all came away impressed. Judge Melton and Mayor Bell are now looking for sites which would be appropriate. Judge Melton has asked the VFW about the possibility of putting the park at the Adair County Fairgounds, but hasn't yet heard of their decision. Another possibility, Judge Melton said, is for the park to be built at the entrance of an as yet not constructed City-County Park. Talks are scheduled to begin between the City's Parks and Recreation Board and the County to make a new park system a reality, and the veterans park would be a feature of it. A near downtown location would be considered And finally, Judge Melton said, "I would welcome a location within walking distance of the Square." That seems to have worked at the Liberty park .The park need not be big. The Liberty park is on one-third of an acre. It was on land the city already owned. Judge Melton had not thought of where a downtown park might be built, but said it would be nice if there were land available near Lindsey Wilson College, or the Trabue House. The park in Liberty was first proposed 10 years ago, Liberty Mayor Steve Sweeney said in a recent telephone interview. The City committed a large part of the cost, including $20,000 for the lot and $20,000 to put top soil on the lot and raise it above street level. Prior to the site preparation, the lot was covered with creek gravel. Liberty park has exact replica of Liberty Bell The expenses for laying all the stone, lighting, and flags was $90,000 and additional features amounted to $60,000. An exact replica of the Liberty Bell was placed in the park at a cost of $53,000, but most of that was paid through donations, Mayor Sweeney said. The bell is rung on special occasions. "It was made in England," Mayor Sweeney said, "by the same people who forged the original Liberty Bell for Philadelphia." Judge Melton thought that an Adair County Park might be built for a total around cost ranging from $100,000 to $200,000. "We wouldn't have a Liberty bell," she said, "that's something which really fits in the City of Liberty. We might have a fountain, or monument, but either of those probably wouldn't cost more than half what the Liberty bell did." She did not say how much she thought ought to come from the county, from the city, and from donations and fundraisers, but did say that the Liberty, KY, financing model would be a good one to follow. She said that she thought the county would be able to fund a sizable portion of the cost, if magistrates are so inclined. Walls of stones honoring individual veterans paid for by individuals. The LIberty park incorporates, at present, two walls made out of individually inscribed blocks. The first wall contains approximatly 1,300 blocks. A second one has around 200. Mayor Sweeney said that a third wall to be built will bring the total to 1,700. Each of the blocks is paid for by someone who wants to honor an individual serviceman. The cost to the donor is $65.00, Mayor Sweeney said. The sale was made by the local Chamber of Commerce and VFW as fundraisers. "They got $30 on each sale," he said. "It helped the organization and it helped the park." The Veterans Park at Liberty is not for recreation. "It's a place of reverence," Mayor Sweeney said. "It's where people go to meditate and remember." Because of that, vandalism has not been a problem, he said. Park is a jewel in a bustling, beautiful community The park has been a jewel in the Liberty repositioning itself as a beautiful, bustling destination community. The 33 year old Casey County Apple Festival at Liberty is one of the Commonwealth's premier celebrations. The huge Central Kentucky Agriculture Exposition Center is a multi-county draw situated south of Liberty on US 127. And a new southside bypass, with a long bridge over Green River, will soon be open to connect KY 70 with US 27. Signage in Liberty has been upgraded for downtown streets, parking lots, and public buildings. The community has a new Casey County Hospital. And now it has plans for two significant bridges. "We're going to build walking bridges from the town south to the island in Green River," Mayor Sweeney said, "and then another one on the south side of the island so people can walk all the way from downtown to the Agricultural Exposition Center." Downtown location of Veterans Park desirable, but not probable That intrigues Judge Melton and Mayor Bell as well. They both have expressed interest in building a walking bridge from Lindsey Wilson to the Square, a span which would be both symbolic and highly functional, especially if ongoing talks between the local government leaders and the college help establish a physical presence for Lindsey Wilson College on the Square. If a Veterans Park could somehow be shoehorned into the area between Lindsey and Downtown, that would be great, Judge Melton said, but doesn't see, yet, much possibility of that happening. Park gets a lot of use at Liberty The Liberty park gets a lot of use, Mayor Sweeney said. "We've been very pleased with what it has done to improve downtown Liberty, and with the number of people who go to it." And, most importantly, it pays tribute to people who deserve the utmost respect, the people who have placed their lives on the line to protect America. "I don't think we can do too much to honor our service people," Judge Melton said. This story was posted on 2008-12-09 18:20:44
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