Members move meeting location as memorial work nears

By Julia Wolf

The Holcombe Area Veterans Memorial Planning Committee voted to permanently move the location of their monthly meeting to the Lake Holcombe Town Hall, after trying the town hall during the March 18 meeting.

“It’s quieter here,” said Rick Mitchell, local veteran, of the Lake Holcombe Town Hall.

Dave Conrad, vice chairman of the committee, said either way, they should hold the meetings at the location yearround, to avoid confusion. With that in mind, members voted to move their regular meeting location to the Lake Holcombe Town Hall.

The committee also heard a building report. Conrad reported he met with local mason Paul Giencke, to discuss ideas for how to proceed with the memorial construction and doing the project in phases.

“We also discussed different types of stones,” said Conrad.

Conrad says Giencke doesn’t think field stone is going to work out for what the committee wants to do at the memorial site. Conrad says he also met with representatives of TRH Concrete Services, to talk about drainage at the site, removal of small trees at the site and compacting the site.

“We need to look at removing the vets sign,” said Conrad. “It’s now going to be in the way, along with the flag pole.”

Members also talked about reaching out to companies to get bids for electrical work at the site.

“In addition, I did contact Diggers Hotline,” said Dave Staudacher, committee treasurer.

Staudacher says the tentative start date for construction depends on when the road bans are lifted, with estimates for mid-April.

“If the road bans would, by any chance, go off earlier, then that date, they can step it up a little,” said Staudacher.

Judy Simpson, committee secretary, asked if they have an address for the site yet. Staudacher says they do not have an address yet, but do have a parcel number. Members agreed getting a fire number and driveway permits should be one of the next steps taken.

Members also talked about eligibility to be listed on the stone tablets. One of the eligibility requirements revisited during the meeting, was around the type of discharge the veterans received.

Conrad asked who receives Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and the committee agreed looking into that would be a good indication for who should be included on the wall.

Another eligibility requirement the committee looked at again, was a better definition of Holcombe ties. The wording includes those who went to Holcombe to school (may or may not have returned to Holcombe after school); moved to Holcombe or made Holcombe their home for some period of time; or worked or made their living in the Holcombe area for some period of time.

Conrad says he has heard concerns about whether people who only spend a few weeks per year in the Lake Holcombe School District, will be included or not.

“I think they need to be somewhat permanent residents,” said Conrad.

Rhonda Mataczynski, group member, added that even those who are not eligible to be on the tablets, can purchase legacy stones.

Jim Mataczynski, committee chairperson, suggested the phrasing around residency be changed to include that Holcombe should be their permanent address for some period of time.

“I think that’s fair,” said Conrad.

Final eligibility will be determined by a committee.

R. Mataczynski also says they are still working to collect the names of veterans with ties to the Holcombe area, and encouraged anyone who knows veterans to fill out the form, available on the Holcombe Area Veterans Memorial website (holcombeareaveteransmemorial.com) and social media page.

“The tablets aren’t going to become reality until we can get this information,” said R. Mataczynski.

Members also reported walking in the Holcombe St. Patrick’s Day Parade went well and discussed doing more parades in the future, to get the word out about the memorial.

The committee also voted to purchase magnetic car stickers, as a fundraiser and way to continue to increase awareness of the veterans memorial.

While on the topic of fundraisers, members heard the success of a pizza fundraiser, organized by group member Ginna Young.

“The profit from the pizza is $822,” said J. Matacynski.

During the fundraiser, another $262 was collected in donations to the memorial project.

Members also discussed the possibility of holding a golf outing as a future fundraiser.