Recent war deaths push memorial’s expansion
New stone panels needed for additional fallen service personnel
By CLEON RICKEL, Herald Senior Writer
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The Franklin County Veterans Memorial will get two more panels.
The memorial has the names of Franklin County service personnel killed in wars going back to World War I.
The expansion is needed to accommodate the names of more service personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sherry Wright, member of the Franklin County Veterans Memorial Committee, said.
She met with the Franklin County Commission Wednesday.
Jacob Butler and Christopher Wasser, who were killed in Iraq, are on the memorial but additional space is needed for Micheal Brown, who died from medical causes while serving in Iraq, and Jeff Mersman, who was killed in Afghanistan.
Brown’s name was originally scheduled to be added to the existing memorial but the committee decided to wait for new panels, Kenneth Dodd said after the meeting.
“I hope we don’t need any more of the space,” Commission Chair Sue Farrell said during the meeting.
Dodds Memorials, Ottawa, will order and install the mahogany-colored stone panels and Richard Larkin will add limestone caps and columns.
The cost of the expansion will be about $18,000.
Wright met with Franklin County Commissioners Wednesday concerning the request.
The memorial is on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn.
The memorial committee raised money for the memorial and decided on the design. The county agreed to maintain and care for it. They county also pays for the lighting.
The committee has a little more than $20,000.
Wright asked if the committee needs to do more fundraisers to replenish the fund or if the county would include money in the budget.
Commissioners decided they’ll have a work session in May to discuss it.
In other matters, the commissioners:
• Provisionally accepted the low bid of $392,012.44 from Bryan-Ohlmeier Construction Company, Paola, to replace a bridge on Missouri Road north of Ottawa.
The project is part of a plan to upgrade a mile-long segment which will serve an area that would otherwise be marooned by the new U.S. 59.
They got six bidders for the project.
• Agreed to apply for a Juvenile Justice grant from the state for Community Corrections’ Graduated Sanctions program for juveniles.
The Legislature increased the amount of money for Juvenile Justice programs and the Fourth Judicial District, which includes Franklin County, will get $190,000 more July 1 by applying, Keith Clark, community corrections director, said.
The additional money will be used to add a new case manager, additional job training for juveniles and help get more juveniles into positive after-school activities, he said.
Because Franklin County is the most populous county in the four-county 4th Judicial District, it serves as the county in charge.
• Rezoned a five-acre tract on California Road between Jackson and Rock Creek roads from a farm category to R-E, a rural residential category, at the request of Bush Farms.
• Approved a county tax sale for later this year.
At present, 10 properties with delinquent property taxes are scheduled for the tax sale, Lisa Johnson, interim county administrator, said.
Three properties were taken off the list after the owners paid up the taxes on them, she said.
• Declared this week as National Volunteer Week in Franklin County.
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