CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

TOWN Board thanks veterans groups for 'Moving Wall'

Wareham Courier - 8/3/2017

WAREHAM - The Veterans Council and the Friends of the Veterans Council received a letter of recognition Tuesday night from the Board of Selectmen thanking them for all their efforts to get the "Moving Wall" Vietnam Veterans Memorial to town.

The "Moving Wall" exhibit, which is slated to come to Wareham Aug. 17 and stay till Aug. 21 at the Andersson Track across from Wareham Middle School on Viking Drive, will include commemorations for those who lost a loved one in the Vietnam War, as well as prisoners of war and those missing in action, speeches from military leaders, a bagpipe salute and a rifle salute, among many other planned ceremonies.

"I am from the Vietnam War era, and it was a difficult time for our country, for families with young soldiers in the war, for those who lost loved ones in the war, and for all those young people who did not come home," said Selectman Judith Whiteside. "You should be commended for your efforts to get this beautiful memorial to our town."

Whiteside then presented a letter recognizing the efforts of the two groups, who have been steadily raising funds and organizing for the memorial for a year.

Jean Sarnelli, Friends of the Veterans Council president, said fundraising efforts have netted more than $12,000. While there is a promise of money from the state, $25,000, for the memorial, the money is still in processing, said Ilene Klaver from the Friends. "There is a procedure and process to attain this money. There is concern on both sides that this may not happen in time for the Wall's arrival."

Klaver said she wanted people to know that fundraising efforts are still going full-steam. "You can't bank on a promise," she said.

In other news:

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said he wants to open an ongoing discussion with the board on ways to maintain public beaches in Wareham. Sullivan noted that while planning for a beach maintenance program is expensive, he stressed to the board that a plan will need to be put in place.

"None of this stuff is cheap," Sullivan said, noting the government paperwork and engineering costs involved in beach fortification projects. "However, I do believe we need to develop a plan for maintaining beaches. We are going to have to have a beach nourishment program because we need to be able to keep these beaches. It is what brings people to Wareham. It's what brings tourist dollars here."

Whiteside said she is concerned about beach fortification projects because "Mother Nature is going to rearrange those beaches anyway she wants to. You can't stop erosion."

Chairman Peter Teitelbaum said he wants to keep beach preservation on the agenda for the board of selectmen "because this is too big an issue for us as a town. Are we a tourist destination or a ghost town? We have got to figure it out."

Selectman Alan Slavin agreed. "The beaches are a major part of who we are."

- The Friends of the Wareham Free Library gifted $5,000 the group raised to the Wareham Free Library.

- The Board of Selectmen voted to spend $6,000 in economic development funds (EDIC) for the "Meet Me at the Tremont" fundraising event on Aug. 26, at the Tremont Nail Factory, 8 Elm St. The evening event is planned to attract investment money to the building and proceeds from the event will be used for scholarships. Slavin said he wanted a requirement that the scholarships would need to be offered to Wareham children. Both spending the economic development money and the requirement that scholarship money be set aside for a Wareham student were passed, 5-0.

- The board voted unanimously to transfer a year-round alcoholic beverages license to Patriot Spirits (doing business as Liquor 'N' More) from the current site for the license, Rosebrook Wine and Spirits in Rosebrook Place. The board voted 3-2 allowing for relocation of premises from the Rosebrook Place location to Tobey Road, with Chairman Teitelbaum and Patrick Tropeano voting against the move.

The next meeting for the Board of Selectmen is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 14, instead of Tuesday, Aug. 15.