VETERANS MEMORIAL ISLAND SANCTUARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday, August 5, :00 a.m. Council Chambers, City Hall, Vero Beach, Florida

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1 VETERANS MEMORIAL ISLAND SANCTUARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES Wednesday, August 5, :00 a.m. Council Chambers, City Hall, Vero Beach, Florida PRESENT: Chairman, Anthony Young, Vice Chairman, Alma Lee Loy; Members: John Matthews, Joel Herman, Barbara Fallon Also Present: Public Works Manager, Don Dexter; Recreation Director, Rob Slezak, and Senior Administrative Assistant, Rita Hawkins Excused absence: Curtis Paulisin 1. CALL TO ORDER Today s meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Committee members and the audience joined together in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A) July 1, 2015 Mr. Young asked to have a few changes made to the July 1, 2015 minutes. He said that on page 3, in the fifth paragraph, he would like to change the last sentence to read so a Casualty Report should be used instead as a proper form of verification. In the ninth paragraph he would like to remove the reference to the Gulf War and change it to read; in the Cold War and in the line of duty while serving could be recognized. On page 4 item C) in the second paragraph he would like to replace the lady with Mrs. Eddie Swinney, rd Manor, Vero Beach. Mr. Herman made a motion to approve the minutes of the July 1, 2015 Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Advisory Committee meeting with the three (3) corrections made. Ms. Loy seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. 4. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Mrs. Karen Bauer, Roseland Road, Sebastian, said that she is a member of the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). They are an all women s service organization dedicated to patriotism, education, and honoring the Revolutionary War Patriots and all of their members are proven decedents of Revolutionary War Patriots. October 11, 2015 is the 125 th Anniversary of the founding of DAR. This anniversary will be observed all over the County and they are proposing that their Day of Service take place on October 10, Their members have the deepest regard and respect for Veterans, so they were hoping that their Day of Service could take place on Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary. The DAR members are seeking approval to clean the plaques on the memorial as their Day of Service project. Their organization will provide gloves, Dawn dish soap, sponges, soft bristle brushes and the City s Facility Management will provide them with hoses and access to water. This would be a great Day of Service project for them, so she hopes the Veterans Memorial Island Committee will allow them this opportunity. The Island is pristine and she feels that they could contribute to the beauty of the Island by cleaning the plaques. VMI 8/5/15 1

2 Mr. Young asked Mr. Don Dexter, Public Works Manager, if this would be permissible and supported by the Public Works Department. Mr. Dexter replied yes. The City will provide the hoses and there are a couple of hose bibs on the Island. Mr. Matthews asked how many people will be participating. Mrs. Bauer replied that she believes there will be 10 to 15 people dedicated to the project. Mr. Matthews stated that the Veterans Council will be updated with the information. He asked Mrs. Bauer if they would like other people to assist, or is she just seeking approval. Mrs. Bauer said she would appreciate them spreading the word about their organization and that they are celebrating their 125 th Anniversary with this project. The DAR Chaplain will probably lead with an opening prayer around the memorial. Ms. Loy said that all the credit of taking care of the beautiful Island goes to the City of Vero Beach Public Works Department. She asked what monuments are they planning to clean. Mrs. Bauer replied that they will be cleaning all of the plaques on the monuments. She said that she walked the Island, counted the plaques, and made a list of them. The DAR members will sign up for special memorials that they would like to clean. This will ensure they know who is doing each one and that the project gets done. Mr. Young asked to clarify that she accounted for the Cenotaph markers, the Military Service monuments, and the monuments for the various conflicts. Mrs. Bauer assured him that she walked the Island and looked at each of them. Mr. Young stated that the DAR has always been a part of the ceremonies at Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary. He told Mrs. Bauer that if any of their members have contact with any of the families of Veterans who are recognized on the Island to let him know. He is always in search of additional information, because there are still a few of them that they need to learn more about. Mr. Matthews asked what time will they be on the Island. Mrs. Bauer said they would like to start at 8:00 a.m., because it may still be hot in October. They will also be providing plenty of cold water for all the participants. Mr. Young stated that they will have the application for signatures at their next meeting, but they could go ahead and approve this project if they are all in favor of it. Ms. Loy made a motion to approve the Day of Caring project for the DAR to celebrate their 125 th Anniversary. Mr. Matthews seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Mrs. Bauer thanked the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Advisory Committee for their approval. 5. NEW BUSINESS VMI 8/5/15 2

3 None 6. OLD BUSINESS A) Approved Resolution for Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Rules, Authorized Uses, and Master Plan Mr. Young reported that the new Resolution # for Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary was submitted to the City Council and it was approved on July 21, He thanked everyone for their effort that went into getting this accomplished, but a lot of credit goes to Mrs. Peggy Lyon, Assistant City Attorney, Mr. Don Dexter, Public Works Manager, and Mr. Rob Slezak, Recreation Director. B) Update on the Lest We Forget Monument Cross Restoration Mr. Don Dexter, Public Works Manager Mr. Dexter passed around two (2) production photos showing what the cross looks like as a rough outline (on file in the City Clerk s office). He explained that the polishing has not been finished yet, but it is moving along. He did not get an update on the delivery schedule, but he would assume in the next there (3) to four (4) weeks it should be here. Mr. Young asked if it is an exact replica of the original. Mr. Dexter explained that all they had was an old newspaper photo form 1987 to go by, so they tried to scale it to size the best they could. The granite is a very close match based on the samples they received. Mr. Young asked if the cross would be attached with epoxy. Mr. Dexter replied yes, but there is the possibility they will insert a dowel rod to help support it. Mr. Young asked for the name of the company who is doing the work. Mr. Dexter stated that it is Feldner Studios in Fellsmere. C) Update on Jimmie Doles Cenotaph Marker Mr. Don Dexter Mr. Dexter stated that he contacted the plaque company for an update, but he found out that his original order request got lost in their . He was informed that the plaque is in production now, but they will try to move it up in the assembly process, because of their error in losing the . He said he expects to have it back within a month. D) Status of Staghorn Fern Donation Mr. Don Dexter Mr. Dexter said that he submitted a photo to the City Clerk s office of the Staghorn Fern that Mrs. Swinney donated to the Island (on file in the City Clerk s office). He said that Ms. Nanette Haynes, Grounds Maintenance Manager, also drafted a letter for the Mayor to sign that will be sent to Mrs. Swinney thanking her for the donation. VMI 8/5/15 3

4 Mr. Young verified that they did receive the photo from Mr. Dexter. He said if the Committee agrees, he would also like to send a letter to Mrs. Swinney directly from the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Advisory Committee expressing their appreciation. He explained that Mrs. Eddie Swinney, who is a World War II (WWII) Navy Veteran, donated the Staghorn Fern in memory of her late husband, Mr. Robert Swinney, who was a Boatswain s Mate First Class in WWII. The Staghorn Fern is hanging in a large Oak Tree on the Island to the east of the WWII memorial. Mr. Dexter said that he also wanted to thank Mr. Young for donating a Cardboard Palm to replace an Oleander plant that died behind the Pearl Harbor monument. E) Recap of the July 25 th Korean War Armistice Ceremony Mr. Tony Young, Chairman Mr. Young thanked City Council Members, Mayor Dick Winger, Vice-Mayor Jay Kramer, and Councilmember Mrs. Pilar Turner for attending the Korean War ceremony, as well as Mr. Joe Flescher, County Commissioner. They had approximately 20 Korean War Veterans in attendance and there was a great turnout. He thanked everyone who participated in the ceremony and those who assisted to make this event possible. 7. CHAIRMAN S MATTERS A) Cenotaph Map Update Mr. Young reported that when they were posting the medallions on the Korean War Veterans cenotaph markers he discovered that the markers for Mr. Keen and Mr. Henry switched places when the markers were placed back on the Island. He asked Mr. Dexter to update the map to show the correct location of these two (2) Veterans. B) Veterans Council Community Awareness Video Mr. Young announced that the Veterans Council did a survey last year and found out that there is a small percentage of the population that understands what the Veterans Council is about. The Community Foundation provided the Veterans Council with a $5,000 grant to develop a video to educate the community. He said he took the opportunity to speak about the Veterans Council and what they do as a short introductory for the video. He recorded it on Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary, but realized he jumped the gun and apologizes for not asking permission from the Veterans Memorial Island Committee before doing the video. He asked if there were any concerns or questions about him using the Island. There were no issues raised by the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Advisory Committee members. Ms. Fallon asked how long is the video. Mr. Young reported that it runs about three (3) minutes. Ms. Fallon asked if it would be possible to run it on the City s website and on Channel 13 during any downtime. Mr. Jim O Connor, City Manager, said that he would check on that. VMI 8/5/15 4

5 C) Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Veterans Highlight: Bobby Gene Thomas, Fred D. Coleman, Edward Courtney, and Stanley Broxton, Jr. Mr. Young handed out a list of the four (4) Veterans that were recognized on the Bob Soos show in July (on file in the City Clerk s office). Mr. Herman, Ms. Fallon, Ms. Loy, and Mr. Matthews each read one of the biographies from the list of Veterans. Mr. Young reported that Mr. Sam Kouns from the Veterans Council presented a $1,000 check to Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary to assist with the restoration of the Lest We Forget monument. Mr. Kouns will also be presenting a replica check to the City Council at their August 18, 2015 meeting and any of the Committee members are welcome to attend. 8. MEMBER S MATTERS Mr. Matthews stated that at the end of August, he will be going to a reunion of the Marines he served with in Vietnam. At the Marine Corps Museum they will be dedicating a monument to the 521 Marines they lost from their battalion while in Vietnam. They will also be visiting Arlington Cemetery where many of them are buried. Mr. Young announced that earlier this week he attended a Veterans Advisory Committee meeting with Congressman Posey. He said it was mentioned that the State of Florida appropriated three million dollars to a Veterans memorial located in Brevard County. He thought that was unique and maybe in the future they could look to the State for assistance as well. Mr. Young announced that two (2) days ago was the 225 th birthday of the United State Coast Guard. A) Next Meeting Date September 2, 2015 The next meeting of the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Advisory Committee is scheduled for September 2, ADJOURNMENT Today s meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m. /rh VMI 8/5/15 5