Salem veterans memorial panel has raised nearly $44K for project

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

SALEM ? Leaders of the drive to place a veterans memorial in Salem are nearing their fundraising goal.

Memorial committee member Gene Stewart told the Salem City Council that the committee has raised $43,909.60 thus far toward a goal of $55,000. Initially the goal was $50,000, but committee members increased the goal for some breathing room.

Stewart and Jim Dean, another committee member, presented the council with a schematic drawing of the memorial, which will be located across the street from the community center.

Stewart said that names of 217 veterans interred in the Salem cemeteries will be on the monument and applications/nominations of 41 other veterans have been approved.

Jeff Murphy of Murphy Funeral Home and Monument Sales of Mt. Pleasant will provide the initial stones for the names of the veterans at cost and also will pay for the engraving of the 217 names of deceased veterans in the town?s cemeteries. ?He?s been really good to us,? Dean said of Murphy.

To be eligible for placement on the memorial, the veteran must have ties to the City of Salem, i.e. born in Salem, buried in Salem, went to school in Salem, lived in Salem at one time or another, married someone from Salem, etc.

Any veteran who was on active duty during wartime or peacetime is qualified for placement on this memorial. Any reserve or National Guard member also is eligible for the memorial. The veteran must have been honorably discharged from the branch of service in which they served. Current active duty veterans also qualify for placement on the memorial.

Cost of engraving of the name is $150 before Nov. 1, 2016, and $200 afterward. The first stones will be set some time after Nov. 1. After the stones are set, cost of new engravings will be $200 and names will be engraved twice yearly.

?If we need more money for the project in the future, we will have fund-raisers,? Stewart said. A recent fish fry benefitting the memorial raised $6,150, Stewart noted.

Jim Thomson, Salem water plant manager, reported on a recent inspection of the plant. He said three deficiencies were found, two of which will be simple repairs. However, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the agency doing the inspection said the plant needs a backup water softener.

?It (water softener) isn?t something you have to rush into,? Thomson said. ?However, you have to have an answer and plan of action sent to the IDNR by Sept. 1. Currently, this is a recommendation, not a mandate, but it won?t go away.?

Council members discussed the purchase of a new city tractor. Dick Myers, city public works director, said the warranty has expired on the current tractor, which is three years old and had 335 hours on it. He said he has two quotes on a new tractor with the most reasonable being $13,750 with trade.

Mayor Dan Patterson asked Myers if the city could make annual payments on the tractor and requested that Myers investigate whether a payment plan is possible.

?Check to see if we can get a payment plan,? agreed Councilman Chuck Kramer. ?See if they will hold the price for another month.?

The matter will be discussed again at the September council meeting.

Council member Mary Hoyer gave an update on several properties facing possible nuisance procedures. ?It doesn?t look like much has changed in these places,? she said.

Hoyer said the next step might be a personal visit from her to inquire whether there are any issues prohibiting the cleanup of the properties. She said she would talk to the property owners and report back at the next council meeting.

In other agenda items, the council:

? Noted the city has approximately $50,000 to spend on summer street repairs. Myers and a representative of L.L. Pelling, the company which has done past repair work in the community, will tour the town and determine which streets need work.

? Approved placing a lien on a property on the 300 block of Cherry Street, for delinquent water and sewer bills in the amount of $359.80.

? Discussed but took no action on a possible city audit. The council wants more information on the cost of the audit.

Council members meet again in regular session Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5:30 p.m., in the Community Building.