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Minutes 03-09-11 MINUTES OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011, 10 A.M. IN CONFERENCE ROOM "B", CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT Tom Kaiser, Chair James Bowman John Farrington Lester McKinzie Stuart Preston Bridget Roberts Stanley Gavlick, Alternate Karl Washington, Alternate Mark Bobich, Safety Administrator (for Chuck Magazine, Board Liaison) ABSENT Rev. Richard Smith I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:03 a.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - All Hands The members recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. III. INVOCATION - Designated Chair Kaiser offered the invocation. IV. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS - Newly Reappointed Members and Alternates The Recording Secretary called the roll. The attendance is noted above. V. AGENDA APPROVAL Motion A motion was made by John Farrington to approve the agenda. Mr. McKinzie seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - JANUARY 12, 2011 Mr. Gavlick noted his name was misspelled on page two and three of the minutes 1 Meeting Minutes Veterans' Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL March 9, 2011 Motion Mr. Farrington moved to approve the minutes (as amended.) Ms. Roberts seconded the motion that carried unanimously. VII. COMMENTS: a. Chair Chair Kaiser explained the Veterans Advisory Commission needs to build five monuments and two benches. All of the members received information for the bricks and were asked to solicit for them. In the past, the Veterans Advisory Commission (VAC) used to have up to 75 to 100 attendees at their ceremonies. Now they need two pop-up tents and the American Legion was providing 40 chairs because they cannot have so many people standing. Veterans needing to sit and who do not have a chair will leave. The events will always have standing room, but up to 140 chairs were needed. The American Legion offered to donate chairs to the City, but need a place to put them. b. Visitors Mr. Mitchell was welcomed to the meeting. VIII. OLD BUSINESS: a. Veterans' Bicentennial Park Events: i. Black Veterans', Female Veterans'. 442nd Regimental Group Veterans' Monuments, Friday, September 2, 2011 Three monuments were being installed on September 2, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. This was a significant event when World War " ended in Tokyo Bay. Chair Kaiser received donations towards each of the monuments. Ms. Roberts spoke to Charlotte Rebillard of the Women's Veterans Group of Florida at one of their meetings about the Lady Veterans' Monument and they would love to have Chair Kaiser speak to their members, on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. in the atrium at the V.A. Hospital. The Baptist Church on Sea crest was very interested in the project and were fundraising. Japanese Veterans have already made a $700 donation towards their monument and both the Black and Japanese Veterans were buying benches as well. The Tuskegee Airmen and the 442nd Combat Team emblems will be engraved on the top of the benches as well as having their own monument. 2 Meeting Minutes Veterans' Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL March 9, 2011 II. National POW/MIA Remembrance Vigil, Boy Scouts, Friday, September 16,2011 (tentative) Chair Kaiser distributed a flyer pertaining to National POW/MIA Day which he started on Long Island. He ran it for eight years and then the American Legion took over the event. It is a simple event to hold, but the VAC has to have food for the youth who participate. In the past, McDonalds donated hamburgers and orange juice. They had a small group and the next morning, they gave bagels and cream cheese. The Disabled American Veterans (DA V) on Long Island used to donate a pot of soup to the vigil. Anyone who could obtain a donation would be helpful. The flyer noted it was a 24-hour vigil starting at 5 p.m. There is a brief ceremony at 6 p.m. and then the youth take turns patrolling the park and monuments all night. Chair Kaiser hoped to stay all night with the participants and had done so for many years but commented he was 20-years older now. The event would require at least one port-a-Iet that was handicapped accessible as 30 to 40 would participate. He would contact Boy Scouts. iii. Veteran's Day, Friday, November 11, 2011 The Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on November 11, 2011 at the Park. The Ceremony would commence at 11 :00 a.m. iv. Afghanistan War Monument & Pearl Harbor 70th Anniversary Commemoration, Wednesday, December 7,2011 This year is the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and the commemoration should be a tremendous event. Many veterans from Pearl Harbor and World War II Veterans were aged and dying and he noted the French dignitaries will be present to award medals. If the Veteran passed away before the event, they would not receive their medal. Chair Kaiser was trying to garner as much publicity for the event as possible. The event commences at 12 noon, ending at 1 p.m., coinciding exactly with when the attack on Pearl Harbor began. v. Iraqi War Monument, tbd Chair Kaiser hoped to unveil this monument or the Afghanistan monument at the Pearl Harbor Commemoration. b. Memorial Day Commemoration, Sunday, May 29, 2011, Boynton Memorial Park The Memorial Day ceremony was scheduled for May 29, 2011. The VAC will start placing the flags on the graves on May 27th at 8:30 a.m. Chair Kaiser would try to get 3 Meeting Minutes Veterans' Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL March 9, 2011 students to help with the flags. If it looked like rain, they would move the ceremony into the Mausoleum. Food and beverage donations were also being sought. c. Donated flags and poles along center walkway (tentative) Chair Kaiser was approached about individuals interested in keeping the Park clean and in donating six flagpoles and six armed forces flags. Chair Kaiser was able to obtain a price list; however, the City Code requires a four-inch base with a three-inch top, capable of withstanding wind loads of 150 miles per hour. Chair Kaiser tried to obtain the dropdown poles at $200 each, but they did not conform to City requirements. He obtained two new estimates for the flagpoles which were now at $3,600 and $4,700. The donor again approached Chair Kaiser suggesting six individuals donate $600 each. If the members were aware of anyone interested in helping with the flagpoles, they should contact Chair Kaiser. He acknowledged the V AC must concentrate on fundraising for the monuments, but he advised they should continue on with the flagpoles as well. The flags would be flown before the holiday, on the holiday day and removed the next. Chair Kaiser requested a motion to endorse the flagpoles as a possible project. Motion A motion was made and seconded. The flags would be located behind the outer monuments along the path. Chair Kaiser would attempt to have the labor donated. Vote The motion passed unanimously. d. Expansion of Brick Memorial Area at Veteran's Bicentennial Park Chair Kaiser announced expansion of the bricks area was approved by the City Commission at the last meeting. e. Honorary Member Appointments Chair Kaiser requested Larry Goldgeier's name be removed from the list. Kurt Leuchter was added. Additionally, Mr. Leuchter was advised by the French he would receive his medal. 4 Meeting Minutes Veterans' Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL March 9, 2011 IX. NEW BUSINESS: a. Proposal for Park Name Changes i. Veterans' Park to Harvey J. Oyer, Jr. Memorial Park ii. Veterans' Bicentennial Park to Veterans' Park Harvey Oyer, III recently purchased a bench with his father's and his name on it. Chair Kaiser also commented it was suggested the park alongside of Mr. Oyer's place of business on Ocean Avenue be renamed to Harvey J. Oyer, Jr. Park. Mr. Oyer was a veteran, a former Mayor of the City, a historian and had a long history of community involvement with Boynton Beach. Motion A motion was made and seconded to rename the park as discussed. The motion unanimously passed. b. Other Chair Kaiser announced on April 1 st, the V AC would begin tours of the park and he wanted Boynton Beach to be the first town in Florida to have the tours. Lester McKenzie will be available in April and Larry Goldgeier and Kurt Leuchter will stand by the monuments. One person can tell the story of each war as the youth approach the monuments. Chair Kaiser will contact other individuals for April 1. Ms. Roberts will try to be available to stand by the Desert Storm monument. Chair Kaiser needed volunteers for Pearl Harbor and Four Chaplains. The form to receive a medal for Veterans who served in France was available. Chair Kaiser requested if a member knew of a Gold Star Mother, to try to get someone to sponsor a brick in their honor. It was announced member James Bowman recently got married. Congratulations and well wishes were extended. X. BENEDICTION, MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER Chair Kaiser gave the benediction. XI. NEXT BOARD MEETING - Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. 5 Meeting Minutes Veterans' Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL March 9, 2011 XII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, the meeting properly adjourned at 10:28 p.m. r /f! /7L/" LCWLiJUI'/Li. ~(W Catherine Cherry () Recording Secretary 042111 6