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Minutes 05-13-13 MINUTES OF THE VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2013, AT 10:00 AM, IN CITY HALL, CONFERENCE ROOM 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BOULEVARD, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA PRESENT. Tom Kaiser, Chair Stuart Preston, Vice Chair Steve Anton Frank Bregoli Stanley Gavlick, Alt. Robert Manson, Alt. Roberto Moreno, Alt. Karl Washington, Alt. ABSENT: James Bowman Victor Norfus Bridget Roberts I. CALL TO ORDER — Tom Kaiser, Chairman Chair Kaiser called the meeting to order at 10:12 a.m. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE —All Hands The members recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. III. INVOCATION Chair Kaiser gave the invocation. IV. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS The Recording Secretary called the roll. A quorum was present. V. AGENDA APPROVAL There was no agenda available. Chair Kaiser distributed a flyer of upcoming events which were reviewed. He announced for the benefit of the new members there are no meetings during the summer. They will meet the second Wednesday in September and then again in November and January as they meet every other month. If something comes up, they can convene a meeting. Next year, the Board will meet three times during the year and the schedule would be discussed at the next meeting. I Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2013 VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion Mr. Gavlick moved to approve the minutes as presented. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion that unanimously passed. VII. NEW BUSINESS Chair Kaiser distributed the Veterans Council Summer and Fall Newsletter. ➢ Memorial Day Chair Kaiser commented the Veterans Advisory Commission members place flags on the graves of Veterans located at Boynton Beach Memorial Park every Memorial Day. This is normally done the Friday before the Memorial Day Ceremony which will be held this year on Sunday, May 24th. Volunteers were needed for two hours and with enough volunteers, the task is easy. Veteran graves are mapped out and with two volunteers, one could hold the flags and locate the grave and the other, install the flag on the left corner of the grave. They have not received any confirmation from St. Joseph's that any students will attend and Chair Kaiser anticipated they will not know until that morning. The event will take place at 8:30 a.m. at Woolbright Road and Seacrest Boulevard. Soda and water will be available as would a tent. Mr. Gavlick commented he had always participated, but he could not this year. Arnold May, from the Valencia Pointe Men's Club, was present and he explained the Men's Club is a group of volunteers who regularly volunteer at veterans events. Mr. May agreed to send an email requesting assistance with this task. A list of all deceased veterans from the various Posts and Chapters was needed for the Memorial Day Ceremony, which would be held at Veterans Memorial Park at 2 p.m. Chair Kaiser also explained they normally have a barbeque after the Ceremony, but it was not possible to accommodate the entire Valencia Pointe Men's Club. Mr. May and the other representatives from the Men's Club present, who were Austin Kelley, David Orken and Gary Weissbard; however, were invited to attend with their wives. Mr. May also extended his invitation to the Veterans Advisory Commission to attend their Memorial Event on May 27th at Valencia Pointe. Chair Kaiser explained he handles Flag Day at the Park by himself. The Veterans Advisory Commission accepts flags from deceased veterans, and they fly them. More recently, he received a flag from an Unknown Soldier and he planned to fly it at the unveiling of the monument to the Unknown Soldier in November, 2013. Mr. May introduced David Orken, the liaison on the Board of Directors of the Men's Club. Kelly Austin is Co -Chair of the Korean War veterans. Gary Weissbard is the Co- 2 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2013 Chair for the Vietnam Veterans, and Mr. May is the Co -Chair of the Veterans Support Committee. Each group reaches out to veterans groups and runs bingo games at the VA hospital. They hold book, food and clothing drives to support veterans and that was how he met Chair Kaiser. The group offered to help. Mr. May also provided Chair Kaiser with information about inexpensive flagpoles sold by Costco. Telescoping poles, having permanent sockets in the ground, were needed. Mr. May explained they use them at the VA Cemetery. They put the poles up three or four days before patriotic holidays and then come back and take them down. He noted the Veterans Support Group had donated more than half the flagpoles to the South Florida Veterans Cemetery and most of the flags flown were donated by survivors of veterans. On Veterans Day and patriotic holidays, they are the only group invited to help dress the Cemetery. Chair Kaiser pointed out that once something is donated to the City, the City must grant approval to make any changes. The Veterans Memorial Park will be five years old this year and Chair Kaiser noted the Veterans Advisory Commission and personal donations paid for everything. They hold six to eight programs there each year. If used at the Veterans Memorial Park, the City would install the sockets and store the poles when not being used. Further discussion followed the Park needs shade trees. All agreed it is a beautiful park, but it can get very warm. Additionally, schoolchildren come to the Park and the monuments teach the students about the history of each war. Motion Mr. Anton moved to work with City planners asking about planting at least two trees in the Park so there is a little bit of shade. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion for discussion. Mr. Anton explained he would work with the Recreation and Parks Department and City Planner to see what recommendation about installing the flagpoles and bring it back to the Board. It was preferred the two shade trees be planted on the outer perimeter to provide shade to the benches and it was important they not interfere with tents set up for the various ceremonies. Vote The motion unanimously passed. Chair Kaiser thanked the Valencia Pointe Men's Club. He also announced color guards were needed for the Memorial Day ceremony. On a different matter, Mr. Preston announced he received formal notice that the Lantana VFW Post 5335, and Leisureville Post 10150 voted to consolidate. The Post 3 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2013 will be known as Boynton and Lantana VFW Post 5335, located at 500 North 21st Avenue, Boynton Beach. ➢ June 6, Unveiling of US Army Memorial highlighting the Normandy Beaches and French Medal Ceremony 11 a.m. at the Park Chair Kaiser explained a year from June 6 will mark the 70th Anniversary of D -Day. He suggested the members Google the Town of Bedford, Virginia. He explained the Town suffered the highest per capita,D -Day losses in the nation. Many of the servicemen who fought on the Normandy were killed. Years later, the U.S. government decided to commemorate these losses and gave the Town funding for a National D -Day Memorial. Chair Kaiser noted there is a movement in SE Florida involving the Freedom Honor Flight, the Rotary Clubs and other interested individuals to send veterans to Washington D.C. for ceremonies free of charge. Chair Kaiser announced any WW II Veteran can go to Washington DC for free. Since WW II Veterans are becoming scarce, they have started accepting Korean Veterans. He requested members encourage any World War II or Korean War Veterans who are fit to travel to apply. Bus trips, meals and lodging were provided without charge. They hope to announce this at the D -Day event and Chair Kaiser explained the Boynton Veterans would support them however they could. They will issue press releases to news stations and newspapers. Chair Kaiser was aware the City could not financially support this effort, but he suggested the Veterans Advisory Commission make a motion to ask the City of Boynton Beach, to endorse the effort. Motion Mr. Preston so moved. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion. There were no objections Chair Kaiser commented, to date, he helped 500 Veterans receive French Legion of Honor Medals. More recently, in Ft. Lauderdale, one veteran from Boca Raton and another from Palm Beach Gardens received their medals. He noted Florida was the #1 State for veterans receiving medals. About 1,000 medals were issued and more than 500 of them were Boynton Beach veterans. ➢ October 23rd unveiling of the U.S. Navy Memorial and the 69th Anniversary of the greatest naval battle in history Leyte Gulf Chair Kaiser announced the unveiling of the Navy Memorial will take place on October 23rd. ➢ November 11th Veterans Day and the unveiling of the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier. It arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on that date in 1921. The 92nd 4 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2013 Anniversary, we also have a Flag that we received from a Veteran who is unknown. On Veterans Day, November 11th, the last monument to the Unknown Soldier will be unveiled. It will be located in the spot where the Coast Guard monument originally went. He thought there would be a flag flown, which would provide positive press. Steve Anton, a new member of the Veterans Advisory Commission, was introduced. Mr. Anton served as a torpedo man on a submarine. He was on active duty from 1977 to 1981. He then was in the Reserves and left service just before the second Gulf War as an explosive ordinance disposal diver. Roberto Moreno, a paratrooper with the First Airborne Division, served in the mid - 1960s, was present to see what he could do. Doug Lewis, resident of PB Leisureville since 1996, and a former Vietnam Veteran, explained a Palm Beach Post article a few weeks ago indicated the City of Boynton Beach, at some time in the future, would receive another piece of metal from the World Trade Center. The article indicated the artifact would be placed in the Park. Speaking only for himself, he felt Veterans Park is only for Veterans, both deceased and alive. He felt it would be more appropriate to honor Fire and Policemen at another location that would be just for them. Mr. Gavlick recalled at one time they discussed bringing something into the Park and the Veterans Advisory Commission voted against it. Mr. Bregoli noted an April 5th article explained a 35 pound piece of steel will be brought in and the Boynton Beach Fire Rescue raised $6,200 to create a monument to be placed in Veterans Memorial Park. Chair Kaiser thought the City Commission should be contacted. Motion Mr. Bregoli moved to contact the City Commission and make an objection and that this Park is only for military personal. The motion was duly seconded and unanimously passed. Chair Kaiser pointed out there is a large park up the street at the beach that could easily accommodate a piece /monument commemorating 9 -11 and fallen firefighters and police officers. Motion Mr. Anton moved to ask the City to put that monument in a more appropriate location. Mr. Bregoli seconded the motion that unanimously passed. 5 Meeting Minutes Veterans Advisory Commission Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2013 A request was made to check on Dottie Moore's application to the Veterans Advisory Commission. She is a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. VIII. OLD BUSINESS There had been previous discussion that one member has missed many meetings. When he was appointed, he bumped Mr. Washington from a regular member to an alternate and Mr. Washington had attended every meeting. A suggestion was made to send a letter to the City Commission about the matter; however, after discussion it was agreed Chair Kaiser would contact the Mayor. I. BENEDICTION Chair Kaiser gave the benediction X. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, Chair Kaiser properly adjourned the meeting at 11:05 a.m. Catherine Cherry Recording Secretary 040813 6