(L – R): Joyce Ciembronowicz, Steve Schaefers, Harvey Danula, 2022 Rodeo Queen Nova Nordrum, Ray Kangas and Roger Johnson.

ACROSS THE POND VETERANS PARK RECEIVES DONATION

The Great Northern Classic Rodeo, Inc. of Superior, WI are avid supporters of non-profit organizations and projects. They devote one day of their annual Labor Day 3-day event to veterans.  This year’s Rodeo Queen, Nova Nordrum, visited Across the Pond Veterans Park Board meeting this month to present a check in support of the Park. If you would like more information about the Rodeo you can visit their Facebook page or call Polly at 218-591-7575 or e-mail polly.lohman@gmail.com

It is with donations, grants, and fundraising that the Park is coming to life.  The all-volunteer Board of Directors are working constantly to find the funding for the many projects.  Building completely to ADA guidelines to provide what is needed so anyone, especially our disabled veterans, can participate in outdoor activities, is a lengthy process and expensive.  Volunteer labor and donated materials have been a big bonus, but sometimes we must call in the professionals to handle those items required by law to be done only by professional and certified persons.

One such project is called Storm Water Pollution Plan Protection.  We are fortunate to have acquired an additional 13 acres of land, bringing the size of the park to 23 acres, from Bayfield County last year that is on the Iron River Flowage and with that comes the responsibility to protect and preserve the waterfront.  This is where the professionals come in to design the plan and certify it.  Then we have the building block for additional projects in the park such as putting in a well, developing the waterfront, constructing pads for the RV spaces and a building for restrooms, showers, and utility room. The storm water plan cost $10,000.  We can do this because of the generosity of a lot of people who believe in supporting veteran initiatives.

In the future, the waterfront will be a vibrant and busy area of the park.  There are plans already drawn to put a switch-back trail down to a dock on the flowage.  The topography of the land requires the trail to the water to zigzag its way to the dock allowing personal mobility devices and pedestrians a safe and easy walk.  Benches along the way will provided rest stops and scenic and nature viewing opportunities. The dock will allow for fishing and launching canoes.

The 2022 construction season will see benches placed on the walking trail, again a generous donation from a veteran owned company makes this happen, and other donated benches will be placed as requested by donor in other areas of the park.  Even the benches have ADA guidelines so it not as simple as setting a bench in a spot and calling it good.  The donated sculpture for the Vietnam Memorial will be installed through a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation.  The Honor Wall will have additional tiles placed to honor veterans and new this year, are ground pavers that have been donated from businesses and families who want to support the building of the park.

The tiles for veterans (deceased, alive or on active duty) are for the Honor Wall and can be ordered year-round but we only install once a year – glue and mortar are temperature sensitive.  Pavers will also be done once a year, but ordering is year-round.  Order forms for both can be found on our website, acrossthepondpark.org or sending an email to acrossthepondpark@gmail.com. Or call me, Joyce Ciembronowicz at 715-372-4324.  I take care of ordering the tiles and pavers.  We are at a point now where we cannot guarantee placement this year for the Honor Wall for any tiles not already ordered, but pavers are still a possibility until April 30^th.

May 28, 2022 will be our 2^nd Annual event to present the new tiles for the Honor Wall and also the pavers for the first time.   This event is currently being planned so save the date and we’ll let you know all the details later. We cannot say thank you enough for all the support you have given the Park.