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Lake Clarke Shores council agrees to clean and temporarily mark Tackett memorial rock and include recognition at tree lighting
Summary
After public comment and a historic-preservation perspective, council directed staff to clean the Jim and Judy Tackett memorial rock, add temporary plaques by both town Christmas trees, and include formal recognition during the annual tree-lighting ceremony while deferring long-term placement decisions to the parks master plan.
Council discussion on Nov. 11 addressed community concerns over the condition and prominence of the Jim and Judy Tackett memorial rock and how the town should recognize the family during holiday ceremonies.
Several residents and longtime volunteers urged that the memorial be moved next to a Christmas tree, lit during the holiday season and better maintained. A councilmember with historic-preservation expertise urged keeping the original stone in place, citing preservation standards that discourage moving an original marker. The council reached a practical compromise: staff will clean and maintain the rock in its current location, prepare temporary plaques or signage to place near both current Christmas trees to identify the event’s namesake, and explicitly recognize Jim and Judy Tackett at the upcoming tree-lighting ceremony. Council also directed staff to include historic background information and photos on the town website and to consider memorial placement as part of the parks master planning process.
No formal motion to relocate the stone was made; the council sought a balance between preservation best practices and community recognition.
