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Resident proposes 'Veterans Gold Star Memorial Park' with plaques and 250th‑anniversary tie‑ins
Summary
Doug Clark urged the council to name the new community‑pond park "Veterans Gold Star Memorial Park" with interpretive plaques for World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the global war on terror; he offered volunteer fundraising and suggested tying parts of the installation to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Staff said some RDA and grant funding may be available; no formal action was taken.
Doug Clark, a North Ogden resident who said he has worked with veterans' projects statewide, proposed naming the city’s new park at the community pond "Veterans Gold Star Memorial Park" and placing interpretive plaques that list wars, dates and names of those who served. "I've always been from North Ogden and this is where I live and where I die," Clark said, offering to lead community fundraising and to help on a citizens’ committee.
The proposal would not alter the park’s planned physical features, Clark said; rather, it would add plaques and short, non‑political histories at station points around the walking loop to honor veterans and teach local history. Clark suggested splitting plaques around the third‑of‑a‑mile track or placing them in one central location. He named World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the global war on terror as the conflicts he envisioned being included.
Mayor Barker and staff said the city already has some RDA funds that could help cover placards and related site work, and engineering would determine how much additional grant money or fundraising would be needed. City staff asked the council whether it wanted staff to continue refining a proposal and return with cost estimates and a phasing plan. Council members and at least one other veteran offered to help the volunteer effort if the council wanted to move forward.
No vote or formal decision was taken at the meeting; staff said the idea will be folded into ongoing park design discussions and funding reviews. The council asked staff to continue work with the proponent and return with a more detailed estimate and implementation plan.
Clark’s presentation framed the idea as both a commemoration for Gold Star families and a low‑maintenance educational element to the park rather than an ostentatious monument. "The messages and the names are what matters," he said.
What happens next: staff will evaluate RDA, grant and fundraising options and report back; the council took no formal action on naming or design at this meeting.
