Select Board clears purchase for Veterans' Memorial center stone; fundraising to continue

The Dresden Select Board on Jan. 27 authorized the Veterans' Memorial Committee to use available funds to purchase an initial granite center stone and to continue fundraising for landscaping and a dedication.

Steve Hewitt, a Veterans' Memorial Committee member, presented a proposed three-part monument design and said the committee preferred buying a single center stone immediately and adding pieces as funds allow. "We have a little over $18,000.00 which is a good start," Hewitt said. Committee member Cindy Moeller added that the finished monument will feature seven insignias and stand about 6 feet tall.

Jeff Bickford moved to approve using the committee’s available funds to purchase the stone, with a spending cap of $19,091 to allow for shortfalls; Keith Allen seconded and the motion was recorded as passed. Waste to Worth Redemption Center offered a $1,000 donation to close the remaining gap, and the committee plans to use future donations for landscaping, flags and benches to create a park-like setting. The committee also proposed dedicating the memorial to the late John Ottum, who had championed the idea years earlier.

The committee will place the initial granite order after confirming final pricing and will return to the board with a timeline for installation and the dedication. The board’s authorization used committee funds and pledged donations only; no additional town general-fund appropriation was recorded at the meeting.

Next steps: committee to finalize order and fundraising; Select Board will require follow-up reporting on placement and dedication plans.