Fundraising for May 17-20 event tops goal, veterans services officer says

When the Traveling Vietnam Wall comes to Austin May 17-20, Mower County plans to bring in a helicopter.

The Mower County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to contract for a Huey to fly into the fairgrounds.

The action took Wayne Madson by surprise. The county’s veterans service officer was attending the board’s meeting to update the commissioners on the project.

Madson reported that Beyond the Yellow Ribbon —the nonprofit group behind the effort to bring the wall to Austin — had reached its goal and that volunteer firefighters were going to help set the wall up and take it down.

The venue for the wall also had changed, he said. Officials from American Veterans Traveling Tribute — the owner of the wall — reviewed the site originally chosen for the wall, Bandshell Community Park, and said it was not large enough. So, Madson said, the wall will be at the Mower County Fairgrounds, instead.

The wall will be traveling to Austin from its engagement in Las Vegas. After Austin, it will head to New Mexico, Madson said.

Fundraising efforts to bring the wall exceeded the $12,000 goal by $688 so far, he said. They probably should have set their sights higher, however, because they had not anticipated additional costs such as cleanup after the 8,500 to 10,000 visitors organizers expect, he said.

Aside from the wall, there will be tents set up and computers to help people find names on the wall, he said.

There will not be vendors, Madson said, because this is more of a solemn event, but organizers are considering other historical displays, such as bringing in a Huey helicopter, which would cost about $3,000.

Commissioner Mike Ankeny asked Madson more details about the helicopter and advocated for the county to contribute to the event.

“I think this is a pretty special deal going on,” he said. “I think, as far as the county goes, the county should make some type of contribution toward this.”

County staff told the board it was allowed to spend about $3,500 on Memorial Day expenditures, and this would qualify despite it not actually being on Memorial Day.

“I think it should be something that pertains to the Vietnam War,” Board Chairman Jerry Reinartz said of the contribution.

Ankeny said bringing in the Huey would be “an extremely good thing not only for Vietnam veterans but veterans as a whole.”

Madson said that community groups, some that had not even been asked, have come forward to help with the event. He also extended a thank you to the volunteer fire departments that are going to put up and take down the wall.

“It is really nice to see the community stand behind it,” Madson said.

In other action on Tuesday, the Mower County Board

— Approved a conditional use permit to allow Donald C. and Sandra S. Livingston to build a new house on a 13.4-acre parcel in Austin Township. The house construction is being planned for a mature wooded area and the permit includes 11 conditions.

— Approved an amending of the Tax Abatement Policy for single-multi-family new construction.

— Approved amending the 2018 budget for a software and hardware upgrade in the amount of $12,750 for the jail.

— Approved setting 1 p.m., March 15, as the letting date for replacing three box culvert bridges as well as for seasonal purchases of gasoline and diesel fuel, road striping, bituminous material, and weed spraying

The bridges being replaced are: Bridge L4977 in Marshall Township, Bridge L5153 in Red Rock Township and Bridge L5036 in Nevada Township.