In January, Mayor Angela Koepke held a workshop that outlined several plans for the city and assigned an aldermen to take charge of each project. Alderman Cary Parker was asked to head improvements at Legion Park. This week the work on those improvements began in earnest. Sue Altemeyer, who has long advocated for these improvements, was assigned to Parker’s improvement committee. She has spent long hours weed eating, sweeping and trimming around the Veterans Memorial. Monday, Koepke joined the effort. Muriatic acid was used to clean white deposits off the bricks surrounding the memorial. Koepke then power washed the floor of the memorial using a portable water tank recently purchased by the city.

Altemeyer then turned her attention to cleaning up around the old phone office just west of the memorial and picnic tables in that area.

Many structural repairs will need to made to both the memorial and to lamp post bases that line the sidewalk. Parker and his committee are in the process of getting estimates for that work.

The parks in Gerald operate on a limited budget and by law must be kept separate from city funds. These park funds will probably not cover the needed repairs.  The committee is looking at ways to raise the needed money including selling more engraved bricks to be displayed at the memorial.

This project is another example of what Gerald can accomplish when the city and volunteer citizens work together.

If you are interested in contributing to cost to repair the memorial or would like to volunteer your time to this or to other projects, call city hall at 764-3340.

Other projects include building a new heli pad, upgrading playgrounds, creating a downtown business district, building a splashpad and an improved emergency management team.