What the heck have we been up to?

Yes, we have been busy. During the months after our groundbreaking, we set about obtaining estimates for materials, construction, grading and labor in regards to getting our monument built. We've traveled to different monuments around the state for ideas and inspiration, and come home to put our heads together and figure out how to raise building funds in a precarious economy.

Our projected budgets have ranged from $50,000 for pre-cast concrete to $150,000 for solid granite. After determining that pre-cast concrete would be both affordable and more easily formed to suit our design, we launched our fund-raising endeavors and set our hearts on a dedication date of July 4, 2010.

And just when we were within days of signing a binding contract to begin preparation for construction, we received news that Guilford County Schools wanted to dig a test well on our site.

Yes, really.

The school system's other two test wells turned up positive for radon. Without a viable well, Summerfield Elementary School (which is literally a stone's throw from our dedicated site in the Summerfield Town Park) cannot be expanded. Aware of the school's desperate need for space, we made a tough decision.

In this clip, post member Danny Nelson speaks before the Summerfield Town Council and members of the news media, explaining our decision to sacrifice the site we've spent well over a year planning as the permanent home for our monument.

Here is a portion of the speech Danny presented:

"

...Our veterans are certainly accustomed to making sacrifices. After much consideration and discussion we are once again willing to make another sacrifice. These are our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and perhaps great great grandchildren that each of us has fought and died for to afford them the freedoms and the right for education. It is in this case our duty to stand up and make this decision.

We are willing to surrender our site in the grove of trees to allow the Guilford County Schools to proceed with their project on the condition that we are granted the alternate site on the East side of the Summerfield Community Center parking lot. We request this council approve this site with no delay so we can continue with our project and meet our projected July 4^th Our post lost five members last year. We simply do not want to bury another comrade without them seeing this monument completed. Therefore we need a solid commitment from this council and Guilford County today. dedication. We cannot afford to waste time again haggling over sites.

It is our understanding that the town of Summerfield fully supports and is committed to this memorial for the good of the community we therefore request a public confirmation that we will be granted this alternate site that was discussed as an option between the town manager and myself last week.

From Guilford County we need a solid commitment from Mr. LaRowe (Andrew LaRowe, Executive Director of Construction and Facilities Management for Guilford County Schools) that he will work on our behalf to get the county to offset the added expenses incurred by our accommodation of their needs"

Given the short notice regarding the county’s need to test on our dedicated site in the grove of trees we have not had the time or opportunity to obtain estimates for preparing and building on the alternate site. Because of the physical issues involved by changing sites there will be additional expenses that will well exceed our projected budget."

The site that was granted to us by the Summerfield Town Council in a unanimous - but non-binding resolution - is a short distance from the grove of trees we incorporated into our original design. It is closer to the parking lot that the original site. This aspect is very important to us, as we are thinking of visitors who have limited mobility. Whether they are elderly veterans slowed by age or youthful veterans whose mobility was sacrificed in a war zone, whether they are mothers with babies in strollers, we want this monument to be easily accessible. We're having to tweak our design just a bit to accommodate the new site as well as the additional ground work that will be required, but we are determined to get this monument done.

On Tuesday evening, March 16, at 6:30, the Summerfield Town Council will meet. We fully expect that the non-binding resolution will be made binding. Meanwhile, we've spent this week planning more fund-raising events.

Please check back frequently to follow our progress.

Thank you for supporting veterans!