By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
CLEVELAND ó After hearing from five residents at a public hearing on a proposed memorial garden, town commissioners here asked the Beautification Committee to meet with the Park Committee about finding a more visible location.
Residents speaking at the hearing said they liked the idea but were concerned that the vacant lot across from the police department proposed by the Beautification Committee for the memorial park was not the best site.
Commissioners said they also liked the idea but wanted the two committees to meet and come up with other potential sites.
Mayor Pro Tem Danny Gabriel, filling in for Mayor Jim Brown, who was out due to illness, said the estimated $25,000 to $35,000 cost of the memorial park would need to be included in the 2009-2010 budget.
“I think the general consensus is we do like the idea,” he said, “and we want to put it in the budget somewhere.”
Nancy Brown, who heads up the Beautification Committee, told town commissioners at their April meeting that she believes committee members can sell enough memorial brick pavers to almost pay for the park. She proposed selling the brick pavers with up to three lines and 18 characters engraved on them for $50 a brick.
The cost to the town would be $18 apiece when ordered 100 at a time, which means each order would raise $3,200 for the park.
Also at the meeting, commissioners voted to accept a $38,969 bid from Angell Paving to pave North Depot Street. The other bid received for the project, from Oliver Construction, was higher at $42,950.
Gabriel said, “Apparently, asphalt hasn’t gone down as much as we had hoped. This will come out of Powell Bill money.”
Commissioners also voted to approve contracts for Saturday’s Spring Festival at the town park: Flexflying Inc., $1,500; Fireworks by Melrose, $5,800; Sound Entertainment, $1,250; and Fun Rides & Picnics, $5,500. They approved a budget amendment to move $2,650 from capital outlay to the Spring Festival budget.
Commissioner Mary Frank “Frankie” Fleming-Adkins asked for volunteers to work at the festival.
Fleming-Adkins said the Park Committee is hoping for good weather even with a 30 percent chance of rain on Saturday. “We should have a good time.”
The festival will end Saturday evening with a big fireworks display. Last year, the fireworks were visible from Woodleaf, she said.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-7683.