subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Fri, Nov 27 2009 

Resources

print this story   Print this story
email this story   E-mail this story
  Post to del.icio.us

Photos


Globe/Roger Nomer Chuck Dalbom, chairman of the Stella Veterans’ Memorial Committee, honors the flag during the Stellabration parade on Saturday afternoon. At least 200 turned out for the celebration that this year featured the dedication of the memorial.

Published November 01, 2008 07:18 pm - STELLA, Mo. — The dedication of the Stella Veterans’ Memorial on Saturday brought some closure to Lee Meier, a retired Army veteran whose name adorns a brick paver on the monument.

Stella celebrates veterans, history



By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

STELLA, Mo. — The dedication of the Stella Veterans’ Memorial on Saturday brought some closure to Lee Meier, a retired Army veteran whose name adorns a brick paver on the monument.

“It’s important to me,” said Meier, 61, who served in Vietnam and now lives in rural McDonald County. “When we came home from Vietnam, we were all feeling kind of isolated. This gives us some kind of recognition.”

Meier was one of at least 200 people who attended the dedication ceremony, which served as the main event for the town’s annual Stellabration festival.

Joyce Chamblin, 61, a former Stella resident, spotted the names of several family members as she toured the memorial, and said she plans to purchase pavers for her father, Harold Deal, and her brother and nephew.

“Having these bricks of my dad, my nephew and brother, they’ll always be there,” said Chamblin, now of Baxter Springs, Kan. “My dad died 17 years ago, and he’s always going to be here.”

The memorial, which measures about 165 feet by 82 feet features brick walkways, landscaping, a small bridge, a flag and a five-pointed star. The bricks are engraved with veterans’ names. The park honors any member of the service, from any branch, from any time period.

Architect Steve Hatfield of Landscape Architecture in Fayetteville, Ark., said the star design signifies the five branches of the military service: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

“I think it’s really great that a small town like Stella can come together and get a project like this started,” he said.

The opening of the memorial was marked by a parade and formal ceremony that included the Missouri National Guard’s funeral honors, a fly-over, a 21-gun salute, the playing of “Taps” and a singing of the national anthem. State Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-131st District, also spoke during the dedication.

“This is a high point, but it’s not the finish, because we’ve got a lot more bricks to put in,” said Chuck Dalbom, former principal of Triway Elementary School in Stella and the chairman of the Stella Veterans’ Memorial Committee. “We’ve got a place for 6,000 bricks and we want to have all the veterans in the area represented if we can.”

Earlier this year, Dalbom announced plans to build the memorial on a lot adjacent to the Stella Senior Center.

New park space was part of a larger revitalization plan drawn up for Stella last year by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA helped residents devise such a plan after the agency discovered asbestos on the grounds of the former Cardwell Memorial Hospital, which is now the site of the memorial.

The agency removed the old hospital in 2006 and created a revitalization plan for the community because any redevelopment of the Cardwell site likely would need to be accompanied by development in the rest of the town, according to the EPA.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story







autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

Announcements


Click here to VOTE!!

Click here!!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!


Featured Jobs

TRUCK DRIVERS NEEDED

for local construction project, must have CDL and experience on construction site belly dumps. 417-206-0930.
...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

HONDA, 2007 FIT SPORT,
customized interior package, automatic, air, AM/FM/CD, cruise, great mpg, low miles, excellent condition, $11,800. (417)...>MORE

1979 SATURN
GOOD Economical car, 1979 Saturn, $2000 firm, cash only. (620)783-1751....>MORE

2002 BUICK RENDEZVOUS
4 door, luxury leather trim, loaded, CD, sunroof, beautiful rig, extra nice, $4500. 1317 Schifferdecker...>MORE

2001 DODGE RAM 1500
SLT/shell, 71,000 miles, 5.9l V8, tow package +, super condition reduced $7690. 417-358-5395....>MORE

2005 FORD FOCUS
4 cylinder, 5 speed, 134,000 miles, $3495. 417-434-0925...>MORE

1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM
2 door, spoiler, sharp, loaded, automatic, air, CD, extra nice, $2600. 1317 Schifferdecker, Joplin....>MORE

2002 KIA OPTIMA EX
4 door, sharp, loaded, leather, CD, sunroof, extra nice, $3200. 1317 Schifferdecker, Joplin....>MORE

OLDSMOBILE 2003 SILHOUETTE VAN
OLDSMOBILE, 2003 Silhouette mini van, 107,000 miles, scooter/wheelchair hoist, nice, $7000. (417)776-3219....>MORE

FORD, 1997 F150
V8, automatic, extended cab, high miles, $2600. (417)214-0145....>MORE

YAMAHA PSR-GX76
76 key keyboard, new in box, sustain petal and music stand, paid $324, sell for $175. 417-434-0925...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

525 E. 41ST, JOPLIN, MO

to be sold at auction December 5th or before. Lovely all red brick home on large corner. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, double
...>MORE

NEWER 3 BR/2 BA
Lots of upgrades and great location. $149,000 but all offers considered. 903 Katlin, Carl Junction. Pictures www.fsboloc...>MORE

3 ACRES
3 ACRES more/less with pond. Nice park-like setting, just minutes from Range Line. Close to area of newer homes. $19,900...>MORE

Deerfield Estates
in Carl Junction, prime building sites, reduced $10,000 each. 417-825-0052...>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

YORKIES
12 weeks old, 2 males, AKC, 1st shots, $175. 417-291-6590, Webb City...>MORE

REWARD $50,000 REWARD

Offered for any information leading to conviction of any person or persons known to have been involved in alleged
...>MORE

I WANT TO BUY
6’ t-post, 5’ wire. Call for details. (417)396-1339...>MORE

INDIAN HEAD PENNIES
INDIAN HEAD PENNIES, 35% Civil War II nickels, V nickels, Buffalo nickels, lots of other coins. Garage full of antiques ...>MORE

(2) TEACUP CHIHUAHUA
APRI puppies. (417)673-1997....>MORE

5TH WHEEL
5TH WHEEL, 2004 Prowler Regal, 26’, 2 slides, loaded, nice. (620)674-2127....>MORE

NEW IN BOX
New in box, Lucchese cowboy boots, black, size 9D, $200. (620)231-9256...>MORE

ANTIQUES FOR SALE
blue sette $350 2 lamps $75 coffee table $35 2 half side tables $35 2 mauve 60's chairs $225 will e-mail photos. 417-673...>MORE

DIAMOND SOLITAIRE
Pear-shaped, one carat, diamond solitaire in gold setting. $2,000. Please call 417-825-3238...>MORE

MALTESE PUPPIES
2 gorgeous AKC males, 8 weeks on 11/30, all shots/vaccines, $200 each. 417-325-4340 ...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition