Tercentennial Memorial Work Poised To Begin

By Kendra Bobowick

What does the tercentennial memorial mean?

With a hint of humor Town Historian Dan Cruson said, “Besides we’re old?”

The memorial project that will essentially redecorate the Edmond Town Hall entranceway carries a message. “It’s a celebration of 300 successful years as a community,” he said. Newtown celebrated its tercentennial in 2005, and the memorial will be the coup de grâce to the anniversary, he said. “This is the last piece.”

The redesigned area will be a permanent reminder.

“[The tercentennial] was a time to bring the community together to celebrate and the memorial is to remember that,” he said.

The memorial, which will involve landscaping, new benches, and the focal point — a paver displaying the tercentennial logo — may be the last piece as Mr Cruson expressed, but Tercentennial Committee member Brigette Sorensen said, “It’s not almost over.” In fact, memorial work is about to begin.

On April 23 residents walking into town hall may see the first signs of work.

The project will focus primarily on the right-hand lawn in front of town hall. The work includes laying a granite paver with the tercentennial logo, replacing the wooden benches with granite, configuring a central platform in the grass to display future artwork, and landscaping the space. Ms Sorensen also likes the possibility of burying a time capsule.

On Tuesday morning Mr Cruson, Ms Sorensen, and others peered into the ground where Deputy Director of Public Works David Bratz took measurements of a concrete base buried below ground that is used for the Christmas tree. The group discussed whether they needed to relocate the base or work around it to place the platform for artwork.

Edmond Town Hall Building Superintendent Clark Kathan said, “As soon as the weather breaks a little bit we’re going to do something out there.” Also at the meeting was Board of Managers member Jane Sharpe. The managers oversee the historic building.

Ms Sorensen took part in designing the tercentennial logo, created by the committee, she said. The entire project cost is $13,000 for raw materials and construction is $8,600.The committee saved funds by handling design work and receiving in-kind donations for the landscaping and plans.

Upcoming work includes construction to excavate and prepare the site with benches, granite, and, finally, grass. During May and June a team of residents will meet to create language to be inscribed onto the benches. Last October Ms Sorensen envisioned engraving nostalgic phrases on the granite. She had said, “We’re coming up with the language, something [visitors] can ponder while there,” she said. She hopes for “something simplistic,” and thought-provoking.

“It could be about the past, but [also] make us think of the future,” she said. Since that time a group of people is considering the wording.

This week, Ms Sorensen said, “This element will be what truly claims its identity as a Tercentennial Memorial which speaks to the town of Newtown.”

During July and August Hollandia’s has offered to donate plantings. “[This] will be the final punctuation to polish this site off as a ‘pocket park,’” Ms Sorensen said. She hopes to see the project unveiled on Labor Day.