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| 7/20/2011 Blue Star Memorial at Avondale & Harlem after clean-up effort of person(s) unknown |
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Found almost tucked under an overgrown bush - a small memorial to past Norwood Park Garden Club Members  |
UPDATE: 7/17/2011 Someone cut the grass and cleaned up the memorial site! Thanks to whoever was responsible. I'll post a few pictures soon...
Original Post:
Readers,
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| Blue Star Memorial Garden at Harlem & Avondale |
A few comments came through this week about the Blue Star Memorial garden at Harlem & Avondale from readers who are concerned about its condition. The Blue Star Memorial honors service men and women. Our community's Blue Star Memorial is in terrible shape. It looks as though the garden has been abandoned. I went over there today, looked at the site and found the grass, bushes and trees all need cutting/trimming. Weeds are everywhere. The memorial plaque itself needs to have the weeds removed from around it and could use a good blast with the hose. I'm posting some info about the Blue Star Memorial garden program in hopes that a community/civic group may be interested in caring for the garden.
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| Blue Star Memorial at Harlem & Avondale 7/11/2011 |
Blue Star Memorial Program
The Blue Star Memorial Program honors service men and women. This program began with the planting of 8,000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Council of Garden Clubs in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II. In 1945, the National Council of State Garden Clubs adopted the program and began a Blue Star Highway system, which covers thousands of miles across the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. A large metal Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker was placed at appropriate locations along the way.
The program was expanded to include all men and women who had served, were serving or would serve in the armed services of the United States. Memorial Markers and By-Way markers were added to the Highway Markers, to be used at locations such as National cemeteries, parks, veteran's facilities and gardens.
The Blue Star became an icon in World War II and was seen on flags and banners in homes for sons and daughters away at war, as well as in churches and businesses.
This program has been active all through the years to the present, a fitting tribute always and especially now. Many states and regions have been very dedicated, but there is room for growth in some areas.
A "Guidelines" booklet can be ordered from Member Services for $5.00, which explains all procedures, including awards available to clubs.
very sad and disrespectful too. The Blue Star Memorial Plaque should be taken down until a respectable place can be found for it.
ReplyDeleteThis is disgraceful. Is this city or state property? A community group to tend to it on a long term basis is a good idea, but someone needs to do the basics and clean it up now.
ReplyDeleteNo way to honor our vets.
That is state property
ReplyDeleteIf you read the Blue Star Marker itself, it says: "A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America. Sponsored by: The Norwood Park Garden Club (this is blackened out with paint/marker) Chicago, Illinois, commemorating Norwood Park Centennial, 187-1974, in cooperation with the Norwood Park Community and the City of Chicago, Illinois".
ReplyDeleteIf you click on the pictures, you can get a good look.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would do is cut everything down, rake it all up, put a thin layer of newspaper down and then put a decent layer of mulch down. The newspaper would prevent grass & weeds from coming up and the mulch would be a simple cover. St. Adalbert Cemetery has ALOT of free mulch. They don't mind if you take some as long as you don't make a mess. The pile is on Newark Ave. Is anyone in CHARGE of this project?
ReplyDeleteReaders,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if the property is city or state owned... I have sent emails of the blog post/comments to both Alderman O'Connor and Rep. McAuliffe.
A good idea for everyone to send the Alderman and the State Representative an email!!!!
ReplyDelete$248,000.00 for gardens at schools yet a memorial to our armed forces goes unattended. This is pretty sad. Why doesn't Alderman O'Connor sponsor a clean-up of this property instead of cleaning up an empty lot in Edgebrook? And why doesn't the VFW do something about this?
ReplyDeleteI drive by Avondale everyday on my way to work and have noticed the memorial marker area has looked abandoned for about 2 to 3 years.
ReplyDeleteIt used to look great. I remember it was well maintained years ago and always had bright colored flowers planted around the marker.
The Norwood Park Garden Club has been the group primarily responsible for the upkeep of the park. They disbanded this year and have not been out to take care of the property, which is Chicago Park District land. The cost to have the sign rehabed is $750 (http://www.gardenclub.org/specialprojects/bluestarmemorial.aspx) but anyone or group interested in donating their time to cleaning up the lot is more then welcome to do so.
ReplyDeleteLets decide on a weekend and take care of it
Some thoughts on the Blue Star Memorial:
ReplyDelete1) Save your five dollars for the guidelines booklet, the information can be found here:
http://gci.esiteasp.com/garden_glories/news.htm
http://www.gardenclub.org/specialprojects/bluestarmemorial.aspx
2) The site is too large for any one group to restore and maintain, it would take several.
3) The marker needs to be restored. It can be done locally or with the original manufacturer for $750.
3) The marker could be moved to The Viet Nam Memorial at Raven and Avondale where the site is maintained, but since the Norwood Park Garden Club has disbanded, ownership of the memorial would have to be established.
Good info, readers. It sounds like a clean up effort will need to be lead by the alderman's office since the city owns the property and reponsibilty for the memorial has not been established. I believe the next step should be phone calls to the alderman's office to work on plans. Perhaps a meeting of interested persons and groups?
ReplyDeleteTo 11:51 :" why doesn't the VFW do something about this?" The VFW has done its bit, where are citizens doing theirs?
ReplyDeleteI agree with 9:42...we shouldn't expect vets to honor themselves, honoring vets should come from the community
ReplyDeleteHighly agree with 9:42am. As a matter of fact, given all the time it took the blogger to visit and photograph the site, and all of US to comment, we could have put a dent into improving the garden as 12:07pm suggested. It is said: "After all is said and done, there is more said than done."
ReplyDeleteReaders,
ReplyDeleteI sent the Alderman's office another email today, with a copy of the post and the comments, asking if she would be interested in leading a clean-up event. The Alderman's office is probably busy with storm clean up today, but hopefully we will hear something soon... Meanwhile, if Readers have reached out to the Alderman's office about the Blus Star Marker garden, post a comment and let us know what happened.
We have had our troops involved in two wars for almost ten years...we should be able to maintain a memorial marker to honor vets and current members of the armed forces. We are doing less than the minimum, and I agree, the Blue Star Marker site is a disgrace.
ReplyDeletePotential places to get the plaque restored locally:
ReplyDeletewww.csosinc.com
www.bronzememco.com
www.gastmonuments.com
Both the Harlem site and the Raven site have room for three flowering dogwood trees (which are traditional) at $100 each.
ReplyDeleteAny news?
ReplyDeleteIt would be news if anybody could find out how to find out who owns this triangle. State, City, Park District or just lost in space?
ReplyDeleteIt has been confirmed that the city owns the property. We are waiting for the alderman's office to announce official plans for a "clean up" event and also long term plans for the on-going maintainance of the memorial garden & space.
ReplyDelete....waiting......
ReplyDeleteI saw the memorial land this morning and it looks better, but still needs some gardening done. Needs flowers, a new marker, bushes trimmed. It looks alot better with the grass/weeds cut but still has a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteWe can't afford the memorial, take it down. From a vet.
ReplyDeleteCut the grass? There isn't any grass, maybe mow down the weeds a little. I have had email correspondence with Kathy Rewerts, The Blue Star Memorial Chairperson for The Garden Clubs of Illinois who would prefer that Sewah Studios, the original manufacturer, restore the plaque at $750 (www.sewahstudios.com) but there isn't any hard and fast rule that it can't be done locally. Could we get the plaque restored through the Park District which does statue restoration? Also, Spring Grove Nurseries in Mazon has flowering Dogwoods (which are traditional) at $135 picked up (www.SpringGroveNursery.com). There is room for three flowering dogwoods along the Avondale side. So people can start thinking of ways to raise the cash and present thier ideas to restore the site. The Garden Clubs of Illinois has some very minor grants available. If anybody wants to contact me off blog about restoring this site it's: Dennis Paterka at orangestar1@peoplepc.com. Any garden experts out there?
ReplyDeleteFYI: Jim Delmedico was very involved in organizing neighborhood clean-ups of this sight. He is currently sick and in the hospital. In my opinion this is why it hasn't been taken care of. He can't be the only one interested!
ReplyDeleteI live down the block from the plot of land and its good to see someone taking an interest in it again, I remember it in its heyday and it was a very well kept sight. If you look at it carefully the trees and bushes are planted symetrically and purposefully. There are ornamental rocks and stones along the perimeter that haven't been visiable for a long time. I hope it is kept up.
ReplyDeletelooks much better, but I agree, could use more plants.
ReplyDeleteAny plans yet?
ReplyDeleteThis tiny "garden" is a symbol of many Americans attitude toward our current wars and toward our current military members: disinterest and "let someone else do it".
ReplyDeleteI have had email correspondence with Kathy Rewerts, The Blue Star Memorial Chairperson for The Garden Clubs of Illinois who would prefer that Sewah Studios, the original manufacturer, restore the plaque at $750 (www.sewahstudios.com) but there isn't any hard and fast rule that it can't be done locally. Could we get the plaque restored through the Park District which does statue restoration? Also, Spring Grove Nurseries in Mazon has flowering Dogwoods (which are traditional) at $135 picked up (www.SpringGroveNursery.com). There is room for three flowering dogwoods along the Avondale side. So people can start thinking of ways to raise the cash and present thier ideas to restore the site. The Garden Clubs of Illinois has some very minor grants available. If anybody wants to contact me off blog about restoring this site it's: Dennis Paterka at orangestar1@peoplepc.com. Any garden experts out there?
ReplyDelete@One Blue Star Mom - It must seem that way now, but know there are some of us out here trying to change that are very supportive of restoring the Blue Star Memorial. I beleive this is the difficult, "getting organized" phase.
ReplyDeleteI have some Stella Dora Day Lilies that I could donate. When the time comes, post where I could drop them off.
ReplyDeleteAsking for donations of cuttings from home gardens is one of my ideas, but with all the grunt work that needs to be done the site is a long way from being ready for transplants.
ReplyDeleteDennis
An account is trying to be established with the Garden Club of Illinois to accept donations to restore the marker (cost to restore is $750) however their next board meeting isn't until September 12.
ReplyDeleteDennis
I took a good look at the site yesterday now that the weeds have been mowed down. This will be a monster project to restore and maintain which is why I'm in favor of moving the marker to Raven and Avondale by the micro Viet Nam Memorial where the site is maintained. Dennis
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice garden. I'd love to have it. How do I get to have a garden like that?
ReplyDelete