2009-03-19 Veteran Advisory Committee Minutes

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Veterans Advisory Committee Page 5 March 19, 2009 Mr. Herb Lum - Report Veterans Cemetery III - West Hawaii Expansion Proiect Update - Movement of Columbariums Mr. Lum reported that this past Monday Willocks Construction Company moved the three filled columbaria from its location to its temporary location. All went in very good order. He was very impressed by the protocol that they followed moving each individual columbaria, it was moved in such a way that it hardly tilted at all. The staff of the Department of Parks and Recreation stuffed the individual units with bubble wrap in order to keep the urns in place. There were no incidents of urns tilting or dropping. They did an excellent job and it is a tribute to all that were involved including OVS, DAGS, P &R, Willocks Construction and volunteers. The columbaria is now located on the Kona -Makai side of burial field #1. It is in plain site in a very good location. It will remain there until the new cremain area is completed and then will be moved again to the new cremain area. Director Fitzgerald added that concrete fillers would be installed in front of the columbarias to protect them from being hit by vehicles. Agrees that it looks like they all did an excellent job. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Veterans Cemetery III - West Hawaii Reforestation Proiect (Dr. Richard Stevens submitted a written report dated March 13, 2009 - copy attached.) Veterans Cemetery III - West Hawaii Columbaria Relocation - Communication #03 -09 Chairwoman Fox said members should've received a copy of the February 27th letter Director Fitzgerald sent to all families who have loved ones remains interred in the columbaria informing them of movement. Director Fitzgerald apologized for not stating where columbarias were being located to just to let families know it was being moved, but remaining on the cemetery property. He received several calls from families asking about where it was being moved. Proposed Veterans Monument to be erected at Liliuokalani Gardens by the Korean War Veterans Chairwoman Fox said the committee received six different items of correspondence on this matter. She asked members if they have received and read the communications received. She confirmed that the Kona members received the correspondence. She called a five minute recess so members could review documents and think about questions they may have. Meeting will be called back to order at 3:45pm. RECESS (5 Minutes)