By Adam Rollins, Record Staff Writer
The Warrenton Tourism Commission has agreed to provide $40,000 for bronze statues that will be placed at the planned Tribute to Veterans Memorial site in Warrenton. The funding was approved by Warrenton’s Board of Aldermen Sept. 5.The statues are of a mother and young son holding hands, standing before a “battlefield cross” — boots supporting an erect rifle, with a helmet placed on the stock. The life-size, highly detailed statues will be positioned to face a monumental wall listing the names of Warren County soldiers who died serving in times of war.Memorial committee President Rick Mantione said he is very thankful to have such strong support for the project.“It’s absolutely fantastic. Another example of how this community has come together to make this happen,” Mantione said.What would have been a long, difficult task has become much more doable with donations from throughout the community, especially major contributions from the city of Warrenton and The Missouri Bank, Mantione said.The bronze sculptures created by Liberty Art Works in Dutzow have already been paid for, Mantione said. They came with a price tag of $62,000.The city of Warrenton previously had contributed two payments totaling $22,000 for the statues, officials said. Now the city will reimburse the memorial committee for the rest of the cost, Mantione explained.Ward 1 Alderman Greg Costello, who is part of the volunteer group building the memorial, requested the tourism commission approve the additional $40,000 to pay for the remaining cost of the statues during an Aug. 1 board of aldermen meeting. He said the city would then be recognized as the sole sponsor for that part of the memorial.Costello added that the reason he made the request for additional funding is because the city has a special tourism fund that has about $188,000 in unspent, uncommitted money. Costello was an alderman when the tourism fund was established in 2004.“We expected that fund to be spent every year,” Costello said. “I cannot think of another type of project ... that says ‘tourism’ more than this. If you’re driving down the interstate and you see the quality of the facility we’re building, if that doesn’t make you pull over and take a look, I don’t know what will.”Alderman Mike Shilharvey, Ward 1, said he had supported the initial contributions for the statues, but questioned if taking $40,000 out of the tourism fund might negatively impact the city’s budget for various special events, such as the annual Fall Festival.He defended the money being held in the fund as a contingency for events that might not take in as much as they cost.Shilharvey is the board of aldermen’s liaison on the tourism commission.The tourism commission met with Tribute to Veterans Memorial organizers Aug. 22, and subsequently recommended approval of the $40,000 payment for the statues. The board of aldermen agreed with that recommendation Sept. 5, voting 5-0 to approve the funds with Ward 3 Alderman John Miller absent.Shilharvey said he was more comfortable with the payment after it had been reviewed and recommended by the tourism commission.One of the questions the tourism commission asked memorial organizers is whether they also have other sources of funding, said tourism commission member Tammy Miller.The main ongoing fundraiser for the memorial has been the sale of paving bricks that can contain personal messages, which will be incorporated into the paving of the memorial.Miller said memorial organizers also discussed plans for other upcoming fundraising events, and indicated that they have monetary reserves that will be used for other parts of the project, including the centerpiece wall.As for the money held in reserve in the city’s tourism fund, Miller said the funding has been used as a contingency to help support an increasing number of tourism activities in Warrenton.Miller is an officer with American Bank of Missouri. She and the other members of the tourism commission are volunteers from Warrenton’s business and tourism community.The tourism commission oversees money collected from a special tax on hotels and motels in Warrenton. The commission makes tourism-focused spending recommendations which are then sent to the Warrenton Board of Aldermen for approval.A bronze statue of a little boy is one of three created by Liberty Art Works in Dutzow for the Tribute to Veterans Memorial in Warrenton. The city of Warrenton has agreed to contribute a total of $62,000 to pay for the statues. Record photo/ Cindy Gladden.
