HELEN — A corner lot near the Helen Welcome Center soon will take on a new purpose: Honoring the nation’s veterans.
During Tuesday’s Helen City Commission meeting, Commissioner Fred Garmon presented the idea, and received consensus to proceed with gathering prices for the conversion of the lot to a passive park honoring veterans.
“It’s important that we recognize our veterans,” Garmon said. “It’s something we can do with a piece of property that was donated to the city by Mr. Jim Wilkins some years back. We’re going to get some bids on building the wall there to put the plaque on and so forth, and we’re going to hope to just meld it in with the American eagle sculpture that’s there. We also would like to add some park benches and have a passive park there for people to come and sit.”
Additionally, a flagpole will be added.
The lot is located on the corner of Brucken Strasse and Edelweiss Strasse, directly behind the Helen Welcome Center.
The City of Helen has been working closely with local veterans for the past several years, including an annual Day in the Park for Veterans cookout at Helen Riverside Park, held in conjunction with the Helen Arts and Heritage Center.
Additionally, the Helen Arts and Heritage Center offers free art workshops for veterans and family members, bringing veterans from across North Georgia to Helen.
A vote by the Helen City Commission to proceed with the veterans park could come as early as November.
“That’s about all we know right now,” Garmon said. “We’re going to get some prices on it, and hopefully next meeting we’ll have something more to say about it.”
The commission’s next scheduled meeting is at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7.
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