The Lakeland Union High School Finance Committee now believes the best location to place the “T-Bird Country” railroad bridge panel memorial is at the north entrance of the school off State Hwy. 70 West, Minoqua.
A few weeks ago, the committee appeared to favor placing the steel railroad panel in an area between the commons and the athletic field.
Students over the years have painted “T-Bird Country” on the south side of the circa-1938 Milwaukee Road railroad bridge that until Aug. 2nd spanned U.S. Hwy. 51 in the Town of Hazelhurst, thus creating an iconic image of both the high school and the Northwoods.
The plate girder with the graffiti was donated to a group who wants to use it for a larger-than-life memorial at LUHS.
The LUHS Finance Committee voted unanimously Aug. 4th to forward its recommendation of the Hwy. 70 West entrance to the LUHS Board of Education, which will meet Wednesday, Aug. 10th in special session to consider the issue. Of the nine-member school board, Barry Seidel, Ed Schaub, Barb Peck and Sarah Kemp sit on Finance.
Change of heart
The change of heart apparently came at the July 25th Finance meeting when members again reviewed all three sites outlined by Point of Beginnings, a Stevens Point-based company drawing up plans for LUHS’ outdoor athletic facilities. The other site was midway between the north entrance and the commons/field location.
At that July 25th meeting, Minocqua businessman Bob Metropulos, Jr., who is spearheading efforts to bring the bridge panel to the LUHS campus, presented a detailed rendering of the bridge at the Hwy. 70 West entrance.
Contingencies outlined
Metropulos returned to the Aug. 4th Finance meeting to hear committee chairman Barry Seidel present a list of contingencies overall, as well as specific, to the proposed north entrance site.
Among them was an “exit” plan in case the newly formed “Friends of the T-Bird Bridge” group failed to gain sufficient funding for the panel placement.
“If the project goes south, what happens?” Seidel said. “We don’t want to be left with a mess out there.”
He stressed that the Bridge Committee has to have a firm timeline for start and finish of the project.
Reluctant to be tied to a project cost at this early stage, Metropulos was confident that the final cost would be reduced through donations of materials and labor.
Finance wants assurances that the Bridge Committee will fund the entire project through donations, and not require help by tax dollars. Also, that the Bridge Committee has in hand full project funding, except for soil borings and survey, before starting the project.
“We are not going to do anything until we have the money,” promised Metropulos.
Other requirements include securing all needed local and state permits, ensuring the storm water retention ponds are not adversely affected, and that the structural design (the panel will rest on pillars) is engineered to meet soil conditions.
Finally, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the district and Bridge Committee is required, along with an outline of how any donations above the project’s cost will be dispersed. The Bridge Committee will be using the district’s name for fundraising.
Concerns
Among the issues affecting the north entrance, according to LUHS Building and Grounds director Dave Arnett, is the possibility of buried natural gas, electrical and even sewer services in that area. Moving those lines would be prohibitively expensive.
Metropulos agreed, saying he is open to another location if that is the case. “I hope we can work together ... to get it where it belongs,” Metropulos said.
Arnett said the Bridge Committee has to find out how much right-of-way land the Wisconsin Department of Transportation acquired in the past along Hwy. 70 West. He is still worried about the traffic congestion in the parking lot adjacent to the bridge panel.
LUHS district administrator/principal Jim Bouché agreed, saying the parking lot “has been a real problem, especially in the winter” when the markings are covered by snow.
Bouché noted the bridge memorial is “only a small part” of what is planned for the outdoor facilities, but he also saw the north site as a “beautiful entrance” with the envisioned memorial there.
Peck wondered if the public would be “confused” by the different groups fundraising on behalf of the school and its students. The Lakeland Foundation recently filed paperwork with the state and federal government asking for tax-exempt status as part of its future school fundraising.
“I would rather see one fundraising group if possible,” she said. “Can’t you work with the [Lakeland] Foundation?” People could specify that their donations go to the bridge panel project.
Metropulos said the Bridge Committee wants to begin fundraising immediately. They want to reach visitors who viewed the “T-Bird Country” bridge as their personal gateway to the Northwoods. Bridge Committee member Pam Carroll, who also sits on the Lakeland Foundation board, said the foundation is months away from getting its tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
Schaub interjected that he had “no problem” with the two groups fundraising on their own. “I don’t think one will affect the other,” he said.
Bouché favored one overall fundraising group, but allowed two could work “just as long as everybody is communicating with one another.”
From the audience, Board of Education member Jon Berg added his support for the north entrance site.
“That whole area needs to be cleaned up and beautified,” Berg said.
“Powerful messaging” is how Berg described the daily passing of students and community members under the bridge with the wording “Bridging Community Through Education.”
Carroll said an account has been set up at River Valley Bank in Minocqua to accept donations for the bridge panel project. Donations can be sent to: The Friends of the T-Bird Bridge, P.O. Box 912, Minocqua, WI 54548.
