KINGMAN - Arizona veterans may have a final resting place in Mohave County. County Supervisor Buster Johnson brought the idea before the Board of Supervisors at Monday's meeting.
The state is seeking a location for a new veterans' cemetery, he said. It would need about 40 to 50 acres of land and access to a major roadway.
Julie Hassett from Desert Lawn Cemetery in Mohave Valley objected. She wasn't against a veterans' cemetery, she said. Desert Lawn serves many veterans' families, and ceremonies celebrating veterans were often held at Desert Lawn. However, she said she was concerned about how much a veterans' cemetery would cost to build and maintain.
Everyone in Bullhead City thought an eternal flame to honor veterans at Veterans Park was a wonderful idea, until they realized it would cost around $1,000 a month to keep the flame lit, she said. Now, the flame is lit only on special days, such as Veterans Day or Memorial Day.
The federal Veterans Administration would build the cemetery and reimburse the county for any expense for environmental studies, Johnson said.
The state would maintain the cemetery.
The Board agreed to have staff look into the idea.
The Board also approved setting up $300,000 in an interest-bearing checking account for the Mohave County Emergency Management Department. The department will use the funds to pay for supplies and services in emergencies.
It also referred a zoning use permit for a water storage tank near Dolan Springs back to the Planning and Zoning Commission at the request of staff.
The Board also approved a $1 per ton public health fee at the county dumps in order to help pay for the Dangerous Building Abatement and Public Nuisance Complaint programs. The programs help residents who are unable to make repairs to their homes to bring them up to county zoning or health standards. Residents have to meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for the program.
The county is working to get more federal funding for the program, said Deputy County Manager for Health and Community Services Susie Parel-Duranceau.
The Board also approved the purchase of 13 fleet vehicles for the Public Works Department. The majority of the vehicles were purchased from Martin Swanty in Kingman and Bradley Ford in Lake Havasu City.
Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, December 11, 2009
Article comment by:
Frank
Julie Hassett, the state is seeking a location for a new veterans' cemetery. I think the cost has already or will upon satisfactory site location, will be added to the federal budget. We might as well have it in Mohave County as anywhere else in AZ.
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Ken
Give me a break! A veterans Cemetery is a Wonderful idea! The Veterans deserve the very best! We are all free because of them, and you cannot put a price tag on Freedom!
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Game
@ Vets Needs More Benefits
Is that always the argument? Vets did this and vets did that we should give them everything they could ever want? Because I hear that CONSTANTLY from vets! The answer always give it to them because otherwise I'd have no rights.
Well as much as I appreciate what the vets did, there has to be a line drawn otherwise we'll just have to hand all the vets a blank check!
What happened to the vets fighting for their country, a "thankless" duty for the "country they love?" Now they're all saying gimme gimme gimme and taking from a nearly bankrupt country filled with 50 nearly bankrupt states!
My fathers generation didn't act like this! The vets and their families reap the same benefits of freedom that we do and that should be payment enough!
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Veteran
I agree with Taxed Enough, even though I am a Vietnam Veteran, I believe that all Vets would see it this way,and would have this money go to education for are kids and grand kids. But it seems like all the Government wants to do is spend money on new projects and making cuts and not taking care of what is important!!! The people that put them in office.
Posted: Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Vets Needs More Benefits
Taxed enough already. Thank god that Veterans have fought for your right to talk out against benefits for them.They risk their lives and all you care about is money. Typical greed infested American.
I applaud a vets cemetery here. We need it. I don't want to be buried in Tucson!
With all due respect to our veterans, this is not the time to spend more money from the public till when the state is complaining about a shortfall and threatening to cut funding from education.
