Wanted to reach a larger audience about park

Dear Editor,

I feel I need to clarify items in my last letter. The Village Manager asked why I didn’t call him. Obviously I wanted to reach a larger audience.

He also asked why I put a letter in the Imlay City paper. The Tri-City Times is Almont’s home town paper.

It was founded as the Almont Herald in 1875 and has ever since been owned and operated by families with ties to Almont.

I was and am concerned with the dismal look of the memorial to the men from Almont who gave the “last full measure of devotion” to their country. Two benches and a few flowers is woefully inadequate to honor Almont’s honored dead.

I never met any of the men whose names are on the monument. However, I have known family and friends for every single one.

My namesake is on that monument–Richard Hoyt. The family and friends should have some say in the memorial to their loved ones. I find the present condition of our tribute to our fallen to be inadequate, disgusting and disrespectful.

I have a group of people who would do the fund raising to properly landscape the park. I asked the Village Manager to call me so I could introduce him to them. He did not call me. He twice admonished me for not calling him but he doesn’t even take his own advice.

I do not now need him to call me. The group has decided to create a proposal for the improvement of the landscaping in Burley Park, which will be presented to the Village Council.

On Saturday September 7, Richard Burley–Dr. David Burley’s grandson–wrote requesting my help in getting a sign for Burley Park to honor his grandfather. This will be included in the proposal.

Funding for the Burley Park improvements will come from private donations or grants. The improvement will cost the taxpayers nothing!

In 1986 or 1987, the Village Council approved the application for the creation of the “West St. Clair National Historic District.” The approval acknowledged that the area within the “Historic District” was “worthy of preservation”. They agreed to help maintain it but also not to make changes.

After Council approval of the application, the application was sent to the State of Michigan. The State reviewed the application and concurred that the area was “worthy of preservation”.

The State approved the application and forwarded it to the Feds. The Feds also reviewed the application and agreed that the “Historic District’ was “worthy of preservation”. In early 1987, the “District” was official formed.

Burley Park is a huge piece of Almont’s history and heritage. It is named to honor a great man who had a profound effect on the community. In 1968 we moved the monument to the park to celebrate Memorial Day and our honored dead.

Burley Park needs to have new landscaping installed and left alone. It cannot be considered to become a parking lot! We should not sacrifice our history and heritage for a few extra parking spaces.

As of September 5, it was the impression of people within the municipal building that the Village Manager still intended to install angled-parking along the east side of Burley Park. To do that would first require the removal of the bushes. This cannot and must not happen.

If additional parking is needed, I suggest looking at the vacant lot to the south of Burley Park. Do not sacrifice our history for a couple of parking spots!

—James R. Wade Sr.
President,
Almont Community Historical Society