Veterans Memorial to shine light

Collaboration between city and veterans moves memorial to Aquatic Center area

A new veteran’s memorial is in the works for 2019 through a collaboration between the city of Avon and local veterans.

Stemming from traffic concerns, the new memorial will be moved to a site on Detroit Road behind the Post Office in the vicinity of the Avon Aquatic Center, the recently completed Every Child’s Playground and the Avon History Walk.

With Avon’s Memorial Day festivities presently located at the Avon Cemetery on Detroit Road and State Route 83, the project will provide a more convenient space to honor veterans, said Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen.

The location at the Avon Cemetery was becoming more difficult due to increased traffic and the city was not able to safely accommodate more people who wanted to be a part of Memorial Day celebrations due to concerns expressed by the Avon Police Department, Jensen said.

Local artist and Vietnam veteran Kerry Barvincak will coordinate the project.

In getting together with local veterans through

VFW Post 7035, Barvincak, who is known for creating a number of patriotic murals in Avon and other parts of Lorain County, sketched an initial design featuring six, six-foot high granite pieces recognizing World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War and the War on Terror.

The memorial also will honor three of Avon’s fallen soldiers, Capt. John M. Barelka, Cpl. David Schneider and Sgt. Edward Smith Jr.

Barvincak’s original design was converted into a rendering by Lorain architectural firm Clark & Post, which has maintained most

of his original ideas.

“It’s going to be a little different than any other memorial around,” Barvincak said. “There will be no flag poles there, and there will be lights on top of each granite piece. So, it will be a somber thing at night.” Giving back As a veteran, Barvincak said it is important for him to give back.

In addition to the his role on the project, Barvincak, in collaboration with the city of Avon, designs and creates plaques to present to veterans of WWII and the Korean War in area nursing homes as a special thanks from the city for their service.

With the final design nearly completed, Jensen said he expects a presentation to City Council in the near future and hopes the project will be ready for Memorial Day 2019.

With a pond and fountain in the backdrop, Jensen said it was important to provide a dedicated space complementing the area and providing an opportunity for families to share in that experience in honoring local veterans and military history.

“I thought that was kind of the one thing that was missing in that area,” the mayor said. “And, I think we sometimes will remember it from Memorial Day.

“But from that point forward, there’s just no place to continue bring somebody and that corner (Detroit/83) was never a good spot where somebody could go.”

In September, Avon City Council voted to appropriate $225,000 toward the project with $200,000 coming through a Capital Budget Grant Program (House Bill 529) paid for through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“It’s going to be a little different than any other memorial around. There will be no flag poles there, and there will be lights on top of each granite piece. So, it will be a somber thing at night.” — Local artist and Vietnam veteran Kerry Barvincak