Gazebo Will Be Rebuilt

TWO YEARS SINCE TORNADO

Goodman city officials plan on rebuilding a special gazebo and dedicating it on the second anniversary of the tornado that tore the structure to pieces.

The gazebo was one of those special parts of the little town that was devastated by the April 4 tornado that swept through, severely damaging the local school, two fire stations, an old car wash and uprooting numerous mature oak trees.

On Tuesday night, city council members discussed rebuilding the gazebo on the Saturday before the anniversary. Community members plan to meet and rebuild the structure on March 30, then dedicate the gazebo on Thursday, April 4. City council members discussed meeting that evening around 5 p.m. and sharing food and fellowship. They hope to have the dedication and ribbon cutting around 7 p.m. that evening, approximately at the time the tornado came through town.

City Supervisor David Brodie said he spoke with Sam Boblett, owner of Advance Design in Goodman, who committed to donate and build trusses for the gazebo. Mayor Greg Richmond said if some of the walls could be built ahead of time, that would make the project go together quickly.

Richmond and Brodie will meet to gather measurements and consider different wood for the gazebo.

Recreation Director Heath Lewis said he would help drum up support and form a committee if he needed to get the work started.

He said he’s interested in making sure the gazebo is rebuilt and in the dedication featuring food and fellowship. The park in which the gazebo was located was named after his sister, Terra. The small piece of land, dedicated as Terra’s Park, was named in his sister’s honor. She and Heath’s mother were both killed in a car-train accident that occurred in Goodman in 1991, he said after the meeting. Terra was just 9 years old.

In other business, the council:

Agreed to engage Nick Myers’ service as auditor;

Approved adding caller ID to the city hall phone lines;

Discussed cleaning up property at 233 E. Main St. and on School Streets. Some trees still remain down, as a result of the tornado.