The rain tapered off just in time today for ceremonial shovels to be turned on the new Veterans Outreach Center to be built at the Veterans Memorial Park.
Volunteers erected tent Saturday in anticipation of the weather, Angela Norris said. The county Veterans Day ceremony was moved indoors from the steps of the original courthouse to the Superior Courtroom.
The park event served two purposes: honoring Veterans Day, and breaking ground for the new center. The center will provide a meeting facility, event venue and central location for mobile Veterans Administration (VA) services. Norris said the project is expected to take seven to 12 months to complete.
Around 150 veterans of various eras attended the park event, Norris said. Peggy Newman was guest speaker. Mrs. Newman is the widow of Ly. Col. Jim Newman, one of the earliest supporters of the park and a staunch advocate for veterans.
Norris said a representative from the Veterans Administration was at the groundbreaking and promised that VA personnel would be setting up at the center on a regular basis when it opens.
