January 9, 2024 |
Photo – Drawing of Never Forget Park – Bigfoot99 file photo
Saratoga’s long-delayed veteran’s memorial park is slated to begin construction this spring.
The Never Forget Park, in Saratoga, is inching closer to reality. After receiving a $10,000 Wyoming Community Foundation grant, construction is expected to begin as soon as the weather allows.
Twenty-eight-year-old Saratoga resident Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett was killed while serving in Iraq in 2008. Following his death, residents of Saratoga began planning a memorial to honor the young man’s sacrifice. Residents elected to build a park bearing the soldier’s name: Tyler Pickett Park. Never Forget Park committee member Stacy Crimmins said the creation of a brand-new outdoor space has proved to be an expensive undertaking.
Crimmins said Sergeant Pickett’s family wanted the project to include all who sacrificed themselves to protect American lives, necessitating a name change. In December of 2021, the Saratoga town council voted to rename the memorial Never Forget Park.
Since 2008, previous and current Saratoga town councils have voiced their approval of Never Forget Park. However, the cost to construct an entirely new outdoor memorial space has been quite high. According to the park’s official website, Neverforgetpark.com, the entire project is estimated to cost $1,068,100. To keep costs down, Crimmins said the park has gotten less ambitious.
Crimmins said the design of the park has changed nearly a dozen times over the past 16 years. Now the plan calls for a simplified triangular-shaped park running along Pic Pike Road and Arrowhead Drive, on the eastern bank of the North Platte River. Crimmins said when completed, the park will feature a semi-circular memorial space, an outdoor event area, restrooms, and parking area.
Since joining the Never Forget Park Committee two years ago, Crimmins has worked to secure state and federal grants to help offset the rising cost of construction. The most recent $10,000 Wyoming Community Foundation grant will be added to the other grants, donations, and town funds pledged to the project.
In November, the Saratoga town council voted to solicit bids from contractors to begin phase one of the Never Forget Park: installing curb and gutter at the park site. Crimmins said the town should receive the contractor bid packages this week. Crimmins said with the bid packages in hand, the Never Forget Park committee will have a better understanding of how much the project will actually cost.
Crimmins said if the contractor bids come within budget, construction can begin when the weather allows. The Never Forget Park Committee member said she expects the first phase of the project to be completed this year.
Crimmins said she is waiting to hear back from Wyoming State Parks about a $275,700 federal grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Never Forget Park Committee member said she is confident the grant will be approved, but she won’t find out until next month.
Crimmins said if the $275,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant is approved, the entire project could potentially be finished this fall. However, the grant requires an equal $275,000 match. Crimmins said roughly $200,000 of the grant match will come from in-kind donations, with the rest of the money coming from the town.
In the meantime, the Never Forget Park Committee is selling veteran memorial plaques to raise money for the project. Each $100 plaque will have a veteran’s name engraved on it and be attached to benches within the park. Crimmins said she has sold around 12 of the memorial plaques.
Crimmins said the Never Forget Park Committee is always looking for volunteers to assist with fundraising.
Crimmins asked people interested in donating or joining the Never Forget Park Committee to call her at 329-7150 or send an email to info@neverforgetpark.com.
