Nov. 10 Show
We will talk about the following article and veteran issues as well as continue on our Katrina discussion. The 17th the Mayor of Bullhead City will be my guest to talk about this and other issues that his town is facing. Below is the article:
BULLHEAD CITY - Officials in Bullhead City extinguished the eternal flame at the city’s new veterans memorial park after receiving a $961 gas bill, but quickly did an about face after protests by veterans groups.
The Medal of Honor Memorial at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Park alongside the Colorado River was lit on Veterans Day in November. When the bill arrived in late December, city officials were stunned.
“It caught us by surprise,” City Manager Tim Ernster said Thursday. “What we decided to do for the time being is to turn the flame on … for special events, for Veterans Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day - those types of activities.”
The flame was extinguished on Monday. The local newspaper published a story in Friday’s edition quoting city officials and disgruntled veterans who had worked to pay for and build the memorial before turning it over to the city.
By midmorning Friday, the flame was back on. City spokesman Steve Johnson said it was re-lit after a meeting on Friday morning.
“What happened was really a miscommunication,” Johnson said. “The issue came up one day and it was never intended to be shut off.”
Johnson said the flame is impressive, but city parks officials are looking at ways to put a smaller burner in place and only use the larger one at special events.
“We’re looking at alternatives, because $1,000 a month in these economic times is certainly a consideration,” Johnson said.
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