Councilman-at-Large Paul VanDenVouver said in the workshop before the session that the resolution was his idea.

“Throughout the last two years with people, every time I see them out, and the phone calls, they’re saying n

o political name should be on the Memorial Park sign,” said VanDenVouver, a military veteran whose last day in office is Dec. 31. “If anyone’s name should be on there it should be Mayor (Richard) Frey’s. He was a Purple Heart recipient.

“To be honest with you, I’m just kind of sick of hearing who should be on there and who shouldn’t be on there,” he continued. “This is why I contacted the council and made a suggestion that we have nobody’s political name on there, now or in the future. … It just happens that Willie’s name is on there now, if it was somebody else’s name, I would be presenting this again tonight. So, this is something I thought I needed to take care of before I left.”

The meeting agenda said the resolution was sponsored by Councilmembers Nancy Nichols and Don Williams, as reported in the OBSERVER on Tuesday. VanDenVouver said people were wrongly attacking them for the resolution, because it was actually composed at his behest.

Richard Makuch

“If you want to attack anybody, come to me. And do it face to face,” he concluded.

During the meeting, several people spoke against the sign change during the public comments session, while Richard Makuch, an officer in veterans organizations and a former city councilman, spoke in favor of it.

“That’s just politics,” said Gary Frederickson of the measure. “Every city you go to, the mayor’s name is on signs entering parks. There’s no reason why our mayor shouldn’t be on there. The sign’s been there for four years and only now are people, whoever the people are, are outraged over the mayor’s name on the sign.”

Makuch said Memorial Park is strictly a memorial for fallen veterans, and no one else, and also should not be a site for festivities.

John Ramos said he was also a veteran. “That sign does not memorialize the mayor. It’s the park. It’s redundant to put the reason, the soldiers. We know that’s what a Memorial Park is about,” he said. “To me, all the work that the mayor has done and all the money that the mayor has brought into the city, you should all make sure his name is on all the welcome signs. You hit a nerve. You want to take a name down, I think you should put some back.”

OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Mayor Wilfred Rosas’ name is to be removed from the sign at Memorial Park.

City Clerk Edwin Ramos then stepped down from his seat to the right of VanDenVouver to speak against the change.

“I, too, am a veteran. I received an honorable discharge. What was said here by Mr. Makuch does not represent me at all whatsoever, and I know that there’s a lot of veterans out there that this does not represent,” he said.

“There was no groups that had put a petition to the council. As was stated in the workshop, it was individuals that were badgering some of the council. If you can’t take the badgering, this is not the position to be in. Maybe you’ve already taken care of that.”

“Edwin! Edwin! Edwin! I’m just … Edwin! Please!” VanDenVouver called out over Ramos, drowning out the rest of his statement.

Makuch rose to speak again. “I might not be representing him but he wasn’t even in when I was overseas. I represent those of us who were overseas and I represent those who are the people who defended this country and are buried in Memorial Park. Their names and only their names, and no politician’s names, should be allowed in that park. Period!”

Rosas then used his mayoral report time to weigh in.

“I’d like the public to know, at no time did I ask for my name to be put on that sign,” he said. “The sign came up simply because we had events, and I might add to Mr. Makuch that Memorial Park is a city owned park. It is owned by our city taxpayers who pay for the upkeep, maintenance and upgrades at that park.”

He later added that his name appears on city stationary, as well. “If this council would like to erase my name from those stationary, please do so. I am not going to fight you.”

Rosas said he supported all veterans and concluded, “This issue is not about the veterans. It’s a smart political move to bring them in. But, this is not a fight. This is too petty.”

Minutes later, Nichols said she begged to differ that no one had complained about the signage in the past four years. She said she was speaking for veterans who had died, and had asked her to do something about the sign before passing away.

Williams agreed he has heard past complaints and said VanDenVouver convinced him to support the name removal.

Reiterating many of the commemts he made in the workshop, VanDenVouver had the last word before the vote.

“I don’t know how anybody can argue that point … that they believe one individual’s name should be on there for their services of being a mayor instead of serving their country,” he concluded. “Those people that are there will be there forever. Politicians are coming and going all the time.”

Rosas, in an interview with WDOE-AM and FM, said the council “has hatred in their blood for the current mayor.”

Councilman James Stoyle joined Nichols, VanDenVouver and Williams in voting to remove the mayor’s name from the sign. Councilman Martin Bamonto was absent.