Plan to add parking for veterans park gains county board approval
CHEBOYGAN — A plan to add parking for the disabled to the Cheboygan County Veterans Memorial Park gained the approval of the county board of commissioners Tuesday.
Commissioner Ron Williams of District 4 praised his colleagues for supporting the project.
"I have been hearing for a long time that we have needed parking there, especially for those who are disabled," he said.
The additional parking also drew supportive comments from area veterans, including Mike Donovan and former sheriff Dale Clarmont who retired in January after a 35-year career with the department. He served in the U.S. Navy.
The park is located at the corner of Court Street and Western Avenue in the city of Cheboygan. County administrator Jeff Lawson said the county and the city will evenly split the $50,000 estimated cost to construct the parking spaces.
"Over the past few years veterans associations have raised over $100,000 to invest into the park. The last portion of the project is to work with the city to build off-street parking. We have been lacking handicapped spaces so this will put in four or five new handicapped spaces," Lawson said.
Lawson said the new parking construction will be coordinated with the city because of its already ongoing construction project on Court Street.
"We will send correspondence to the city saying we have approved the project. They will get with their contractors to build it," he said.
In other matters, commissioners approved a plan from the office of county prosecuting attorney Melissa Goodrich to obtain a service dog to work with crime victims.
Goodrich told the board her office will make a $1,000 contribution to Leader Dogs for the Blind in return for a trained dog. The donation will be covered by the Michigan Crime Victim Foundation.
The cost of feeding the dog and its veterinary care is estimated at about $2,000 a year. Donations, fundraising and partnerships are expected to cover those expenses. The liability insurance needed for the dog will be added on to the sheriff department budget, Goodrich said.
Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
A 2022 article from the American Bar Association said there is significant support across the U.S. for permitting specially trained canines as a witness accommodation. Goodrich told commissioners of one 11-year-old girl with autism who had been sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend.
In two interviews, the girl threw tantrums and was unable to cooperate in the investigation. Upon working with a dog named "Bruin," she responded to the animal and ended up testifying successfully in court.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Plan to add parking for veterans park gains county board approval
