Veterans park coming to Clitherall

May 25-- May 25--Clinton Bengtson, zoning commissioner for Clitherall, has set out on a one-man endeavor to create a veterans park for the township. The park will be placed in a 2 1/2 acre plot south of Battle Lake, in the very center of Clitherall township, along Highway 78 and near 190th St.

The plot had originally been set aside for the construction of a town hall, but the building never came to fruition. Two or three years ago, Bengtson had the idea to use the otherwise useless plot (which was too small to build anything else) for a veterans park, but he didn't voice his idea until March 12 of this year at the annual township meeting. His idea was well-received by everyone at the meeting, and Bengtson was entrusted with the responsibility to get it done.

Without budgeting from the township, Bengtson has started off his project with fundraising. Although he doesn't know how much he'll need to get it done, "I'm trying to raise as much as I can for now," he says, at least to cover the basics of a few picnic tables, shrubs, a flag pole and a plaque with the names of all Clitherall residents who has served or is currently serving in the military.

So far, Bengtson has collected over a hundred names for the plaque, including two people from Clitherall who served in the Civil War and 24 who served in World War I. He's still looking for more names, and is encouraging people to send him the names of township residents who have served or are currently serving, whether they served at home or abroad. He's collecting names, branch of service, dates of services and, if they served in a war, which war they were a part of.

The landscaper who will be working on the park has offered to donate his work, while the designer who will design the park has offered what Bengtson describes as "a good deal." However, there's still the cost of amenities and upkeep to consider, and Bengtson is still looking for a designer to design the actual plaque.

Bengtson is looking for volunteers to help organize all the names he's receiving, as well as donations to fund the park. If you'd like to help or contribute the name of a Clitherall service member, contact Bengtson at 218-280-7560.

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