Marseilles committee to help oversee Middle East Conflicts Wall, museum

Marseilles will ensure the committee that has overseen the Middle East Conflicts Wall for decades will continue to play a role in the oversight of the memorial.

The Marseilles City Council decided the Marseilles Middle East Tribute Board of Directors will continue to help officials.

The city purchased the former Illinois Valley Cellular building at 200 Riverfront Drive in March to become the new home of City Hall and its police department, a deal that includes the land on which the Middle East Conflicts Wall resides. An accompanying museum is located inside the building the city purchased.

The Tribute Board has been made up of two fundraising arms – one in charge of overseeing the maintenance of the property and the other for name inscriptions and outreach to veterans and families. The Middle East Conflicts Wall memorializes the names of all those who have died serving the United States in Middle East conflicts. That board now will move into an oversight role with the City Council, with the city having final say.

“The committee has been with this thing for all 22 years it’s been in Marseilles, the same guys all 22 years,” Kaminski said. “They want to see that the museum is maintained, make sure finances are right, help apply for grants and anything that can help, things like that.”

In a related item to the former IV Cellular building, the council approved a payment of $90,053 to Phalen Steel, which is renovating the building to house the new City Hall and the Marseilles Police Department.

That payment will be “one of many,” Kaminski said, the city can expect to be making as work at the building continues.

Kaminski and Hollenbeck expressed their pleasure with how quickly the work is going.

“I’ve been down there pretty much every day and there are a lot of moving parts, with all the walls up and work on the plumbing,” Kaminski said. “They have to cut the concrete where the restrooms in the police station will be and they’re working on the council chambers and the reception area right now.

“It’s pretty amazing how quickly they get things done. It’s looking really good and I’m happy with the progress.”

In other action, the council:

• Approved an ordinance establishing a city facade improvement program.
• Approved a resolution authorizing Hollenbeck to amend the annexation agreement with Immanuel Lutheran Church of Marseilles and Pleasant View Lutheran Home, the issue being a sign in the right of way under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
• Heard from City Engineer Mike Etscheid the sidewalk work on Rutland Street is nearly completed.
• Reappointed Dee Crawshaw, Janice Brozovich and Jerri Brown to the Marseilles Library Board.
• Heard Hollenbeck read into the record and sign a proclamation citing Sept. 10 as the United Way of Eastern La Salle County Day in Marseilles.