In December, Paul Horn said Bonnie Vance lived close to Miami Park on Reinartz Boulevard bordered by McKinley and Miami streets and suggested a plaque as a memorial to her. It was at a time council was also finalizing placement of signs at the city’s entrances noting it is JD Vance’s hometown.
“Maybe we think about a memorial or something strategically at Miami Park as a token of our appreciation of her choosing to live here … if you read the book and watched the movie that person grounded him while his mother was trying to get clean and get her life together and was close to him,” Horn said in December.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Horn asked staff about progress on the memorial and Acting City Manager Ashley Combs said the bench is scheduled to be ordered in the next couple weeks after staff gets finalization from the family about verbiage and exact design of the bench.
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
“Is that available to other grandmothers who raised their children’s children. Is that something that we will all be able to (do) put benches in the park?” Councilwoman Jennifer Carter said. She noted a man who was raised by his grandmother returns to Middletown and gives back regularly sponsoring activities for children.
Combs said, “we could certainly talk about other families,”
“I think it would be nice if we put many grandmothers in the park. “We have a lot of people in Middletown who have raised their children’s children,” she said. “I thought we were going to make Miami Park the grandmothers park. I didn’t know it was for a specific family,” Carter said.
Horn wanted noted he wasn’t sure “lining” benches in Miami Park is feasible and other city parks might have meaning to other families.
“The reason I brought it up is one, we should feel good that he (Vance) came from our city,” Horn said. “And it is a memorial to help people understand when you are going through a difficult time and you have to raise your children’s children there is hope for the future,” Horn said.
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka said it “sounds like this is just really an inspiration for all grandparents and extended family everywhere.”
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