LCRA, City of Hempstead award $25,000 grant for Waller County Veterans Memorial

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LCRA and City of Hempstead representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Waller County Veterans Memorial to construct a monument to veterans. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Gary Nemec, Waller County Veterans Memorial secretary/treasurer; Kate Holman, LCRA Governmental Affairs representative; Jim Russ, Ehra Engineering principal; Truett Bell, Waller County Veterans Memorial board member; Jeron Barnett, Waller County Precinct 3 commissioner; Travis Winfree, Waller County Veterans Memorial board member; Michael S. Wolfe Sr., City of Hempstead mayor; Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member; Trey Duhon, Waller County judge; John Amsler, Waller County Precinct 1 commissioner; and Justin Beckendorff, Waller County Precinct 4 commissioner.

Construction soon will begin on a new Waller County Veterans Memorial thanks to a $25,000 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Hempstead.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with more than $180,000 in other contributions, will provide funds for a monument honoring the service and sacrifice of local military members and their families. The monument will be on the southeast corner of the lawn of the Waller County Courthouse in Hempstead.

Gary Nemec, secretary/treasurer of Waller County Veterans Memorial, Inc., said fundraising efforts began about six years ago.

“What I had in mind, and what we’re trying to achieve, is not just to build a monument,” he said. “We want the monument to represent that ‘freedom is not free.'”

The monument will serve as lasting tribute to Waller County military personnel and their families, and will provide opportunities to help educate future generations. Teachers can create lesson plans and take students on field trips to the monument, Nemec said.

Laser Imaging & Design, based in Ohio, will create the custom monument by etching black granite murals with military scenes including all five branches of the military. Each of the granite panels will weigh up to 6,500 pounds. A rendering of the monument can be seen at www.wcveteransmemorial.com. The grand unveiling of the monument is planned during Veterans’ Day ceremonies on Nov. 11, 2018.

The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Hempstead is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted July 1-July 31. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp .

About LCRA
​The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; ensuring a clean, reliable water supply; and offering access to nature at more than 40​ parks, recreation areas and river access sites along the Texas Colorado River, from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit
lcra.org.

Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org


Source: LCRA Business News

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