City council gave its first official support of the proposed Chillicothe-Ross Military Tribute Museum in a city building on Monday evening.
Melody Lapczynski Hatfield and Bob Leach are co-leaders of the effort. They want to turn the city’s water maintenance building on Park Street into an educational display of local memorabilia and militariana, which will accent the next-door Veterans Memorial Park.
They were in the audience when council approved the non-binding resolution. Sponsor Lisa Bennett made the motion…and every other member of council tried to second it.
Hatfield pointed out that this letter from Chillicothe council approving the concept is a major step forward for their effort. She said that most grants need proof that the owner of a property supports the effort on the property, and since the Military Tribute Museum wants the same kind of lease that the nonprofit Pump House has from their landlord the city, they are on their way to the same positive situation.
Hatfield says the next step is legislation from council, then formal planning and design of the museum.
They can can actively take financial or museum donations through P.O. Box 1003, at the Veterans Service office in Ross County Service Center, or at the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Military Tribute Museum president Hatfield can be reached at 740 / 703-9957 or melodyhatfield13@gmail.com.
Hear from both in their own words in the video interview in the Scioto Post article. Learn more in past Scioto Post stories:
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.