This fall, with no prior announcement, the toy solders, formerly of the old Shopper’s World, were noted to be different somehow, at least a few of them. When the were placed around the city, some were now female, others not white. It was as if in order to appear more diverse, Spicer in one last executive decision, decided to decapitate some of the city’s stock of soldier statues, and replace the heads on them.
We had heard that a child may have sent a letter to the Former Mayor asking for this change, so on January 3rd, we filed a FOIA request to try to learn what transpired, and at what cost to the taxpayers. After the city blew off our FOIA request, and after appealing the matter to the state, the City has finally come through and provided the documentation nearly 45 days after the request was filed.
Within days of Spicer receiving this letter, James Snyder of the Parks & Recreation stated on November 1, 2021 that his team was already brainstorming their plan.
What’s interesting is, that the invoice for supplies, the purchase order at Ashland Lumber, was from October 20th, 2021, one day before the letter to Spicer from the child was written. But why let technicalities and actual facts shroud in fogginess, the leaps ahead in diversity a few toy soldiers had made. It is more likely that a child made a suggestion to Spicer on Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day on October 11th. Spicer immediately got to work on the plan and asked the kid to write a formal letter so that Spicer would have a nice story to tell, and documentation to back it up.
Regardless, here is the cost breakdown. The city has stated that some of the materials were in stock already in the city, and that paint was not purchased as it was already in stock or was donated. Cushing Hospital as the delivery site for the materials is likely in reference to the old army hospital, an area near Loring Arena where parks/facilities maintains a workshop.
The price for 5 new BIPOC soldiers, not including the materials already in stock by the city was over $4000. Was it worth the cost? What budget paid for this project?
What was labor cost?
They were built in house. It probably was multiple city employees many many hours. So a shit ton in labor.
City employees did the labor lol I’d assume it was like 4-8 week project the way they work. Luckily the hourly wages for them isn’t great unless they were making them on OT
These projects are done by very talented and dedicated city employees, the originals were taken apart new parts were cut and painted. This is real ticky tack crap spread by the anti Spicer crew. Not a new story people, these soldiers have been going up for years in town, since Shoppers World gave to them to us. Stop this BS we are blessed with a great crew of city DPW, Park and Rec employees that work hard for the city you people that complain about things like this are so spoiled. Easy solution, move if you don’t like it. Go pay for trash bags, and your yearly septic pumping, there are towns right around us that don’t have nearly the services this city offers. Non story FU just another in the long line of non stories how about some positive for once. OLD GUY is out for tday.
My sentiments exactly
24 sheets of plywood? When I see projects like this, I think about the deception involved in turning the Pinefield branch building into a satellite office building so the Maintenance Supervisor had a place to “hang out” and wonder if anyone was doing home renovations on the sly. Oh well, I guess we just have to trust them to be honest.