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Streator continue discussions on future of Canteen Memorial · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Streeter continued discussions on future of conteen memorial. Written by
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  Bill Frescos. This article is being read by an automated
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  voice brought to you by Everlett. The future of Streeter's
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  Canteen Memorial remained under discussion Wednesday night, as city officials
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  continued conversations about whether the memorial should remain near the
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  former Santa Fe depot or eventually be relocated. The memorial,
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  also referred to as the Coffee Pot Lady Memorial, honors
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  Streeter residents who helped serve the more than one million
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  soldiers passing through the city during World War II. Last month,
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  organizers presented a proposal to move and expand the memorial
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  into City Park, arguing the location would provide greater visibility.
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  Barb Craig, who presented the proposal, also said the effort
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  would create more opportunities for people to learn about Streeter's
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  history would be timed well with America's two hundred and
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  fiftieth anniversary. During Wednesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, officials
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  said they recently completed an inventory of the memorial's engraved bricks,
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  using original donor notebooks and photographs. Mayor Tara Bidai said
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  the review helped identify which bricks remain in place, which
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  are missing, and which may need repairs or replacement. Councilman
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  David Reid also revisited concerns surrounding the long term future
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  of the current depot site, noting uncertainty about continued upkeep
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  of the property near the railroad tracks. Any minute now,
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  Burlington Northern could say, you know what, We're done with
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  this and walk away from it, Reid said during the discussion.
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  Preliminary landscaping plans for the current memorial site are also
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  being reviewed, and discussions are expected to be continued at
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  future council meetings about what to do with the memorial