There will be a re-dedication ceremony for the Blue Star Memorial Program at the D River Wayside tomorrow at 3:00. The Blue Star Memorial Program has been in existence through the Garden Club movement for more than 70 years. The Blue Star Marker at the D’ River Wayside was in dire shape due to the weather. In order to have the memorial refurbished it has to be sent to Ohio at a cost of around $2,000. According to Jenny Dahrens the Pacific District is composed locally of 3 small garden clubs and she said they had accumulated approximately $1,000 toward the restoration. There are Blue Star memorials all across the nation to honor veterans. She said ” we were very fortunate to find Joe Russo, of Boy Scout Troop 47, in Lincoln City who was willing to take on the project to earn his Eagle Scout Merit.”
The Marker could not be placed back in the original space along Highway 101 to make room for the eventual under grounding of electrical services. The wayside was once a Native American Battleground so the location had to be determined and observed by a Parks Dept. specialist to be certain no artifacts were disturbed. It is now at the entrance to the wayside and still very visible from Highway 101. The garden club received additional funds from Oregon State Garden Clubs, and through the generosity of the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars, Post 4227 in Toledo, as well as the donation of time and effort
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