mark handler
SAWHORSE
More access at Memorial Building
Local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America sponsored the months-long project
Published: Thursday, August 22, 2013 12:23 PM PDT
Dinuba Sentinel > News > More access at Memorial Building
The "Hey, Brother, Can You Spare $2, Handicap and Ramps" project has been completed by the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
The project at the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Building added six handicap ramps and a walk-way for the disabled.
A military ceremony and ribbon cutting, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans, will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The event is by invitation and will be followed by a light lunch. Forty to 60 people, many of them donors to the project, are expected.
Spearheaded by the Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 643, the ramps project has been ongoing since November 2012.
The project chairman, George Madrid, was busy on Wednesday with the painting of stripes marking the walk-way and the repainting of parking spaces for the handicapped.
Also hard at work were his wife, Rallie, and their son, Karl.
The new ramps give wheelchair access to the building. Three of the six ramps give access to the patio at the rear of the property.
Much of the work was done by a contractor.
"We had to knock out the curbs," said Madrid.
Sections of the old curbs were replaced with newly poured concrete that has sloped areas marked with yellow tactile curb ramps.
The new walk-way, also poured concrete, will move people from a handicap van drop area, across the parking lot to the front entrance of the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Building.
All the work has been completed following code, said Madrid.
The Memorial Building was constructed in the late 1950s and had no ramps.
"In those years ... the disabled didn't have any rights at all," said Madrid.
The people of Dinuba and others made the project possible with $13,000 in donations for the first phase of the project, said Madrid.
The last phase, the painting and sign installation, took the Vietnam vets three weeks to complete at a cost of $2,500.
Madrid, a Vietnam veteran and former United States Navy Seabee, is reaching out to the public for help in paying the last $2,500.
"If you can give $20, $50 or $100 it will help us a lot," said Madrid in a press release.
Donations can be mailed to the Vietnam Veterans of America, P.O. Box 745, Dinuba, CA 93618.
Or stop by Farmers Insurance office at 12675 Avenue 416 in Orosi.
Jerry Carter, manager of the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Hall will also personally take donation checks.
Checks should be made payable to the Vietnam Veterans.
For more information, call Madrid at 528-2811 or the Vietnam Veterans treasurer at 802-2245.
Local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America sponsored the months-long project
Published: Thursday, August 22, 2013 12:23 PM PDT
Dinuba Sentinel > News > More access at Memorial Building
The "Hey, Brother, Can You Spare $2, Handicap and Ramps" project has been completed by the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
The project at the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Building added six handicap ramps and a walk-way for the disabled.
A military ceremony and ribbon cutting, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans, will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The event is by invitation and will be followed by a light lunch. Forty to 60 people, many of them donors to the project, are expected.
Spearheaded by the Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 643, the ramps project has been ongoing since November 2012.
The project chairman, George Madrid, was busy on Wednesday with the painting of stripes marking the walk-way and the repainting of parking spaces for the handicapped.
Also hard at work were his wife, Rallie, and their son, Karl.
The new ramps give wheelchair access to the building. Three of the six ramps give access to the patio at the rear of the property.
Much of the work was done by a contractor.
"We had to knock out the curbs," said Madrid.
Sections of the old curbs were replaced with newly poured concrete that has sloped areas marked with yellow tactile curb ramps.
The new walk-way, also poured concrete, will move people from a handicap van drop area, across the parking lot to the front entrance of the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Building.
All the work has been completed following code, said Madrid.
The Memorial Building was constructed in the late 1950s and had no ramps.
"In those years ... the disabled didn't have any rights at all," said Madrid.
The people of Dinuba and others made the project possible with $13,000 in donations for the first phase of the project, said Madrid.
The last phase, the painting and sign installation, took the Vietnam vets three weeks to complete at a cost of $2,500.
Madrid, a Vietnam veteran and former United States Navy Seabee, is reaching out to the public for help in paying the last $2,500.
"If you can give $20, $50 or $100 it will help us a lot," said Madrid in a press release.
Donations can be mailed to the Vietnam Veterans of America, P.O. Box 745, Dinuba, CA 93618.
Or stop by Farmers Insurance office at 12675 Avenue 416 in Orosi.
Jerry Carter, manager of the Dinuba Veterans Memorial Hall will also personally take donation checks.
Checks should be made payable to the Vietnam Veterans.
For more information, call Madrid at 528-2811 or the Vietnam Veterans treasurer at 802-2245.
