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Remembrance Walk proposal detailed

By Shawn Linenberger - | Dec 12, 2007

Dennis Bixby drew this rendering of the Chieftain Remembrance Walk, which is to be build in front of Tonganoxie High School's east campus.

Tonganoxie residents will have an opportunity this week to learn more about the Chieftain Remembrance Walk.

An information table about the project, which will be built in front of Tonganoxie High School’s east campus, will be available during Thursday’s high school basketball games against Lansing at THS.

The walk will be built to remember THS graduates, administrators, teachers and others affiliated with the school who have died. A large red “T” made of memorial bricks will honor those people with Chieftain ties.

Other bricks throughout the courtyard will be available to recognize others in the community and school district – living and deceased.

Bricks are available for $35 and include three lines for engraving. Each line includes 15 available characters.

Kelly Frantz, whose husband, Lucas Frantz, was killed while serving in Iraq, and her mother, Pam Jeannin, introduced the idea for a remembrance walk. Initially, the memorial was to be built southwest of Beatty Field where Lucas Frantz played football for THS. However, the THS Booster Club was approved to start a project for a new entryway to the stadium just to the north at the same time. School administrators spoke with Frantz, Jeannin and others involved in the remembrance project about moving the proposed project.

The new plan calls for the walk to become a courtyard in front of the high school in the grass area just west of the main gymnasium entrance at THS.

Tonganoxie designer Dennis Bixby, who is volunteering his time to the project, recently drew a model of the courtyard. He said Monday the project area would encompass 3,200 square feet. Other tentative amenities in the courtyard are six holly bushes to the south of the T, as well as community brick areas throughout the courtyard, pear trees and other bushes. Picnic tables will be placed throughout the courtyard also.

Organizers for the project, including THS principal Jamie Carlisle, athletics director Brandon Parker and school board president Leana Leslie, were scheduled to meet Tuesday at THS.

Jeannin said Monday that a committee for the Chieftain Remembrance Walk, which now has non-profit organization status, was to be determined at the meeting.

Jeannin said plans for the project have been moving forward positively.

“We have not had one negative response to this,” Jeannin said. “Everyone is excited about it. It’s a great addition to our town.”

At Monday’s school board meeting, Leslie reported to the rest of the board on plans for the remembrance walk, noting that, along with forming a committee, organizers are working to adopt by-laws.

“I am just very excited about it,” Leslie said. “I think it is going to look outstanding.”

Jeannin reported that THS students in Jared Jackson’s business class are developing a Web site for the project. And, brick orders and donations may be sent to: P.O. Box 282, Tonganoxie 66086.

Order forms will be available at Thursday’s game, and renderings for the project will be on display.

For more information, contact THS, (913) 845-2654.