The Ryan Hummert memorial, at Ryan Hummert Memorial Park, is close to being completed. Sod was laid Tuesday — only the bronze statue and flags are missing.
The statue will be installed the day of or the day before the dedication, according to the city. That date has not been set.
See also: Council approves Ryan Hummert Memorial cost, Ryan Hummert sculpture revealed on Facebook
For god’s sake Mr. Hummert was Maplewood Fireman shot and killed in the line of duty. A few people who choose not to be involved in the community are now screaming about a memorial honoring a man who gave his life protecting them? Seriously? I say the only thing Maplewood did wrong was not make the memorial even bigger.
Here’s a novel idea, attend the monthly Maplewood council meetings. I work 2 jobs and ride metrobus to and from Ballwin and I manage to attend. I attended the March 22nd meeting and guess what?…. Myself and 2 other gentleman were the ONLY ones there other than those who needed to conduct business with the board members. SERIOUSLY???? Ya’ll crack me up with your ‘concerns’ about the goings on in Maplewood yet don’t attend the monthly meetings….that’s like not voting, sitting back and voicing your ‘concerns’. As my Grandfather would say ‘ Either put up or shut up.’ At the beginning of each meeting there is a public forum where we can voice our ‘concerns’ ask questions etc and again you know what?…. ( crickets ) yep silence speaks volumes ya’ll!
So 3 members of the community public were present at the last city counsel meeting. Yet, this article alone has produced feedback from 30+ members of the community public. If the City really wants community input, they need to figure out a better way than city counsel meetings to reach citizens.
BB, not understanding what you mean by doing a better job to communicate to citizens other than counsel meetings…. please explain or make suggestions. Are the board members expected to go door to door???? There is Maplewoods website, thru the post office delivered the newsletter/pamphlet, your Ward counsel person that lives in your neighborhood to whom you should know and speak with… Many ways the board communicates….I’ll wait for your reply…
Just because those modes of communication exist, Carole, does not mean they are effective.
From attending and speaking at Council meetings I agree that it is not a very engaging of the community. Asking for public comment an on issue that has not even been brought up before the council, and for which little to no information is provided ahead of time, is not “communicating to citizens”. I would like to see the city communicate *with* citizens, thru various means that are inclusive of the diverse population in our city. Perhaps an hourly roundtable (similar to their workgroups) before the council meetings where citizens can find out more about the issues in a relaxed atmosphere, where the council members can educate as well as respond to comments, instead of the current format(intimidating to many citizens), where they listen to comments, have discussion among themselves and then vote, never really interacting with concerned citizens. In addition, since so many concerned citizens are clearly internet users, the city can use online forums on their website to take citizen comments and respond to them. Maybe even integrating a comment format through their facebook page, which has 1,888 followers, yet never posts anything related to the governance of our city. These are examples, and maybe not the best, but the topic is certainly something that merits discussion.
Great ideas, Adelina! Maybe someone at Maplewood City Hall will see this post?
Perhaps you could use the current form of communication, ie attend one council meeting, and bring your good suggestions to the meeting, so that change can be instituted.
Adelina, thank you very much for your comment. This is exactly what I had in mind when I made my original comment (since there are no notifications when people reply to your comment, I didn’t know anybody did until now).
I think citizens would be much more likely to attend smaller roundtable events than City Council meetings. Council meetings can be overly intimidating and formal, and I think this may scare people away.
Online forums would allow citizens to participate in discussions at any time of the day. My original comment mentioned how 30+ people have commented on this article. They may not always be constructive or polite comments, but at least we are exposed to other peoples’ points of view.
It’s true that citizens need to participate in government for it to work properly, but government also has a responsibility to seek out participation, not simply offer it. In my opinion, that is not good enough. I plan to do more research on citizen engagement techniques, and hopefully I can share at a council meeting soon.
I am not a tax payer in Maplewood, however, those who are voicing their negative opinion under the 1st Amendment, on the cost for this memorial to Bryan Hummert, what do you think his life was worth? Bryan’s life was worth a lot more than the tax dollars used to design and construct this beautiful Memorial. If Bryan knew prior to answering the fire call there was a sniper waiting for him, in my heart and mind I believe Bryan would still have went to fight the fire. That is what 99.9 % of 1st Responders are made of, Bravery, Honor, and Service to any community.
I think his life was worth getting his name right.
Well said, Roger G!
cheap shot considering the message was a positive one…
It’s too bad they didn’t construct a more kid-friendly memorial (eg, claimable statuary or a splash pad). Constructing something the kids who frequent that park could have fun with or on seems like a wonderful way to celebrate that young man ‘s life. Just because it’s a memorial doesn’t mean it needs to be serious and unengaging.
Kids will find ways to play on it. I’ve already seen them climbing and sitting on it.
Any and all of your concerns could have been met with going to a meeting. The City website post what each meeting is about and the issues discussed during the meeting. If more of you got out from behind the keyboards and took an active role in your city you wouldn’t be here complaining. With 8 other parks in the city to choose from your complaints about taking up park space are invalid.
I don’t think offering an opinion about public art in a public space is complaining. People who post comments are not “behind the keyboards” but merely reading articles about local news and participating in a discussion- same as you. While I don’t agree with your opinions, I certainly would never characterize them as “invalid”. I would hope you would extend the same courtesy to all people who may feel differently than you.
It appears that many people have strong feelings about the memorial. I believe that we all can agree that a terrible tragedy occurred on the day that Ryan Hummert died and he most certainly is deserving of a memorial to honor his memory and the sacrifice he made to our community.
The good of the many out weigh the good of the few. As I’m reading this on my break from one on my few jobs I have, I’m reading that a few of you are complaining about the City doing something for it’s many citizens that felt this was worth doing. So your kids lost a few hundred feet in one of the many parks that this city offers to remember the sacrifice of a life of one man for the many citizens this city has. He thought kindly enough to give his life for this community and all you can do is complain that you were late to the party and didn’t get your say after the fact. Seems pretty invalid to me at that point.
Why don’t you just go back to one of the “few jobs you have” and shut-up.
I would hope that future private memorials funded by private money would be constructed on private property instead of on public park land. Will private endowment cover the cost of upkeep and repair of the structure, plantings, and utilities (water, electricity)?
I think it was a good idea to do something but more input from the community was needed especially given the fact that it was paid for by the citizens of Maplewood or at least a majority of it was. I don’t think it looks terrible, it just seems really out of place. Maybe a memorial in front of the new fire station or city hall would have been a better site for this. Hopefully, we don’t have a repeat of this with the giant M that was proposed to the city recently.
You can do a search here on 40 South News for ‘Hummert’ and see multiple articles detailing the approval process and City Council meetings where it was discussed.
Seeing it in real life, it seems a bit larger than the drawings, but in the long term I think it will be a nice addition.
Right, the problem with that is the City is not great with details on what they are going to discuss prior to the actual meetings. If you read the notice the city sends out, it is very vague as to details on an agenda item. Personally, I think some notices in the mail would have been effective at enlisting community involvement. Reading about something after the council has voted isn’t great for public response
I contacted the City, and they assured me that it was paid for entirely by private funds.
I do agree that community engagement is really lacking in the current system of local governments. Yes, there are City Council meetings, but this is really the bare minimum that a city can provide and can hardly be considered engagement.
I have yet to attend a City Council meeting in Maplewood (I plan to start), but I have attended one in another municipality where I believe I was the only general public attendee. If this is the only method of community engagement that a city offers and nobody is showing up, there is something wrong with the system (or there is really nothing going on to talk about :).
Clearly only the thoughts of anti-city anything get posted.
I don’t see the comments here as anti-city. People should have a right to express their thoughts without being labeled anti-city for valid criticism. With any work of art or architecture, people will have various opinions. I think some comments are valid. By siting it where it is, kids can’t sled on that spot in the winter and that limits how many kids can go sledding on the slope. My house faces it so I’ve seen years when we’ve had a nice snowfall and I love seeing the families having fun all along the slope. Before it was built I assumed it would be in one corner of the park or another. I’m guessing there were good reasons for its placement. Personally I think the monument is attractive and it will look even better with the finishing touches. I’ll see it every time I look out the window or step outside my house.
Yeah, the family, friends, and fellow firefighters of the young man who was murdered in the line of duty, serving our city, should definitely have solicited the advice of the people of 40 South before choosing a way to honor his memory. And they should have kept it small. Seriously, just shut up.
If the city is honoring the fallen firefighter and city tax dollars are paying for this monument – well it’s not just a citizen’s right but their responsibility to advise and input. From what I read, $400,000 of tax payer money was used or allotted for this project. I’m not to say it’s excessive or too little tbh. Essentially, the price tag is $40-45 / resident.
I grew up but don’t live in Maplewood any longer. My parents still do and I an “in town” at least once a week if not more. I enjoy keeping up with the “going ons” via 40 south news. While this can be an emotional issue, I hope everyone will look at the issue and make valid points regarding such as opposed to tearing down others [attack the issue not the person]. I read with laughter the child-like comments from your neighbors to the west regarding the issues and happenings Brentwood. Here”s hoping they can look to the bright rising sun from thier eastern border as an example of mature and common sense comments and replies instead of grinding teeth and twisting rusty spoons sideways through the temples of their friends, neighbors and even family.
I contacted the city about it. The Assistant City Manager assured me that it was all paid for by private funds.
I appreciate your thinking, Patrick. This seems to be a very emotional issue, since Ryan Hummert lost his life; but it is especially at the times when an issue pulls at one’s emotions that a thinking person must be reasonable. There are a number of questions here. Should there be a memorial? If so, should the memorial be in a public place? How should the memorial be designed? Who should or is paying for it? etc, etc… These were questions that had to be answered, but with reasoning. The emotional impact of his death can also be discussed, but is separate from the actual building of the memorial.
Exactly this.
Emotional responses to logical problems is not a successful path.
Yes to this. And it feels as though this memorial was driven by a strong emotional response as well as by the Hummert’s already strong influence in the community (his father Andy Hummert was a former Maplewood mayor).
Just Shut Up? Isn’t this the same doctrine for the Hummert regime when daddy ran the city? If tax dollars are used, then everyone in the city should, by law have an input on the expenditure. We’ve had police officers killed in the line of duty,, I understand this was different, but still there was a memorial to the veterans of WWI that stood on this site for 80 years, damaged,, weathered,, but still stood, until we had to honor one person,, and not the memory of Maplewood citizens who perished in defense of our country because no one wanted their son’s memorial to be outshined!
It does seem a little large. I thought naming the park after him was a good memorial. Did the city pay for this or was it paid for by donors?
I understand it was all paid for by donors.
As of the 2015/16 city budget, it seems the City budgeted $400,000 (pg20) for this memorial. The City collected a total of $86,000 (pg5) in donations over the last five years for this memorial. From this document, it would seem the majority of the cost of this project was supported by taxpayers.
http://mo-maplewood.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/896
The city council passed a resolution in March 2015 limiting construction cost of the memorial to $334,471. Much of that is coming from private sources and fund raising — such as an annual Cardinals game. However the city will cover some of the cost. I’m working to determine how much that is.
Reading these comments this morning about the use of public funds for the memorial made me a little uneasy, so I contacted the city about it. The Assistant City Manager assured me that it was all paid for by private funds.
Previous articles on 40south reported that funds are coming from current and future private donations, as well as city funds. https://40southnews.com/council-approves-ryan-hummert-memorial-cost/
It would be nice to get some clarity and transparency into how this memorial and its upkeep was/is paid for.
What or whom does the statue depict?
Leah – the statue will be of Ryan Hummert, a 22-year-old Maplewood firefighter who was killed by a sniper when on his first call, in 2008. This is the link to the Ryan Hummert Memorial page on the city website: http://www.cityofmaplewood.com/index.aspx?nid=181
Granted it’s not complete, but it already looks both dull and grandiose, like a lost bunker that’s been revealed by soil erosion.
I am also not a fan. While I wholeheartedly support honoring Ryan Hummert with a memorial, I think this design is too big and not sited well. Not sure when this design was “passed” but it makes me want to attend city council meetings in the future!
I agree with Tom and Beth. An obvious rush to judgment by the city council in the wake of a terrible tragedy. I endorse the sentiment, but the memorial is gigantic, and it’s smack dab in the middle of the park. And two flag poles only adds to its over-the-top ethic.
I completely agree with these comments. Looks really awful. This is no way to remember a man who served our community. We could have done a lot better with such a large budget. Beth, I agree, definitely makes me want to attend more meetings and get involved. Now, how can we stop them from approving the atrocious looking “M” before it’s too late?
Please, go to meetings! It so good for the councilmembers to hear our voice. Meetings are the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. They start at 7:30pm.