Resident pushing for first responders' tribute

 

            Plans for the long-awaited park at The Clove, cleverly dubbed Clove Park, are due, village officials say, within two months.

            Debbie Salvesen is waiting with and eager anticipation.

            Salvesen isn’t a Village Board member, nor a village staff member, or a committee member.

            She’s a resident on a mission.

            While the village has forked over more than $100,000 to consultants to design the plot, which is just more than an acre, in The Clove Salvesen has an idea which she submitted to the village when it held an open house to generate ideas in July of last year.

            Her idea? It doesn’t have anything to do with playground equipment, flowers, trees, entertainment stage or even benches.

            Salvesen’s idea focuses on first responders.

            The longtime Buffalo Grove resident thinks The Clove Park would be the perfect venue to honor and recognize the village’s police officers, fire fighters, EMS workers and the Police Department’s Canine unit.

            “These four departments play a vital role in our Village maintaining a high ranking for a desirable place to live in Illinois,” Salvesen says. “It is far past time we honor the silent heroes of our community. Before we invest millions of dollars into a new Village Hall set back off of the main road, invisible from Lake Cook Road, let the Village acknowledge their commitment and appreciation to the firefighters, police, emergency medical/management department, and the K-9 teams that work in all types of weather, in various types of dangerous conditions 24/7/365 without hesitation.” She does not have any connections to the police or fire departments.  So, what’s her motivation? “It is a matter of civic pride and commitment to have them honored,” she says.

            To say Salvesen is passionate about this idea is an understatement. She envisions the “Dedication monument” to be located on the northwest corner of the development of The Clove gathering place currently being designed and developed.

            “It is the last Village designated place for our community to gather and celebrate where we live,” she says.

            While the Park District owns and operates Veterans Park at 1300 Weiland Rd., the 9.5-acre facility pays homage to those who serve and have served in the nation’s armed forces. Salvesen has made a pitch to the Park District. Dedications and park names are reviewed by a Park Board committee.

            So, what’s her motivation? Community pride. Salvesen and her husband, Rick, have lived in Buffalo Grove for 35 years. While no one in her family is a first responder, she is a vet, having served as a nurse with the 801st Combat Support Hospital and she has a son currently serving in the armed forces.

            “I have always had a great passion for honor, service and giving back to our community,” she says, adding that she has approached Park officials about her idea, and was “genuinely surprised and disappointed about the lack of, and even resistance to, this dedication monument.”

            Which fuels frustration for Salvesen – a lot of it. “If we don't take an active role to get the monument a place in the park through citizen support it will never happen.”

            She adds that despite being a relatively small space, the Clove park is “the last community gathering place planned and widely advertised by our government.

            “If we don't take an active role to get the monument a place in the park through citizen support it will never happen.”

Pictured above: Resident Debbie Salvesen envisions a tribute to first responders to be similar to this.