Lorain Council mulls renaming park for local developer

LORAIN — A new name for Lorain's Veterans Memorial Park is up for discussion. An ordinance to rename the downtown park "Petty Officer Third Class Jon Veard Sr. Veterans Memorial Park" was sent to a committee during Monday's Council meeting, but not without some public comment. Jon Veard Sr., 83, died March 14 following a brief illness. The longtime developer owned United Property Management, which rehabbed the former Antlers Hotel, the Duane Building and several other prominent properties throughout the city. While Council members only voted to send the matter to the Parks and Recreation Committee for further review, the topic dominated the public comment period with locals speaking for and against the matter. General Brown, a Vietnam veteran and 2024 veteran of the year, said to change the name would be a travesty. "You can name a street, building, what have you, for Mr. Veard," Brown, of Lorain, said. "But to disrespect Veterans Park is a travesty of justice." Jerry Donovan, a Ford retiree and father of Councilwoman Mary Springowski, D-at Large, similarly felt the park should remain a tribute to all veterans in the city. "We owe them a great debt," he said. Steve Smith, a fellow Vietnam veteran and commander of the Jewish War Veterans Post 222, also opposed the renaming. He said Veard was always willing to help his fellow veterans and did a wonderful job rehabilitating properties throughout the city, but that the park is a tribute to all of Lorain's veterans. He instead suggested a bench, walkway or other feature to be named for Veard. Stacey Scalf, of Amherst, worked for Veard for nearly 30 years and remembered how her boss would look out at Veterans Memorial Park in disrepair from their Antlers Hotel office space. "He felt it was his duty to keep it clean," she said of the green space, adding it to the list of community projects and nonprofits the philanthropist supported alongside the Valor Home and Lorain County Community Action Agency. "We believe there's no greater tribute to him than renaming the park in his memory," Scalf said. Dina Ferrer agreed. She said the ordinance did not rename the park, but add Veard's name to it. Decades worth of city administrations have gone to Veard for help with dilapidated buildings and other eyesores, she said, and that she believed it a privilege to honor the man's life with adding his name to the park. "He worked until he passed away for the betterment of this city," she said. If renamed, it would follow General Johnnie Wilson Park, Sgt. Samuel L. Felton Jr. Central Park and Pulaski Park in the city's trend of naming or dedicating its green spaces to veterans. Wilson is a retired U.S. Army four-star general. Felton, 70, died in 2020. The park was renamed in his honor in 2021. Pulaski Park is named for Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski, a Polish cavalryman who volunteered to fight for Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army during the American Revolution. It would also follow Porath Park's path in being named for a city developer. The south side park is named for Joseph Porath, who developed the former Oakwood Shopping Center. He and his wife donated the park land to the city. A date for further discussion had not been set as of Monday evening. Also at Monday's Council meeting, members approved an agreement with the International Association of Firefighters Local 267 regarding a clerical error that resulted in an underpayment for one of its members. The settlement resulted in John Miller being paid $1,500 as a credit for holiday time due to an administrative error. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.