Malta Dirt Daubers get City Council's approval on Blue Star Memorial Project

Toni Ziegler and Rosemary Veseth, members of the Malta Dirt Daubers, came to the Malta City Council meeting on Tuesday night to propose a Blue Star Memorial Project for the Welcome to Malta rest stop behind Little Otts on Highway 2.

Veseth's daughter, Katie, is a Major in the United States Air Force and in tribute to her daughter a banner with a blue star hangs in one of the windows of her big green house on the 400 block of South Central Avenue.

"When you see a banner like that, that means there is a child in the family who is in the armed services," she said. "May it never be a gold star, because if it is a gold star then someone has died while in the service."

Veseth said, along those lines, that the Dirt Daubers want to honor veterans with a more permanent tribute. The Blue Star Memorial Program has been in existence through the National Garden Clubs for more than 65-years, according to the NGC website. This program began with the planting of 8,000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Garden Council in 1944 as a living memorial to veterans of World War II.

"Each time a Blue Star Marker is dedicated, we show our love for the armed service people," said Veseth. "Sometimes you see them at VA Hospitals or along highways and city parks. The Dirt Daubers would also like to do this for Malta."

Ziegler showed pictures of the types of Blue Stars that the Dirt Daubers would like to erect near the baseball fields. She said that the markers will measure 45x48-inches and would be secured to large rocks. She said that the cost of one marker is over $1,400 but added that the Dirt Daubers weren't looking for money from the city of Malta, but rather the city's permission to move forward with the project.

"We are talking a good year before this would actually take effect," Veseth said. "It will take that long because we want to really do it up nicely. I think it will be a really nice thing for the City of Malta because we have had a lot of people going overseas because it honors all veterans and active military. "

Veseth said that there are many rose bushes currently at the site where the Blue Star Memorial would be located. She said that the Dirt Daubers are in the process of relocating the bushes to the H.G. Robinson House and will replace them with other types of flowers to surround the marker.

"I think that is a perfect spot for it," said Malta Mayor Shyla Jones.

Ziegler said it is hoped that the Blue Star Memorial will be attached to the smooth side of a large rock and asked the city if it would be possible to get help moving such a large rock. Bob Kapp, of the City Land Fill, asked how big of a rock they wanted and said that he could help move the rock with a loader.

Mayor Jones said that when the Dirt Daubers are ready to move the rock that the city would happily help the group find an appropriate sized rock and help move it to the memorial location.

The City Council approved the Blue Star Memorial.