November 14, 2018 at 4:54 p.m.
Families of the Fallen cabin at Camp American Legion reconsidered
Families of the Fallen cabin at Camp American Legion reconsidered
By Abigail Bostwick-
In late June of this year, a groundbreaking ceremony for a "Cabin for the Families of the Fallen" was held at Camp American Legion.
Prior to that, in February, The Lakeland Times published an article explaining the vision of Lesa and Dan Raimer of Hayward, who lost their son, Matt, on Jan. 1, 2014.
That article was subsequently republished in the Wisconsin American Legion's publication, The Badger Legionnaire.
Matt Raimer was 25 and in the United States Marine Corps when he passed away just a few months before he was set to complete his enlistment, which included a 2012 deployment to Afghanistan's Helmand province.
Besides losing Matt, the Raimers also lost a daughter, Laticia, 16, in a 2006 car accident.
Matt Raimer was an avid hunter and outdoorsman who always wanted a hunting cabin, his mother and father told The Times in February.
The Raimers said in that interview Matt's sister, Amber, suggested a cabin be built in memory of her brother and sister so people could have a special, private place to go and grieve during the difficult and painful process.
They'd been looking for a place to build the cabin and ultimately found the Camp American Legion location suggested to them to be ideal.
As 2017 progressed, an architect came up with a three-bedroom cabin design and the search for a contractor began.
The hope was for construction on the 1,900-square-foot cabin to begin this fall so it would be ready for use in 2019.
In a June 26 article about the groundbreaking published in The Lakeland Times, it was reported the cabin's construction was "to be funded in part by the Raimers in partnership with the Wisconsin American Legion."
High dollar estimate
Since the June groundbreaking, Amber Nikolai, the adjutant for the Wisconsin American Legion, has reported that bids for the project that had come in and the price for the "Cabin for the Families of the Fallen" was nearly double what had been pre-approved by the Governing Body of the American Legion Department of Wisconsin.
When she reported the proposed estimate to the committee, she said the "... American Legion Department of Wisconsin voted to reject the original proposal for the Families of the Fallen Cabin at our 2018 Department Fall Meetings (the architectural design, location of the cabin) because the cost to build the Families of the Fallen Cabin exceeded a half-million dollars."
Essentially, it's cost was not to exceed $300,000."
Wisconsin American Legion department commander Frank Kostka noted that amount was meant to include initial maintenance costs.
"About $75,000 of that $300,000 was meant for continuing maintenance," Kostka explained. "It over doubled in price."
To date, less than $40,000 was raised with $25,000 from one donor and another $10,500 from another.
The Legion had received a major donation from "one big donor, a supporter of Camp American Legion who wishes to remain anonymous," officials said.
Nikolai confirmed for The Times last week the pledge the Raimers initially made was verbal and hadn't been executed in writing.
The cabin was no longer a cabin but more a house, Nikolai and Kostka observed, without sufficient funds available to cover it.
"The American Legion Department of Wisconsin is working with those who donated regarding a new direction for the Families of the Fallen Cabin project," Nikolai said. "When the bids came back for the cabin project, they were well over half a million (dollars) ... it's about checks and balances."
Nikolai emphasized in a phone interview with The Lakeland Times the idea for the cabin has not been scrapped.
The cabin, however, she said needs to be reexamined for more cost-effective options.
The location identified in 2017 and where the "Golden Shovel" groundbreaking took place in June of this year has no actual road leading to it and no utilities, it was noted.
Nikolai said that compounded the cost issue.
"I had to take it back to the committee as the current proposal was more than double," she said. "(Proposals) were voted down because of the cost ... we can't justify spending a half million dollars on one cabin ... all the cabins are important at the camp."
More attainable
Nikolai said a cabin for families of the fallen at Camp American Legion is still being explored.
"We're trying to make a goal that is more attainable," she said, adding there are several locations being reviewed that are closer to the main part of the camp and would better fit the price point of the Legion.
"The American Legion Department of Wisconsin fully supports the idea and concept of a cabin for the families of the fallen and will continue to explore options that are budget friendly and fit within the mission of Camp American Legion," Nikolai said. "We love the idea and absolutely want to go forward with making this happen. We just have to be practical."
The funds already donated toward the project will be kept and used for the reimagined cabin for families, she noted.
"I contacted the donors ... they are still going forward with the cabin for families of the fallen in a more realistic price point," Nikolai explained. "It will likely be on the main part of the campus. We are still very committed to the idea."
An updated version of the cabin is expected to be designed in the coming months.
The Raimers declined to comment when contacted by the Lakeland Times.
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