ALLENDALE TWP. After a year of controversy surrounding a Civil War memorial statue in Allendale Township s Garden of Honor, the board of trustees could vote next month on possibly replacing the statue.
During the board s meeting Monday, May 24, trustees heard the final report from a committee that explored the statue s symbolism and future outcomes. The piece depicts a Union soldier and Confederate soldier standing back to back, with a freed slave child kneeling underneath them.
The committee, which included residents of Allendale and other West Michigan communities, made three main recommendations to the board:
Added input on future additions to the Garden of Honor from more marginalized members of the community.