Coxe Memorial Ran Into Problems

Representative Todd Eachus was honored by the board of the Freeland Senior Citizens Center with naming rights to their rebuilt complex. As I posted yesterday the building that was destroyed by fire previously was known as the "Daniel M. Coxe Memorial Senior Citizens Center" building.

In this article from September 9, 2009 Tom Ragan writes about the struggle one Freeland woman encountered when she tried to get a memorial erected honoring the Coxes for their benevolence to the area.

Joan Uricheck had hoped to collect enough money to place a memorial stone to honor Eckley and Sophia Coxe, the coal-mining moguls who donated the land that the Freeland Public Park sits on.

Uricheck, who lives on Front Street near the park, helped convince some members of Freeland Borough Council to vote down an attempt to turn a portion of the public park into a parking lot.

She then turned her attention to collecting donations for a memorial to remember a coal magnate and his wife for their generous contributions to the Borough of Freeland.

However, after a meeting this week with Freeland Borough Manager Lynn Falatko, she learned that she'll need approval from borough council and the Freeland Recreation Board.

Falatko suggested she write a letter to the recreation board outlining her plan to collect donations because the board has completed a number of projects at the park over the years. The board might be interested in getting involved with such a project, Falatko suggested.

"I think it's only right to make them aware of it in case they would like to get involved," she said.

Approval from Freeland council is necessary because the park is borough property.

Falatko made it clear that the borough would not accept donations from a fund drive that isn't sanctioned by council.

"It doesn't mean that Freeland or MMI (Preparatory School) or any other organization wouldn't be interested in supporting a donation drive for a memorial in the park," she said. "It just means more people might want to have input in such a project and become involved in helping toward raising the necessary funds."

The Coxe project finally came to fruition in June of this year.

Its a shame Eachus didn't encounter such resistance when it came to changing the name of the Freeland Senior Citizens Center from the Daniel M. Coxe designation.