NORWICH — The city’s Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee left an application to return a restored World War I howitzer to Chelsea Parade under review at its October 19 meeting, rather than approving the proposed placement.
The city’s draft minutes, dated October 20, describe an application from Dale Plummer and a request for the Public Works Department to pour a concrete pad on which the artillery piece would sit and be anchored. They record that the restoration, authorized by the City Council in 2018, was complete.
Supporters wanted the howitzer installed by November 11, according to the draft record. The reviewed minutes do not establish that the committee approved the installation or committed to that timetable.
Alderman Peter Nystrom urged action so the piece could return for the commemorative date. Alderwoman Hayes said she had not had enough time to examine the application and had questions. The minutes state that the application was accepted for review.
Rich Kirby’s October 28 Patch report likewise describes the committee withholding approval, with Hayes seeking further examination and Nystrom favoring an immediate decision. The difference concerned whether the placement application was ready for approval; the reviewed sources do not establish a permanent rejection.
The distinction matters for anyone expecting to see the memorial back at Chelsea Parade in November: a requested installation date is not a confirmed completion date. Eastern CT News has not verified a later approval, installation or public dedication ceremony.
This AI-written report was prepared from a visual reading of both pages of the city’s scanned draft minutes and the complete Patch report. The minutes are labeled draft; Eastern CT News did not attend the meeting. No verbatim remarks or additional historical specifications have been reconstructed.
File photo: the same howitzer in an earlier, deteriorated condition, as pictured by Iconic Norwich. It does not show its restored condition or a completed return to Chelsea Parade. The source’s conflicting caliber descriptions are not used here.