Monk Botanical Gardens sign. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – The family members of Robert Monk III have won.
The community sided with them when the current Board of Directors wanted to remove Monk’s name from the botanical gardens. Walking back the name change was the right thing to do. And I agree that the Monk Botanical Gardens should bear its benefactor’s name.
What should happen is the both sides, the Monk children and the Board of Directors, should make up and work together. Both sides want to see the botanical garden thrive.
But the Monk children and their supporters have stayed on offense. Since then they’ve rallied support against funding for the gardens from the tourism boards in Weston and Rib Mountain. (I don’t think the garden should qualify for tourism money, but for a different reason.) Wausau’s city zoning staff were called to the gardens to verify that small construction projects in the garden were in compliance with their permits. Executive Director Darcie Howard announced her resignation earlier this month. She’ll depart in July.
None of these things are positive developments for the garden. An ongoing feud between the Monk family and the current board of directors is in no one’s best interest. It scares away donors. It sets a cloud over what should be a non-controversial community asset.
I think there is a difference in vision between the two sides, and they should work towards a compromise. My understanding is this: since the original Monk donation, additional land has been acquired. I believe the current board envisions a more robust use of the garden; things like an education center that could attract school field trips, and a visitors center and a souvenir shop, and maybe even a beer garden so the garden could be used for private events.
I don’t necessarily object to any of those ideas, but I’m not a garden visitor. I don’t have skin in the game. If those are the areas of disagreement, there are many areas to compromise on.
That’s what is needed – compromise. It’s time for the fight over Monk Botanical Gardens to end.
Chris Conley
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