Building the thin blue line: Proposed McEuen water feature to honor Greg Moore

COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene City Council will consider adding a new water feature to McEuen Park. If approved, it will be constructed in honor of fallen Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore.

Moore was killed in the line of duty a year ago, and Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer wants to memorialize the officer with a $750,000, privately funded, natural waterfall feature between the confluence of trails at the Fourth Street entrance to the park.

“There’s going to be a fundraising effort to get this done,” Widmyer said. “That effort will be led by myself and Christie Wood.”

Widmyer said it should be a great community building effort. The effort will be called the K27 campaign, which was Sgt. Moore’s call sign. They want to raise the money through individual $27 donations.

“If you divide 750,000 by 27 you get 27,777,” Widmyer said, adding that is the number of donations they will try to secure. “So if you want to donate for you and your spouse you could donate $54, or a family of four could donate $108.”

Widmyer said he will hit up businesses and ask for donations as well. While that number may seem daunting, Widmyer said he believes it is achievable considering the level of support the community showed at Sgt. Moore’s funeral.

He suspects the regional law enforcement community alone will step up to fund a large majority of the project.

The water feature will include three 8-foot-high waterfalls named after the memorial mantra: Respect, honor and remember. Respect Falls, Honor Falls and Remember Falls will cascade down into a meandering creek named “Thin Blue Line,” a symbol representing the camaraderie of police officers.

The creek will flow past several bench seating areas down toward the Harbor House. A quotation stone will also be placed along the banks with Proverbs 23:1 etched in the stone: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

Parks Director Bill Greenwood said some of the inspiration for the memorial came from the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C.

He said the design and concept were the brainchild of Jon Mueller, of Landmark and Architects West.

Greenwood said there was a water feature proposed for McEuen in the initial remodel plans, but that feature was eliminated through budget cuts.

“That feature was more like a European water fountain,” he said. “This will be a more naturalized stream. Like something you would see walking in the woods.”

Greenwood said the plans are just conceptual at this point and will be fine tuned if the city council gives the go ahead at next Tuesday’s council meeting.

He said they are considering some of the final details like possibly adding fiber optic lighting that would project a thin blue line.

“This has been the mayor’s passion,” Greenwood said. “He is all over this.”

Widmyer said he would like to wrap up fundraising and start construction on the project on Oct. 1. He said he would like to complete construction by May 1, 2017.

At this point he would expect the council to support the project.

“Everyone I talk to about this has been supportive,” the mayor said, adding the timing may just work out perfectly. “Next week is the one-year anniversary of Sgt. Moore’s death.”