Downtown bench planters honor late commander, beautify city

WEYAUWEGA – Downtown Weyauwega has a new look this spring thanks to a local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post and a partnership to beautify the city.

Members of VFW Post 10407 spent about two and a half weeks building six bench planters, which are now located along the 100 block of East Main Street.
The bench planters were made as the post’s 2026 spring service project. Post adjutant and former quartermaster James Wastart said the initiative aims to encourage residents to slow down, sit and chat rather than shopping and driving away.

“I hope they’re able to enjoy downtown and to make more of the country home,” Wastart said. “Hopefully they’re able to linger a little bit longer.”

The project holds special significance for the post because it was first proposed by former commander John Robbert, who began discussions with the city about the idea. Robbert died unexpectedly about six weeks after being elected commander last year.

“We wanted to make sure that we followed through with this to not only help the city, but also to honor John and his efforts that he had placed in the post before he passed away,” Wastart said.

The veterans faced physical limitations as many are older, but Wastart said they decided on a meaningful, highly visible project with a little more “pop” than picking up roadside trash. The group chipped away at the construction over a couple of hours at a time, working in the Weyauwega garage of post member Marvin Nollenberg.

Steve Balke was a driving force behind the construction, attending every build day and completing the project by staining the wood. Other VFW members who contributed to the hands-on labor included Lee Wilhelm, Earl Tweed, Joshua Schultz, Gerald Hanson and current Post Commander Tim Dietzen.

While the VFW built and installed the structures, the City of Weyauwega is partnering with local citizens and businesses to bring the planters to life. Through the city’s new Adopt a Planter program, residents can sponsor a bench by providing their own plants and committing to watering and weeding them throughout the summer.

Clerk Becky Loehrke said the city’s Recreation Committee originally planned for staff to maintain the planters but shifted to a community sponsorship model to build local pride and offer recognition to businesses and families.

As of late last week, five of the six planters had already been claimed, leaving only the bench in front of city hall available for sponsorship. The city plans to install small signs on the planters to recognize each sponsor.