Your letters: Writer suggests boycotting what was once named Monk Botanical Gardens

Dear editor,

I am Gloria Braun-Roberts, the granddaughter of Pauline Lenard, who was the original owner of most of the land sold to Robert W. Monk, III, back in the late 1960s. Bob Monk was a personal friend and neighbor to us and especially to my parents, Anthony “Tony” and Cecelia “Tillie” Braun, who are now deceased. He used to stop by and bring my mom orchids from his and Carol’s greenhouse. He loved his gardens and land and gave respect to them, similar to the way Native Americans have done for centuries.

He gave this beautiful gift of land for these public gardens, knowing it would always bear his family’s name … as it still should. As I write this, know that all of my writing is my personal opinion. No board who is responsible to a public garden or company has the right to dismantle or take away the core values of the organization that it represents.

Local media reports indicate that the push for this name change is coming from a very small group within the BOD. Therefore, I say this board needs to be totally replaced. The people of Wausau have spoken with over 3,000+ signatures to date, not to change the name. The people have spoken and are the ones that donate, and also the companies that donated did so under the name of the Monk family.

Please, donors/organizations step forward against this. Next thing you know the Greenheck Foundation or Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum will be renamed Wausau. Or, perhaps the garden will be named The Board of Wausau Garden.  Somehow I don’t like any of it. Do you? Our world is a mess right now. Let’s have this stop. It is wrong, and we the people know it. If it remains changed, let’s all of us just not go there anymore. The BOD can bring their families and have it for themselves.

I, too, feel dishonored here as my grandmother, grandfather and my parents would be so ashamed of what is being attempted here. I am ashamed and so darn mad I am spitting tacks! Doesn’t this board have better stuff to do?

Oh, and $7 to get in? What about those people who have memorials in there and just want to come in for 10 minutes to visit said memorials? Plus, Bob Monk told my parents, my husband and me, that we could always come in whenever we wanted to, and my husband and I still live very near the garden. Hmmmm. Come on people, call for the removal of this very bad board. Do not change the name in any form.

God bless to the Monk family.

Gloria Braun-Roberts, friend of the Monk family

Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email [email protected] or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403.