KAYSVILLE — Completion of a Davis County 9-11 Memorial has been long in coming.

But Margaret Wahlstrom, who lost her father-in-law and a sister-in-law in the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, has been leading the effort to build a memorial. It has been planned for many years to be built at the Utah Botanical Center east of I-15 in Kaysville.

A volunteer with Utah State PTA and other youth efforts, Wahlstrom has involved youth from Davis County and beyond in the project.

Wahlstrom wanted to get the monument done this fall, but “finding the money” has been a real problem.

A $70,000 legislative appropriation was approved for fiscal year 2009 (meaning it would have been available in July of 2008).

While Wahlstrom received word the funding had been awarded, many attempts to obtain it were stymied by no one at state government appearing to know who had received the allocation.

“One-time money, $70,000 was appropriated to United in Hope Memorial,” said Kimberlee Willette of the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget.

She previously worked in the state Department of Veterans Affairs, so had some recollection of the funds which had been allocated to that department.

“They (memorial folks) lost that money at the end of the year (because it wasn’t claimed). It lapsed back. It went back to the general fund,” Willette said.

Wahlstrom spent many hours trying to find who in the labyrinth of state government had the money, to no avail. She never received any official word, other than a phone call from a legislator saying that the money had been awarded back in 2008.

“If she (Wahlstrom) wants to try to get the money, she will have to ask again,” Willette said. “We can consider it for our budget that we do that is released in December.” The budget would then considered by the legislature in January, 2013.

For more information check out the July 26 edition of Davis Clipper.