Get Your Brick On And Help The Veterans Hall

Maybe you have dreams of getting your name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Well, even if you don't, you can get your name and/or that of a loved one inscribed on the new brick walkway in front of the Veterans Hall at Court and Ward streets.

For a $200 or $250 donation, depending on the size of the brick, you can purchase a piece of (almost) immortality and help the volunteers of the 86-year-old Veterans Hall refurbish the building's interior.

"Recently a new 9 foot wide walkway was installed and it was designed to incorporate memorial bricks which are being sold not only as a way for people to honor the service of family members, but to help raise funds to upgrade and improve the building," said Paul Steelhammer, a member of the VFW and American Legion, both of which meet in the Veterans Hall. "We want to install wheelchair access for the upstairs hall and offices, and the bathrooms, plumbing and electrical are all in need of attention," he said. "The downstairs was used as a family court and the old offices and bench are still in place. The hall would like to remove them to reclaim much needed floor space and install a real stage."

The hall was originally built in 1925 -- for more information about the history of the building, read this story by Harriett Burt, which was published last year in the Martinez News Gazette.