Whispering Pines Paid for Its Veterans Memorial One Donation at a Time. It Opens on Hardee Lane Nov. 11.

"The wait is over!" That line opens the announcement in the Village of Whispering Pines' Fall 2026 newsletter. The village will dedicate its new Veterans Memorial at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 14 Hardee Lane. The newsletter calls it something that "began in 2021 as a vision of the Whispering Pines Veterans Memorial Committee."

That wait lasted five years. During that time the money stopped coming in for months, and the village ended up building the memorial without hiring a general contractor. The memorial also sits on a short street that already holds the police department, the fire station and the newest village park pavilion. Once the ribbon is cut, Hardee Lane will have a centerpiece. Most of the village's holiday calendar between now and Christmas already happens within walking distance of it.

A Committee, a Flagpole and a $40,400 Estimate

The idea went public in August 2021. That month the Sandhills Sentinel reported that the village wanted public input on a possible memorial to the military and first responders. The plan was not to put names on the memorial, and the concept came from a resident who had built a donation-funded memorial before.

The Village Council created the Veterans Memorial Committee by resolution on Sept. 8, 2021. Rich Crotty chaired it, and the members were Ron Boudreaux, Roy Cochrun, Eileen Giglio and Hunter Miller, according to a February 2023 profile in The New Pitch. The committee's recommendation was built around the flagpole that already stood outside the police department:

• Six granite pillars, one for each service branch, each carrying its branch emblem
• A seventh, central monument bearing the Great Seal
• A concrete oval, a granite bench, lighting, lettering and landscaping
• Brick-paved walkways, with lines running from the monuments toward the flag
• Personalized donated pavers in the walkway or oval, installed by village Public Works as they replace plain bricks

The New Pitch reported Bob Kissinger's cost estimate as $40,400. Council approved the design on March 29, 2023. The inscription honors those who have served, those serving now and those who will serve. The newsletter uses the same phrase.

The Donation Total That Sat Still

The memorial was paid for entirely with donations. By June 2023, the village was collecting checks and cash at Village Hall toward a $50,000 goal, with no minimum gift. The progress is easy to follow in the village manager's monthly reports.

Between the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024, the total didn't change at all. It stayed around a tenth of the goal for at least five months. After that it climbed in steady steps. By the August 2026 report, it was about $200 short of the $50,000 target. Any money left after construction is set aside for future maintenance and upkeep.

Built Without a General Contractor

The village never hired one builder for the job. The April 2026 manager's report said so directly: "a contractor has not been hired to construct the Memorial." Public Works Director Bob Kissinger ran the project and brought in Custom Monument Company, Santos Concrete, LLC and Childress Electric for different parts of the work. Public Works staff did some of the construction themselves "to be able to construct the memorial within the funds donated."

The groundbreaking was Friday, May 8, 2026. In August the manager's report said construction and installation were still underway, with a ribbon cutting planned for the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 10. The dedication was later moved to the Veterans Day morning slot, and the village's Oct. 21 Veterans Day notice confirms 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.

The new village manager is also part of the story. Mike Sellers started after a 28-year Army career. He commanded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district in Detroit and finished as Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer, at U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He has lived in Whispering Pines for 10 years.

The bricks will keep the memorial growing after opening day. The fall newsletter invites residents to honor a family member, friend, fallen hero, current service member or future recruit with an engraved paver that "will be permanently installed in the memorial walkway." Bricks are ordered through ITS Laser Engraving's Whispering Pines memorial page. The page lists 4-by-8-inch clay pavers priced from $23 for one line of text to $30 for five lines with a symbol, and it offers local pickup only.

Why Hardee Lane Is the Right Address

The memorial is next to the Whispering Pines Police Department. The fire station is two doors down at 16 Hardee Lane. Hardee Lane Park runs along the same street. The village started building its bathroom pavilion at 10 Hardee Lane in January 2024. It is a multi-phase, multi-year project. The master plan includes an open-air pavilion, multi-purpose fields, trails, seating, pickleball courts, a playground, parking and room for a future community center.

The fall calendar already relied on that stretch. On Oct. 24, the Haunted Trail took place in the woods behind the Fire Rescue Department, with an hour for families and food trucks including Pita Perfect and Sweet Pines Funnel Cakes. Earlier in October, Fire Rescue held an open house on Oct. 17. The rest of the season stays close by:

Pets are not allowed at the Santa event. The police department posts toy drive updates on its Facebook page. Tree sale proceeds go to the Whispering Pines Fire Rescue Association, which supports the department's public safety and emergency education work. Questions about the trees go to 910-949-2400.

The Errands That Ride Along With the Season

A few village schedule changes fall in the same weeks. There is no recycling pickup during Thanksgiving week, and Village Hall closes Nov. 26 and 27 for the holiday. Village Hall also closes Dec. 23, 24 and 25, and trash pickup stays on its normal schedule during Christmas week.

Boat owners have one more date. The current three-year cycle of watercraft and golf cart permits ends Dec. 31, 2026, and permits for the next cycle go on sale in mid-December. The lakes are already set up for winter. Public Works pulled the water trampoline at Pine Lake Swim Park for the season, and rented boat storage slots at Village Park had to be emptied by Oct. 31.

Starting Nov. 11, anyone heading to the fire station for a tree, to the police department with a toy, or to the pavilion for Santa will walk past six granite pillars and the Great Seal. Residents paid for them, and village crews helped set them in place.

If you'd like to talk through what's happening in Whispering Pines, or what your own home on these streets might be worth, The Gentry Team is glad to help. Request a free market valuation or consultation, and we'll bring the same close attention to your property that this village has given Hardee Lane.