The Danbury War Memorial is looking for a little help to get by during continued tough financial times.  During the City Council meeting Tuesday, advocates asked the City to consider waiving sewer and water usage fees.  The fees total about $1,000. 

Combat Veteran Frank Anders was among those speaking out.  He knows the War Memorial is not part of the City government, but he can't imagine letting it fail.  He says that doesn't say a whole lot about Danbury.  Kenny Moore, a basketball coach at the gym there, was among those.  He says the lack of funding could hurt youths.

Veteran Tom Winkler says on more than one occasion the War Memorial hosted going away and welcome home events for various units deploying into combat without any request for reimbursement.

Ron Struski says the War Memorial is also an emergency shelter and polling place for the City, which cuts into their funding when they have to close to serve those needs.  Over that past years, funding has gone from $175,000 to the current $50,000.  In the past, reserves for major improvements were used for operational expenses at the request of the City to offset rising costs with a promise that Danbury would be there for the War Memorial in the future.  Struski says the future is here.

Struski says they've been able to sustain cuts from the City over the years with the construction of the fitness center, but now that box store fitness centers have come in, that funding is lower. 

A Committee of the Council will consider the request.