3:47 p.m. - District Judge Robert Wefald made a visit to the Bismarck City Commission on Tuesday in an effort to get commissioners to consider a resolution to retain the Liberty Memorial name for the new bridge which will eventually replace one of the first bridges to span the Missouri River in North Dakota.

Wefald said he was upset about a bill to rename Bismarck's Liberty Memorial Bridge. "That bridge is dedicated to North Dakota soldiers who served in World War I and there is no reason why it can't continue," he said. "I'd ask that if someone from Rugby, Zahl or Enderlin comes up with a great reason to rename Bismarck's few remaining memorials, that you tell them 'no thanks, we don't want them changed.' "

Wefald was critical of a Minot legislator's attempt to get the new Bismarck bridge to be called Medal of Honor Bridge in response to a constituent's request. "Minot has plenty of bridges they can rename," he joked.

Wefald asked the commission to pass a resolution to retain the Liberty Memorial Bridge name for the new bridge.

Commissioner Connie Sprynczynatyk asked Wefald if he would consider naming the new bridge Liberty Memorial Medal of Honor bridge, but Wefald said he wasn't.

"I can't understand having something named after a medal," Wefald said. "If they want to name it after a Medal of Honor recipient, that's different, and there's plenty to choose from. But it's absurd to name a bridge after a medal. This is a Bismarck bridge and we need to retain the name as is."

"You've convinced me," Sprynczynatyk said.

The commission, minus Mayor John Warford, who was absent, unanimously passed the resolution to preserve the Liberty Memorial name for the new bridge.

In other activity, the Bismarck City Commission:

n Approved awarding contracts relating to the Northern Plains Commerce Centre. United Parcel Service was awarded the logistics contract for $445,000 plus expenses. Awarded the phase one design contract to Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson Inc. for $201,215, plus an additional $23,500 for additional work KLJ was asked to do on planning for NPCC.

n Approved designation of two Renaissance Zone projects. The first to 121 N. Fourth Street requested by Pirogue Grille Inc. Chef and owner Stuart Tracy will spend about $128,000 to rehabilitate the building and another $154,000 for equipment. The second was requested by Zorell's Jewelry Inc., owned by Joel Maixner, which will be putting up a new 2,050-square-foot building at 221 S. Ninth Street, formerly Ken's Floral.

n Approved recommended changes by City Attorney Charlie Whitman to a one-year lease with Executive Air at the Bismarck Municipal Airport. Federal Aviation Administration guidelines state that the lessee must meet minimum standards and rent be commensurate to like users. The commissioners had approved a one-year extension of Executive Air's lease, which ends on Dec. 31. The lease would have maintained the same agreements which were developed 25 years ago at the lease's start, and this was found to be discriminatory to other lessees. The commission does not want to enter into a long-term lease until a lawsuit Executive Air has filed against the city is settled.

n Awarded a waste collection franchise to Dakota Sanitation Plus & Roll-Off Inc.

n Gave its approval to Jim Fetter's request to hold an open-air concert at the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds July 14-17. Fetter said he has already received approval from Burleigh County and the Missouri Valley Complex Authority.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)