“This is an artist’s rendering of the proposed memorial to Jesse Travis that a group of South Whidbey people want to install at the new soccer fields at South Whidbey Community Park.A group of South Whidbey people hoping to keep the memory of South Whidbey High School graduate Jesse Travis alive will do so by installing a bronze memorial to the young man at the South Whidbey Community Park.Travis died on June 20, 2000 following a two-car, head-on collision on Coles Road. He was ejected from the passenger seat of the car in which he was riding. Since his death, Travis’ schoolmates and others on South Whidbey have distributed rear-view mirror tags advocating the use of seat belts.On Wednesday night, a group lead by Victory Schouten proposed installing a bronze monument to Travis at the South Whidbey Community Park’s new soccer field complex on Langley Road. Speaking to the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District board of commissioners, Schouten said the memorial – which will be a bronze sculpture of a life-size armchair and a soccer ball – will not only memorialize Travis, but other South Whidbey people who have also died young. Once complete, the sculpture would be donated to the parks district.The commissioners voted 5-0 on a resolution to install the memorial, as long as there is no cost to the district. Attached to the resolution was a stipulation suggested by Commissioner Dave Haworth that requires the board to write a policy on memorial installations at the park. Haworth said it was important that this and future memorials carry a message for all South Whidbey people, rather than singling out individuals. He said this memorial’s message will be worthwhile and appropriate.We wanted to make sure this was in the right context, he said.Schouten said the idea for the memorial came from a number of his classmates and Travis’ sister, Leah Claire. It will depict a chair he loved to sit in and a soccer ball. Travis was an avid soccer player and had played since he was 5 years old. Also part of the sculpture will be an open book laid over an arm of the chair and a plaque that will read In Memory of Jesse Travis, 1982-2000. And in Memory of All Those Taken Too Soon. Athletes, Scholars, Teachers and Friends.South Whidbey artists Georgia Gerber and Randy Hudson will design and cast the sculpture, which is expected to cost about $7,500. Schouten said a group of volunteers will try to raise the money through donations by the end of the year. She said the group hopes to install the memorial next spring.How to donateA savings account at Whidbey Island Bank has been opened for those who wish to donate. Checks should be made out to Jesse Travis Sculpture Fund. They may be deposited at any Whidbey Island Bank branch.Those wishing to participate in the fund-raising effort should e-mail Rob and Victory Schouten or call them at 360.331.7099. “