VIBRANT ONCE AGAIN. Harmony Courtyard is a permanent tribute to those who lives were lost in an October 2005 bus accident, and it recently received a major refresh thanks to community members and organizations.

Harmony Courtyard has been part of Chippewa Falls’ North Bridge Street for nearly 20 years, though if you didn’t live in the area back then you might not know its story. The permanent tribute space honors those who died in an October 2005 accident involving a bus carrying members of the Chippewa Falls Senior High Marching Cardinals. 

“We were looking at community projects we could do, around 2022, and after looking at several options we saw the courtyard was in disrepair,” former Chippewa Falls Rotary Club President Sheldon Gough said.

The project largely came to fruition thanks to a roughly $27,000 Vibrant Spaces Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to the Chippewa Falls Rotary Club. The project’s total cost was around $56,000.

Harmony Courtyard received new benches, pictured, in 2020.

The courtyard’s dedication plaque details those memorialized there and the tragic situation that occurred nearly two decades go: Returning from UW-Whitewater where the 2005 State Marching Band Competition was held, the Chippewa Falls Marching Cardinals filled four buses. One of those buses collided with an overturned semi-truck, and five individuals died: band director Doug “G” Greenhalgh, his wife Theresa, and their granddaughter Morgan; student teacher Brandon Atherton; and bus driver Paul Rasmus.

The courtyard received a major cleanup, including rehabbing the foundation, revitalizing the outdoor pavilion with greenery and a new dedication plaque, a paint job, installation of overhead lighting, and a touch-up of the tribute mural.

The latter was an especially delicate portion of the Courtyard’s revitalization project, first created in 2006 when the Chippewa Brush II event was held: 35 artists painted murals throughout Chippewa Falls for the event. Kurt Gaber of Gaber Signs refreshed the mural’s lettering but explained his hesitancy to do more than that.

“I’ve often been asked if I could touch up the marching band members, but I don’t have that level of skill to do it justice, especially on the portraits of the five who lost their lives in the bus accident that this mural is honoring,” Gaber said in a Facebook post. “A gal by the name of Tatiana Zank used photos for reference and did an unbelievable job painting their likeness in 2006. Any attempt to repaint those likeness’s would have to be professionally done.”

Gough said the  Rotary Club could not have completed the revitalization project without the support of the City of Chippewa Falls and City Planner Brad Hentschel, Chippewa Falls Main Street, and numerous community members including Marnie and Mike Keiholz of House Blendz; Natalie Gladwell of neighboring shop Shades of You; Kurt Gaber; and Teri Ouimette of Chippewa Falls Main Street.

An official ribbon cutting for Harmony Courtyard was held in August. The application period for the next round of Vibrant Spaces Grants is open now until Dec. 9, with awardees announced to the public on April 25.

Harmony Courtyard is a public space and tribute at 219 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.