Ground broken on park to honor veterans
Seven golden shovels lined the fence surrounding the area that is set to be the Eloy Veterans Heritage Park off of Main Street, along with all manner of city employees, for the ground-breaking ceremony on Friday.
The jack
hammers that were loudly humming during high noon stopped so city officials and well-known Eloy residents could pose for pictures, thank the veterans and pool good faith for the project to be completed in a timely fashion.
“We go back to many years ago where, you know, veterans were forgotten, and we had many a conversation that we always wanted to make sure we never forgot our veterans and their sacrifices,” said Ralph Varela, the CEO of Pinal Hispanic Council, who had a hand in making the park a reality. “This is the culmination of all of those conversations. I couldn’t be happier.”
If you go past the park now, it’s not much to look at. It’s patch of dirt surrounded by fencing with a half-built concrete wall at the backside. By the end of the project, it will feature paved walkways, illuminated American flags, a water feature and memorials for all the veterans from the area.
“This will be the landmark of Eloy as far as I’m concerned,” said Mayor Joel Belloc. “It represents a lot of lives and a lot of great service to this country.”
The project was originally supposed to be finished around this time, but setbacks with funding and permits have delayed the construction that is underway. The project should be completed around May 23 with a fitting reveal of the park on Memorial Day, said Sonnette Chaput, veterans service director with Pinal Hispanic Council.
The City Council originally gave $50,000 to complete the project, but the Eloy Veterans Center decided they wanted more bells and whistles for the park, such as a water feature and more American flags. To deal with the extra cost, they solicited donations for engraved pavers that will line the ground in much of the park
Residents, families and companies were given the opportunity to purchase a paver for $100 with an engraving to memorialize a loved one or a family member. The profits went to increasing the fund for the project, which was projected to cost roughly $90,000 including the $50,000 given to them by the city.
“I’m so proud of our council and everyone that has made this particular project come to life,” said Belloc.
Source http://www.trivalleycentral.com/eloy_enterprise/news/ground-broken-on-park-to-honor-veterans/article_36914b22-124e-11e6-8e4f-c7fdd6f5b5d9.html
