The new Starke County Veterans Memorial is still on track to be ready for Veterans Day, despite some delays. County commissioner and project committee member Kathy Norem told the Starke County Park Board Tuesday that the concrete should be done by October 1, a month later than originally hoped.
“We’re at a slight standstill at the moment,” Norem said. “We got a little bit behind when the rocks didn’t get placed as timely as they should have been, and that put the concrete guy behind.”
Norem said the project committee has someone lined up to install the commemorative pavers. TD’s Tree Service has removed the rotted trees, and Bob Aloi has put together a landscape plan, so new ones can be planted next spring. “We’re going to have a big deal on Arbor Day to plant the trees,” Norem added. “And we’ll have volunteers come down, and we’ll have a little event planned and it’ll go on the website.”
Norem also said the recent Robert J. Tauteris Jr. Memorial Ride raised more than $2,300 for the new veterans memorial. “We’ve raised over $250,000 in a short period of time in the middle of a COVID crisis for the veterans, so I’m just overwhelmed with the generosity.”
The new Veterans Memorial Plaza will officially be unveiled on Veterans Day. Norem said the ceremony will feature speeches from U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski and State Representative Jim Pressel, along with a remembrance of the fallen soldiers by Knox City Council President Jeff Berg. There will also be a reading of all 100 names carved into the new monument and a 21-gun salute.
