Antioch Welcomes Marine Home

Park City veterans memorial planned

PARK CITY -- Memorial Day is still a week away, but Park City aldermen showed their support for veterans Thursday night by donating $6,000 toward a proposed veterans memorial that will be built in front of City Hall.

Bob Perosa, representing the Marine Corps League, Lake County Detachment 801, presented the concept to the council and received a warm reception. The League will co-sponsor the effort.

"This is a great civic project for Park City. It's one that everyone can get behind to honor our community's military veterans," Mayor Steve Pannell told the council.

Perosa, a former Marine and Park City resident, said the monument is to consist of five slabs of black Italian granite that will stand four feet high in a V-shaped configuration.

On each of the slabs there will be the seal of one of the five military services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. A flagpole is already at the site, as is a small decorative pool of circulating water that will highlight the memorial.

The area will be appropriately landscaped and paved with personalized "tribute bricks" that individuals can purchase as permanent memorials to honor a friend or family service member.

Perosa told the council the major cost is in procuring and shipping of the heavy granite slabs coming from Italy. Corporate and individual donors are now being sought to help defray costs. He said donations made payable to the Lake County Marine Corps League Foundation will be tax-exempt since the League's Foundation is an approved IRS charity.

"We need $6,000 in donations within 30 days to enable us to order the granite," Perosa said. He said it would take approximately three months following the order to receive the slabs from Italy.

Perosa said he welcomed all inquiries either by e-mail at rperosa@comcast.net or by telephone at (847) 782-9607