The flags are up. The concrete is laid. And the base for the big statue is in place.

The Rice Lake Memorial Park is really coming along. It’s at the intersection of Rice Lake Road and Martin Road, near the Kwik Trip.

On Friday, contractors and supporters gathered to mark the progress, and share what’s next.

John Marshall, from the Duluth Honor Guard, said, “A little less than a year ago, John Werner, the first mayor of Rice Lake, had a vision. He had 41 years in the U.S. Army. He realized the sacrifices that were made by families, communities and the soldiers themselves. And so he asked three friends myself, Darrel Johnson and Pat Gallagher, to help him fulfill his mission, his dream of a park, a community park. An all inclusive park that would recognize the burdens that we take as a community.”

The statue by Tim Cleary is complete at UWS. But there is still more fundraising work that needs to be done before they can finish the project.

The Duluth Honor Guard is handling the donations. Please mail them to: 5814 Grand Avenue, Duluth, MN, 55807.