Architect presents plan for memorial

John Mack (standing right), Danny Ford discuss proposed memorial. [Click to enlarge]

An exciting new veterans memorial park for Rector keeps becoming closer to reality as the committee working on the project continues to raise funds and develop plans.

It is anticipated the park will be of a quality and scope to draw visitors from the region to Rector to view the impressive memorial.

Committee co-chairman George Barker, a Rector native and retired two-star Army General, directed the group's discussion Tuesday, Dec. 22, on numerous details of the memorial. The park will be located along Highway 90 coming into downtown Rector, just south of the new visitors center which is being developed in the historic city jail-waterworks building.

Architect John Mack, a Rector native who has a firm in Rogers, has donated his expertise to designing the park plan. He presented several options and the committee made a decision, which will lead to additional preparation work, including site improvements, specific placement of the memorial and the featured walkway.

The key feature of the park will be a life-size bronze sculpture of a World War II soldier, already commissioned by the committee. Barker discussed details of the preliminary sculpture with the committee and several suggested changes will be presented to the artist, who lives in Colorado.

A timeline for the improvements was discussed, with the first steps being site preparation and removal of several trees on the property. It is anticipated that significant progress will be made on the park prior to Labor Day 2010.

Budgeting and donations also were discussed in detail. Part of the memorial will be a Founders Wall, which will recognize those who have made significant contributions. Another key part of the fund-raising effort will be the selling of granite pavers, on which individual veterans will be honored.

Persons who wish to support the effort may send donations to: Veterans Memorial Park Association, 409 South Stewart, Rector, AR 72461. Additional information may be obtained by telephoning (870) 595-3035 or visiting the memorial website at www.RectorHeroes.org.

The committee also discussed the possibility of borrowing funds through the Rector Downtown Central non-profit arm for construction of the project, with future donations then used to retire the obligation. More details on that will be forthcoming.

In addition to Barker, other committee members present were Glenn Leach, Richard Simmons, Danny Ford, Barbara Hamilton, Sarah Burdin, Melvin Bridges and ex-officio member Ron Kemp. Also present were city government staff Betty Benson and Jacinda Welch, along with Tracy Cobbs, who is working on grant efforts for the committee.