Village Mayor Stephen Keefe has suggested a bronze statue of the local women’s pole vault Olympian to be placed in the park downtown.
“I’ve been told that if you have bronze miniatures of the statue you want to have made and you sell them, you can raise the money for the full size piece with those,” Keefe said, and noted a local resident is experienced at making bronze figures. He also said he is open to suggestions from everyone in the community with ideas and would like to allow the Fredonia Olympic Committee to take the lead on the initiative.
The committee, led by Julie Essek, will be meeting next week on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Fredonia Village Hall to discuss possible commemorative steps. The committee has been responsible for the Jenn Suhr yard signs and banner in the village as well as other activities in support of the Olympic medalist.
One member of the committee, Ann Bartkowiak, said when the flag was placed in the park four years ago, others remarked they’d like to see the silver ball on top of the flag pole changed to a gold ball in four years.
She suggested it as a possibility, but said, to her knowledge, the committee hasn’t discussed that recently. She said others might have different ideas now. Bartkowiak also said the group is looking to raise money to help offset the travel costs for Suhr’s brother, Matt Stuczynski, who attended the Olympics in London to support his sister’s efforts.
by: Shirley Pulawski
from: http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/575096/Olympic-honors-.html?nav=5047
