The long-awaited construction on the Orion Veterans Memorial is finally underway at the site on Lapeer and Odanah.
Orion War Memorial spokesperson Dr. Joseph Mastromatteo said Joe Guinn of Guinn Construction Company has volunteered to do construction on the site, and is presently working on creating sidewalks on M-24 and Odanah.
Guinn is also putting in footings for the walls and entrances, and preparing for the back landscaping. Mastromatteo said preparation is also continuing for such things as water irrigation and electrical lines.
” The engraved bricks will be in place by Veteran’s Day,” he said. “On June 14 we had our Rally Round the Flag Walk-a-Thon, and we raised money there. We are hovering around 85 percent (for Phase I of the memorial), but we’ll pass that very soon.”
Mastromatteo said fundraising isn’t scheduled to begin on Phase II of the project, which includes the actual monument, until Phase I is complete.
“We might be in Phase II before we know it though,” he said.
The Orion War Memorial has T-shirts from the walk-a-thon available for a donation of $10 at the Orion War Memorial office. For more information, call 693-1331.