Joanne Winer
QUARTZSITE TIMES
May 17th, 2006
With Memorial Day coming up, thoughts of the sacrifices that our military has made and are still making should be foremost in our minds.
In Celia’s Rainbow Gardens, the Veterans’ Association has adopted a trail at the top end of the Gardens. They have put in several memorials of members who have passed on and, even though they have since disbanded, several of their former members have still committed themselves to keeping up the trail that they started.
Another area that we are now starting to work on to honor those who have put their lives at risk is the Heroes Area, which we had started working on this past winter.
The area has been raked out, and a huge forest of saguaros has been planted in one corner. We now have added the water lines to this area and can begin getting the rest of the displays and landscaping done.
This area will have a large rock garden in the center of a large plaza area. The rock garden will include an archway made of telephone poles with a cross beam on which two huge iron bells will be suspended. These bells can be rung during special services.
Around the rock garden will be a wide walkway with benches placed at intervals for seating and lots of room to add additional chairs when needed.
Around the perimeter of the walkway there are plans to have several rock cairns holding plaques honoring the different branches of the military, police, fire departments, search and rescue, civilians, BLM and other groups that are heroes because of the work they do to preserve our way of life.
We want to honor these men, women and sometimes children who have put their lives at risk. Some have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.
Interspersed among these rock cairns will be several peace poles. These poles will be carved and will hold plaques with the words “May peace prevail on earth” in over 200 languages.
Once these poles are finished and put in place, and the rest of the area has been completed, we will be having a ceremony to dedicate the area. We are looking for anyone who can donate some time to carve on these poles, or anyone who can volunteer to help make the rock cairns and rock garden.
This is a very special area in the Gardens, and one that will show all our visitors that we care about and honor these heroes.