Roselle dedicates veterans memorial

Roselle residents gathered Saturday to dedicate a memorial to honor the village's veterans and to celebrate those who helped make the memorial a reality.

It took nearly two years of work and $250,000 in donations to complete the memorial along Irving Park Road at Park Street.

The idea came from members of American Legion Post 1084 who approached village trustees with the idea in August 2013. The village agreed to place the memorial in Depot Park, which since has been renamed Veterans Memorial Park. Construction started last year.

The memorial is designed to honor all Roselle residents who have served and all military members who have died in service to their country.

Don Smolinski, who headed the memorial committee, said members of the American Legion and other veterans helped raise the necessary money, but so did countless other residents and businesses who contributed to the cause.

Organizers still are collecting donations for the project, which can be made online by visiting the American Legion Post 1084 website at post1084.net. Honor bricks and sponsor bricks that will be installed at the site can be purchased by visiting rosellememorial.donationbricks.com.