Island Lake officials say award recognizes effort

When Island Lake accepts its Governor's Hometown Award in Springfield in November, village officials say they'll be thinking of the volunteers who made Veterans Memorial Park happen.

"(The award) recognizes all the effort that went into that project," said Trustee Donald Verciglio, who chairs the village's recreation department. He said volunteers contributed thousands of hours of work on the park.

Veterans Memorial Park, on Route 176 in Island Lake, features a marble block commemorating the five branches of the military, flags, a beach house and an Army Cobra helicopter.

Verciglio said an Eagle Scout worked to have a dance floor installed at the beach house, the Veterans of Foreign Wars helped to get the helicopter and local veterans -- including a local American Legion post -- pitched in for much of the construction work. The memorial was dedicated in 2004.

"A lot of veterans did a lot of work building the memorial," Verciglio said. "We're very proud of it."

The village also received a $135,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant to help develop the park and beach house.

Officials say the hometown award culminates and recognizes all the effort put into honoring veterans.

"We're very pleased because it represents almost four years of work," Mayor Tom Hyde said.

Trustee John Ponio resurrected problems he had with the beach house's construction during the April election, at the time saying there were unanswered questions about the project.

Ponio declined to comment this week, but Hyde said he hopes the award silences any remaining critics.

"Some of the negativity that has been presented along the way has kind of straightened itself out," Hyde said. "We have a beautiful structure."