Ideas needed for plaza around Illinois' Black Hawk statue

OREGON, Ill. (AP) - State officials are asking the public for help as they plan for a plaza around the 107-year-old Black Hawk statue in northern Illinois.

Sauk Valley Media reports that a meeting is planned for Tuesday at the recreation center in Oregon. State landscape architect George Bellovics wants to brainstorm with the community about the area around the 48-foot-tall, 270-ton landmark in Lowden State Park .

Bellovics says efforts are turning to the plaza now that funding has been secured and contracts have been signed to repair the statue. Fundraising reached the $600,000 goal in September. The Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Conservation Foundation signed contracts with Quality Restorations of Wood Dale to do the repairs.

Work is scheduled to begin in April and will take about 60 days.

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Information from: Sauk Valley Media, http://www.saukvalley.com