Create park memorial with old smokestack

I have been requested by my 85-year-old father, Don Novak, who is a lifetime Cedar Rapids resident, to offer a suggestion to the city leaders in regards to the old Sinclair (originally) smokestack. Don worked at the Wilson plant in his younger years. Other family members and many friends worked at Wilson's, or later Farmstead. This was a major employer in Cedar Rapids for many years. Many people worked there together building families, relationships and friendships.

Which brings me to my dad's suggestion: Why not take down the smokestack and make a small park dedicated to all the people who worked so hard there? Use some of the bricks from the smokestack or building and let people pay a small fee to have their family's or friends' names engraved and placed in the park as a memorial.

It would be something to remind people what once was there and the hardworking people who worked there. There can never be enough parks.

Karen Boeding

Cedar Rapids