Veterans Memorial covered; October refinishing ahead

    Everyone is aware this area has hard water.
    But even the sculptor who created the bronze statue at the center of the Chase County Veterans Memorial was surprised by the hard water spots that had collected on it.
    “There were a lot of hard water spots on it. It’s practically white,” said Eric Gonzalez, Veterans Memorial Committee treasurer.
     The hard water spots have come from the sprinkler system on the grounds of the courthouse, where the memorial is located.
    When the spots became worse, Gonzalez said they initially tried some over-the-counter cleaners, to no avail.
    After that, they hired a professional cleaning company to remove them, and conferred beforehand with sculptor Fred Hoppe in Columbus.
    However, the company’s cleaning process removed the patina finish, which now the committee plans to reapply.
    Sculpture Services of Colorado, which specializes in bronze statues and their care, has been contracted to reapply the patina finish and then apply a wax conditioner to prevent spotting in the future, he said.
    The two-day process is hoped to be completed in October. In the meantime, the company recommended the sculpture be covered, he said.
    The commissioners have worked with the committee to readjust the sprinklers in hopes that would send less water onto the statue, but that has left some of the grass near the statue unwatered and become dry, Gonzalez said.
    They will reevaluate the sprinkler system over the winter months and may consider some smaller ones in that specific area around the statue.
    Right now, the committee’s main focus is to get the statue refinished and back to its original appearance, he said.
    After several years of planning and fundraising, the Chase County Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 2021.