A lasting memorial

Construction of the Station Fire Memorial at the West Warwick site of the Feb. 20, 2003 fire where 100 people lost their lives has continued despite winter conditions in expectation of completion and a dedication this spring. The $2 million capital campaign co-chaired by former governor Donald Carcieri and Station Fire Memorial Foundation chair Gina Russo is within several thousand dollars of reaching its goal, thereby ensuring not only construction of the memorial but its maintenance for decades to come. The memorial park, with a gate at one end and pavilion at the other, is designed in the shape of a guitar with 10 circles, each with a bench in the center and ringed with 10 granite markers etched with the names and pictures of each of the 100 victims. Seen here is Ricardo Santos, one of the many masons who have worked on the memorial. As the dedication is planned for this spring, no memorial service is planned near the anniversary of the fire, as has been the practice. (Warwick Beacon photos)