Update on Mariners' Memorial construction

Construction on the Wrangell Mariners' Memorial is coming along well, according to Mariners' Memorial Board Treasurer Jeff Jabusch. The steel for the memorial's walls themselves has been ordered, he said. The walls, once complete, will be where the plaques will eventually be placed.

"We're hoping to get at least one wall actually finished and up before winter, and then get these three walls poured," Jabusch said. "Then we'll get everything leveled off to grade with gravel, and then probably won't be until next spring we'll do the rest of this concrete all the way down to the parking lot."

Electrical work is coming along, as well, with the assistance of LiveWire. Light stands are currently being installed around the memorial. Some of them are already lit, Jabusch said, and they will be working on bolting them into place in the near future. Now that summer has come to a close, he added that a lot of concrete work will have to wait until spring and drier weather.

Jabusch also pointed out a recently installed compass in the floor of the memorial's lighthouse. The compass is made of pure granite, he said, two inches thick and weighing 800 pounds. It took several people to get it put into place. The entire project has taken the help and time of many volunteers, he said.

All in all, he said he is hopeful they will have the project complete before next summer.

"I would say by the end of May it should be all done," Jabusch said.