Cedar River red bridge rededication ceremony held Saturday at noon
From staff reports
State, federal and local dignitaries and other supporters of the proposed Cedar River Waterway & Park project are expected to attend Saturday’s noon rededication ceremony of Cedar’s refurbished and repainted red pedestrian/snowmobile bridge.
The iconic bridge’s refurbishing is one of the first improvements at the Cedar Community Park in 37 years. State Representative Jack O’Malley and State Senator Curt VanderWall, who supported supplemental funding this spring that
included $950,000 for major park upgrades but was never signed by the Governor’s office due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be among Saturday’s speakers. U.S. Representative Jack Bergman’s aide will also be speaking.
The Rev. Kenneth Stachnik will bless the bridge and park. Dr. Ramona Pleva will sing the national anthem. Ray Pleva, chairman of the Cedar River Waterway & Park project, says a mini-Polka music concert on the adjoining softball field will
also be a part of the two-hour ceremony.
“This is the first of the many planned improvements,” said Pleva, who started working on plans for park renovations three years ago. “The bridge looks just like it was 37 years ago.”
Pleva has been spearheading a grassroots effort to get some donations for matching funds while the committee explores other state grant opportunities to make the park more universally accessible. A public informational meeting was
held last month on upgrading river embankment walls, decking and boat launch facilities.
“We have a 37-year-old project that has outlived most of its useful life,” Pleva noted. “Restrooms, parking and pavilions are all in need of repair.”
Final design won’t begin until funding is identified for each phase.
Two Cedar area polka bands, featuring members of the Ray and Julie Watkowski family and Larry Fleis and The Larks, will also be joined by Bobby Atkinson on stage. The Watkowskis donated and delivered the red bridge 37 years ago. The park construction engineer was the late Ed Fleis of Cedar.
Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a chair and a mask and keep a social distance of six feet.
