Peru installs benches to honor lost loved ones

Benches are being installed at different locations throughout Peru, including Baker Lake, the splash pad and along U.S. 6, to remember residents’ lost loved ones.

Mayor Ken Kolowski said the city heard people’s desire to memorialize their lost loved ones and came up with the idea to create a bench program. Anyone can call the city, Peru resident or not, and purchase a bench with a name plaque to be placed at a location around the city.

“It beautifies the city, and it’s a great way to honor loved ones,” Kolowski said.

Crystal Smith, human resources assistant and mayor’s assistant, said the 23 bench orders was more than she expected, especially considering it’s the first year of the program. Kolowski said he’s pleased with the level of interest and the way the community responded to it.

The cost of the bench is split between the resident and the city. The resident pays about $1,000 for the bench itself and the city covers the plaque and shipping costs amounting to roughly $500. Kolowski said it’s only fair the city helps with some of the costs because of the benefits the benches provide.

Smith said the plan is to order a new batch of benches each spring based on resident requests. Residents have some say as to where the bench is located based on availability of space. There is an application to fill out along with a policy that states while the resident sponsors the bench, the city is responsible for upkeep for the first 10 years. After that, any necessary repairs would fall on either the resident or the city to cover costs and will be dealt with on an individual basis.

If you’re interested in purchasing a bench, call Crystal Smith at Peru City Hall at 815-223-0061 or go to the Peru city website at https://www.peru.il.us/ to fill out an application.