After much hard work and frustration, Hawesville dedicated the new roadside
park by Memory Gardens Cemetery. At the end of the ceremony, Hawesville
Mayor Charles King took a vote from those in attendance at the dedication to
name the park in honor of Edna Rice. It passed overwhelmingly, and King
officially dubbed it the Edna Rice Park.

"It is a culmination of efforts from a lot of people," King said.

Rice, member of the county cemetery board as well as Executive Director of
the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, said it took nearly seven years from
the inception of the idea to actual completion of the property. She said the
first step included convincing the state to deed the property to the city of
Hawesville.

That section of the property contained part of old U.S. Hwy 60, and the
state abandoned it when it rerouted the road several years ago. Many people
used the old section of roadway to illegally park vehicles, creating an
eyesore, Rice said.

She said the city wanted to clean up the property to make it look
attractive, and to also provide a place for people to sit when visiting the
cemetery.

The city applied for an Resource Conservation and Development Program grant
from GRADD, receiving $10,000. The grant required a match of the same
amount. Rice said many people donated time, effort, and money to the
project, and actually provided more than the grant specified. The match
totaled around $12,000.

Project officials used the money to purchase concrete benches, tables and
chairs. The money paid for attractive landscaping in the park, a water
sculpture and a paved walking path around the park.

In addition, the grant paid for paving part of an existing roadway through
the cemetery, allowing people to walk on pavement through the entire
cemetery. The walking trail at the park connects to Jennings Street, which
in turn connects to the street into the cemetery. This roadway loops through
the cemetery, reconnecting to Jennings Street on the north side of the
cemetery.

James Markwell, chairman of the RC&D division of GRADD, praised Rice for her
dedication to the project. Markwell said she never let obstacles deter her
from finishing the project. He even lifted a line from former
vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin when he said "the only difference
between Edna and a bulldog is lipstick."

Dortha Boling, a member of the county cemetery board, also spoke at the
dedication ceremony. She said actual physical construction of the park
started on February 16, 2006. She said bad weather prevented the project's
completion at that date, but perseverance finally paid off.

"The park is a great asset to Hawesville," Boling said.