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Plans For New Reagan Statue Stall After Dixon Mayor's Death

Ron Cogswell
/
Flickr

A plan to erect a statute of President Ronald Reagan as a young lifeguard is on hold in his hometown.  

Dixon Mayor Jim Burke was leading the effort to place a statue along the Rock River. But Burke died in February, and the project has stalled.  

John Weitzel is a lifelong resident of Dixon, where Reagan worked as a lifeguard for seven summers. He says the statue would be ``wonderful'' but no one else is leading the effort. Weitzel says ``it's a shame.''  

Burke raised about $7,000 toward what's estimated to be a $200,000 project. Dixon, about 100 miles west of Chicago, already has two Reagan statues.
 

Willis is a Bloomington, IL, native. During his senior year at Bloomington High School, he finished third in the "Radio Speaking" division of the state speech contest, the only year he competed.