Colorado Model Railroad Museum Officially Unveils New Plaza with Ribbon-Cutting

Randolph Rose Bronze Statues Unveiled for Colorado Model Railroad Museum

The Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce with museum staff and volunteers celebrate the grand opening of the museum’s new plaza.

A new plaza at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum honors one of the museum’s longtime supporters.

The museum on Tuesday hosted a ribbon-cutting for the new Al Frank Memorial Plaza.

Frank became a supporter of the Colorado Model Railroad Museum in 2012 when he sent the museum information on its 1919 red caboose.

Over the years, Frank and Executive Director Michelle Kempema had many discussions about how he could create future exhibits and other projects at the museum. In September 2021, Frank donated nearly 500 books, pamphlets and magazines to create the Al Frank Library.

Wanting to leave a lasting gift to the museum, Frank commissioned three bronze statues from artist Randolph Rose in Yonkers, New York. The three statues arrived in Greeley in April 2022. The museum installed the statues in the plaza to welcome visitors as they enter the building.

“All Aboard” depicts a train conductor calling out to signal the train is about to leave. “Goin’ to Grandma’s House” shows a father carrying his daughter as he walks alongside his son.

In addition to the bronze statues, Frank created the designs for the planters in the plaza as well as provided funding for the landscaping and hardscape.

While work on the plaza project began in early 2022, sadly, Frank died on Dec. 3, 2022, before he could see his dream come to fruition.

“Al loved everything to do with railroads — their construction, history, and preservation — and enjoyed educating the public about them as a long-time volunteer at both the Colorado Railroad Museum and the Forney Museum of Transportation,” the museum said in a news release. “He was one of a kind, and he will be dearly missed.”

Frank was self-employed for most of his life and after moving to Colorado, he began working at Electro-Media, an electronics company that specialized in sound system installations.

In 1996, Frank retired from Electro-Media as the company’s sole owner.

Museum Employee with Bronze Train Conductor Statue — *Museum volunteer Jim Leonard strikes a pose next to his bronze doppelganger during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.*

Along with his fancy for trains, Frank was a skilled oil painter, jewelry maker and musician. He collected art and antiques and restored classic cars as well as fished and enjoyed ham radios.

The Colorado Model Railroad Museum was founded by David Trussell in 2002. Construction of the facility took seven years. It was unveiled to the community on Memorial Day weekend in 2009.

Since its opening, more than 150,000 visitors have passed through the museum’s door to enjoy railroad artifacts including the 1919 C&S 10583 Caboose, Lionel Trains collection, OC&E Railway HO scale layout and more. The museum hosts special events and activities throughout the year.

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Altrusa Sculpture Approved for Four Corners Park

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners Park from the Yonkers sculpture studio of Randolph Rose Collection.

Altrusa will erect a sculpture in the northeast quadrant of Four Corners Park without the controversy that faced plans for another sculpture in the southeast quadrant last fall.

The Coldwater City Council approved the installation on March 25 of the classic Randolph Rose Collection bronze sculpture "Reading Buddies."

According to past president Carrie Stout, the 47 current local members of Coldwater Altrusa International raised $19,000 for the art piece featuring a boy and a girl reading at each end of a bench with space in between for people to sit.

Stout said, "Bronze is an incredibly durable material that withstands all sorts of weather conditions, and it assures us the sculpture will be around for generations."

Altrusa presented the sculpture to the city to encourage literacy. The group gave the sculpture, "As a symbol of our commitment to the community and to its improvement, both through continued beautification of our Four Corners Park."

The group adopted that corner of Four Corners Park in 1984 and maintains flowers there.

The corner is also home to the Farmer's Market for 13 weeks during the summer.

Another sculpture proposed for the park's southeast quadrant did not receive a similar enthusiastic welcome last November.

Councilman John Petzko and his two daughters provided seed money for the fountain to honor his late wife and their mother, councilwoman Maureen Petzko.

The family suggested, with City Manager Keith Baker, a stylistic modern 15-foot sculpture by Fritz Olsen from the 2023 Grand Rapids Art Walk.

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners...

Honoring The Late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun

Michael Yun Custom Bench Statue

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue in celebration and in memory of late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun.

The statue, known as “Achieving the American Dream,” will be erected at 366 Central Avenue in the Heights on Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m., four years to the day since his passing. At its most recent meeting in March, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted a resolution accepting the statue as a donation from the family and friends of Yun. According to the resolution, the bronze statue is meant to beautify the Central Avenue streetscape while simultaneously celebrating the American Dream and Yun’s memory.

The statue was created by the Randolph Rose Collection, who has been committed to creating the finest work of bronze art for homes, gardens, and public spaces since 1972.

The bronze statue sits on a bench approximately 6 feet wide, to be unveiled on the sidewalk on Bowers Street next to 366 Central Avenue at the request of the family and friends of Yun. The resolution states that he chose to begin his American Dream in Jersey City, while sitting on a bench on the corner of Central Avenue and Bowers Street, thus the sentimental statue placement.

In the Heights, Yun embodied that dream, being a small business owner and community leader for over three decades. He eventually became a public servant, elected as the Ward D Councilman and serving from 2013 until his death in 2020. Yun was unfortunately one of the many lives lost in Jersey to COVID-19 amid the viral pandemic.

The resolution states that Yun’s memory and journey to achieve the American Dream is an inspiration to the next generation of Jersey City residents seeking to start their own dream in the City. At the March 20 meeting, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh said the council worked to make this happen ahead of the four-year anniversary of his passing on April 6.

“It is our solemn duty, and I know for my council colleagues who worked alongside Councilman Michael Yun, it’s an honor for us to be able to push this forward,” Saleh said. “This bronze statue… it’s going to be a welcome and beautiful presence in the Heights. Public service is very hard… his family sacrificed a lot. Michael Yun sacrificed so much for this City, and this is a beautiful way to remember him. He is the shining example of the American Dream and may he be an example for everyone else in Jersey City and inspire… anyone else to not just start a business but get into public service and serve their community.”

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a...