Surprise Statue Unveiled at Redevelopment Dedication

A statue of Temple Terrace Mayor Joe Affronti was revealed as a surprise to the public and Affronti himself during a Dec. 1 dedication of the Main Street park and gazebo in the downtown redevelopment.

Reporters had been told to expect a special surprise, but that was the only information anyone had been given.

At a in the downtown redevelopment area Dec. 1, an object shrouded in a black cloth was uncovered to reveal a statue of Temple Terrace Mayor Joe Affronti.

Before the statue was unveiled, Mike Vlass, of Vlass Temple Terrace, the developer of the project, announced that Main Street will actually be called “Arts Center Drive” to reflect the Arts and Education Center that is planned between the road and 56th Street. He also said the 1-acre park will be called “Civic Park.”

After city officials and dignitaries cut the ceremonial ribbon for the park and gazebo, Vlass and his partners, Mike Lant and Mark Sneed, pulled the cloth off the statue.

Affronti’s jaw dropped, and those around him gave him hugs and handshakes. Affronti teared up as Vlass read a plaque at the base of the statue.

“We Italians get a little emotional,” Affronti said later.

The statue was designed by Jordon Rose of The Randolph Rose Collection and pays homage to Affronti’s support of the redevelopment initiative, according to a press release. The statue was created from photographs provided to Rose. It weighs 300 pounds.

“This tribute recognizes Mayor Affronti for his abiding commitment and dedication to the City of Temple Terrace and its citizens and his solidifying vision and unwavering pursuit of the redevelopment of this site and the creation of a true downtown for Temple Terrace—its ‘Place,’” Vlass said in the release.

Affronti said he was shocked when he saw his likeness.

“It was just a big surprise, and I am deeply honored and humbled by it,” he said.

The park and gazebo are meant to be a place where Temple Terrace residents and visitors can gather, relax and have events.

The park was designed by Site Solutions, which is based in Atlanta, the release states. The gazebo is 540 square feet in size and has a tiled roof. The park also features a mosaic-tiled fountain, live oak trees, shade trellises and outdoor seating. The design reflects the city’s 1920s Mediterranean Revival architecture.

“The park and gazebo reflect the quality and attention to detail inherent in the city’s vision for downtown Temple Terrace,” Vlass said in the release.

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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...