Commemorative, brick pavers add to the appeal of Morrison Bark Park’s entrance. The venue is open as of Friday, August 26, 2022. Click here to see the fencing project.
In July, On the Move With Parks and Recreation purchased bricks from River City Stone, Moline, IL, and had them delivered to Morrison, IL. Owner Javier Carreno, Morrison, and his 5 Star Landscaping team laid about 200.
Names and messages from brick purchasers were sent to Moore Monument & Granite Company, Sterling, IL. In mid-July, Production Manager Darren M. Haan began preparing stencils for each brick. He used a stencil cutter to incise each letter, plus a paw icon in the corner.
“It was a fantastic idea!” he stated. Haan prepared sample bricks for Karla Burn to show buyers.
At 2:00 p.m., Monday, August 8, Jeremy James of Sterling arrived at Morrison Bark Park. He is Lead Engraver at Moore Monument & Granite Co. He was employed for 21 years at IFH Group and other welding shops. Innovative Fluid Handling is the largest manufacturer in the USA of custom steel fuel and hydraulic oil tanks, for off-road and specialty vehicles. James left that trade two years ago, for health reasons.
“I will lay out and try to engrave [these] 39 bricks tonight,” he said. That did not happen, because his task was t-e-d-i-o-u-s and involved several steps. In addition, James is a perfectionist.
Beginning in the center, he arranged a few, multi-layered, rubber templates in a herringbone pattern. On the bottom was light adhesive to keep them in place. He was careful to position names readable in only two views, at right angles from each other, rather than higgledy-piggeldy.
He knelt close to the pavement. Patiently he removed each letter, number, punctuation mark, and paw pads, from the top layer of paper atop the rubber mat. An X-acto knife and his fingers did the delicate picking. It was crucial not to peel away extra paper or pieces of letters/numbers, because black spray paint would bleed onto the brick surface.
Next, James used a “blasting pot” to carve out the stenciled message. Using an air compressor, he blasted out brick residue. Duct tap was applied to mask off the surrounding bricks, prior to painting. Lithochrome paint is a “monument-grade” paint used on gravestones.
Forty-five engraved pavers are now in the entrance triangle. They sell for $75, which includes carving and painting. Contact Karla Burn at 815-535-6591 to purchase bricks. Any church, business, or supporter/sponsor of Morrison Bark Park is invited to contribute. They are not exclusively for dog owners.
