East Chicago Parks Superintendent Fran Nowacki said she’s dreaded going to church the past couple of Sundays.
A member of St. Stanislaus Church on Indianapolis Boulevard, she’s endured a never-ending barrage of questions as to when Polish Revolutionary War Gen. Tadeusz Kosciusko will once again take his place standing watch in his park, she said. And they mean business.
“The little Polish ladies, they’ll come up to me and pat me on the shoulder: ‘Francesca, what is going on with the statue?'” she said, imitating the not-so-gentle “pat” they give her. “They raised money in the 1930s for him, so this is a big deal to them and the community.”
But residents can take comfort in knowing the statue, erected and dedicated Sept. 23, 1939, on the southeast side of the 19-acre park at the southwest corner of Indianapolis Boulevard and 151st Street, will again stand watch. The city has met with a bronze artist to restore the beloved statue, spokesman Steve Segura said.
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Initially, Segura said he spoke to Linda Dorman, artist and partner of Hammond artist Tom Torleumke, about restoring the general. Bronze, however, isn’t their medium, so she gave him the number for Ruth Crnkovich, former director of exhibitions for South Shore Arts, Torleumke said. A sculptor herself, she has contacts for sculptors who work in bronze.
So far, the first estimate to restore Kosciusko came in at more than $9,000, Segura said. The city is now waiting to talk to a second artist to get a second estimate, as the city needs at least two estimates before choosing the most responsive and responsible bidder.
Bronze, meanwhile, was worth $1.10 per pound, according to Lake Iron and Metal in Hammond. With the statue weighing between an estimated 600 to 700 pounds, the scrappers would’ve made $770 at the most.
“They did this for so little money, and now the city has to pay (exponentially),” Segura said. “It’s a shame.”
Furthermore, the city will now take more steps to protect the general from harm. Lighting around the statue is one option, Segura said, and fencing is another. Segura said he’ll be reinforced with stainless steel rodding when reinstalled.
For now, the general lies on a wooden pallet in one of the city’s general services buildings, his body cut from the ankles of his pedestal. His legs are hollow; his patina, a smooth, dull, dirty gold, remains unmarred except for a light blue scratch on his coat in front and, from what Segura had seen, scratches on his back. His throat bears the cuts of the hacksaw used to try to decapitate him.
Acting on an anonymous tip, police, at about 2:45 p.m. on Sept.19, heard the sound of metal being sawed and opened the door to what appeared to be an abandoned garage at 5019 Melville Ave., where police saw a man trying to saw off the head while a second man watched, court records state.
David Martinez, 35, told police he owned the house, records state. Martinez is charged in Lake Superior Court with theft, which is punishable by six months to 30 months. Police photographed the statue with the hacksaw still in place at the neck, the probable cause affidavit states.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.