Perry's Victory renovations on track

PUT-IN-BAY — The renovation of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is progressing smoothly, park officials said. The roughly $1.8 million federally funded project calls for cleaning and re-pointing the exterior of the monument, along with interior tile work."The memorial remains fenced and inaccessible to the public during the cleaning and repairs," park superintendent Barbra Fearon said. "The column's interior tile repairs were completed in the spring, and we're happy with the progress being made on the exterior as we make plans to reopen next May." A crewman works on the exterior column of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. The project requires teams to work high off the ground to update the structure. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial rises 352 feet above Put-in-Bay and dominates the South Bass Island skyline. The monument was built to honor the lives lost during the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.The memorial column is scheduled for repointing its mortar joints roughly every 20 years.Crews from Coon Construction, from Louisville, Ohio, have progressed this summer despite poor weather. Roughly 85 percent of the column's cleaning is complete, and about 20 percent of the caulking portion of the job is finished, according to a news release. "We have protection in place at the top," construction manager Jeff Ashton said. "We have a weather station that updates us on weather and wind conditions every 12 minutes."Ashton said the crews cannot work in conditions when winds are in excess of 25 mph.This isn't the first time the monument wasn't available for public entry. In fact, in June 2006, a 500-pound chunk of granite fell from the outside of the monument's observation deck. Subsequently, the memorial was closed periodically through 2012 for structural surveys and repairs.The view of South Bass Island atop Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. The monument is undergoing an update and its column isn't accessible to the public this year. "We know it seems like the column has been inaccessible a lot this decade," Fearon said, "But the memorial is more than 100 years old and requires maintenance to ensure its longevity."Fearon continued: "Our goal is to ensure the memorial is here for future generations to be inspired and learn from. Beyond that, our first priority is the safety of our guests and our staff, and the respect due the veterans buried beneath the rotunda."Reach reporter Patrick Pfanner at pfanner@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @PatPfanner and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterPeople gather near Perry's Monument to listen to live music during the Put-in-Bay Music Festival on South Bass Island on Saturday, June 10, 2017. The monument is undergoing an update and its column isn't accessible to the public this year.