By YOLANDA WALLACE

By YOLANDA WALLACE
Have you ever been down to the Marina far east along the walking trail near the Illinois River? Sometimes I’d go walking along the trail and see the Constitution Park. That’s where people go to discuss the Constitution and laws. Then there is the Dan Fogelburg Memorial Park. People stop by there and sometimes play music because Dan was a musician and people loved his music. Then if you keep on walking you can enjoy nature, see the squirrels, geese, birds, and beavers that cross the road. You might even see a dog being walked on a leash. if you keep walking, you will see the Purple Martin bird houses. People come to watch birds and sit on benches in memory of someone.
Then right next to that is another bench and a heart shaped flower garden. At first it looks from a distance to be a beautiful sight with pavers all around the boarder. As you look closer, their are words on the bricks. Some say MURDER, with other bricks behind it. Another brick says
AUTO RELATED deaths and another brick has a name following it. If you circle it,
it also says SUICIDE, with a following
brick with a name on it and recently a DRUG OVERDOSE brick. Now I bet you wonder what kind of place is this? It’s called the Jon Buckley Memorial Garden and it has a place for anyone that has lost a loved one not related to health issues except for our Supporters area. So if you want to find a spot to reflect on the past and enjoy the scenery of the beautiful Illinois River, you may want to visit The Jon Buckley Memorial Garden it is located at 600 N. E. Water St., behind the Riverplex along the trail. The Jon Buckley Memorial Garden is celebrating 10 yrs of service in Peoria (2012-present).
These special parks have special purposes!
— Yolanda Wallace is Founder/Program Director for Jon Buckley Memorial Garden