Tom Ralston Concrete was at the helm of construction for the Damon Gutzweiler Memorial Park we finished on March 12th for the dedication held in a section of the Willowbrook Park. It has large boulders that were handpicked by Architect Steve Sutherland from the Sierra Mountains. Three of the boulders were cut and ground so that bronze plaques could be set grouted into them. Three additional boulders were sliced and a large Precast concrete bench made by Paul Neall was set onto these rocks for a seating area.
Mason Ralph Russo set in donor bricks surrounding granite rings that were inscribed with words and sentiments from the Santa Cruz Sheriffs, friends and Community members. Tom Ralston Concrete laid out an poured walls, curbs, a center medallion and bases for masonry work. Tom set in Damon’s bronzed boot impressions along with his wife Favi’s shoes, his 2 children, and his dog's paw prints all in bronze.
Tom said, “Setting in the bronze shoes and dog paws was incredibly emotional and sad and I felt a strong emotional connection to Damon and his family. When the memorial ended I hugged Damon’s wife who had just made a tearful speech while holding her small child. While still hugging I told her about how emotional I was when placing the boots; we both began to shake and cry. At that point my feelings were completely overwhelmed”.
Read article about the unveiling
