Memorial honors late Sen. Paul Wellstone By BRIAN BAKST, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
EVELETH, Minn. (AP) - Admirers of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone paused Sunday to dedicate a six-acre memorial here, just 2,000 feet from the site where Wellstone's plane crashed in 2002 near the end of his campaign for a third term.
The site features a circular path tucked into the Iron Range woods of northeastern Minnesota that takes visitors on a narrative journey through Wellstone's life, beginning with pictures of the bushy-haired college professor who eventually won election to the U.S. Senate.
Another trail ends abruptly, looking out over a dense forest of pine, poplar and birch where Wellstone and seven others died on Oct. 25, 2002.
"It's so peaceful. It's so natural. It's just so Paul," said Susanne Engstrom, a retired teacher who volunteered on Wellstone's Senate campaign.
Visitors strolled silently along the quarter-mile legacy trail on Sunday, stopping to rub the polished stone monuments to Wellstone and his wife, their daughter, and three campaign staffers.
There is only a brief mention of the two pilots. A safety board ultimately found the probable cause of the accident was their inattention to the aircraft's instruments.
Wellstone, a progressive Democrat, developed deep ties to the rugged Iron Range region, which is home to many miners. It's where he announced his 1990 U.S. Senate bid, and he sometimes referred to it as a second home.
Sculptors spent three months preparing the memorial in Eveleth, about 175 miles north of Minneapolis. The $300,000 cost was paid with private donations. But others donated supplies and time to the effort.
Mark Wellstone said the memorial is more than a tribute to his father. "I hope for everybody it is a place you can come, spend some alone time and find some peace with yourself," he said.
