We offer a huge pat on the back for everyone involved in the project to restore the Union soldier monument at Union Cemetery in Crystal Lake.

The 120-year-old statue had been cracking and decaying after decades in the elements, and needed significant work.

As reported in Saturday’s Northwest Herald, the Crystal Lake Historical Society teamed with several local people and groups to raise the more than $60,000 needed for the restoration, which took more than five years. More than 100 hours of work alone went into finishing the soldier’s musket, which was stolen several years ago.