Preparations underway for Rec Park’s Rod Serling statue

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – We’re now just a couple months away from the unveiling of the most significant tribute to Binghamton’s favorite son: Rod Serling.

A concrete pad has been poured in Recreation Park for a 6-foot-tall bronze statue of Serling, Emmy-winning creator of the classic Twilight Zone television series.

The larger-than-life Serling is seen in front of a Door to Imagination that is slightly ajar. The door is inscribed with the words “You unlock this door with the key of imagination.”

The statue itself has been completed by sculptor Mark DeGrafenreid of statues.com in Utah and will be shipped once the pedestal has been finished and the concrete pad has cured.

President of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation Nicholas Parisi says Serling’s daughter Anne traveled to Utah to personally approve the rendition.

“It’s not going to be everybody’s vision of Rod Serling because everybody has a different vision of Rod Serling. Some of us think of him one way, some of us think of him another way. It is an artist’s representation, but we think it’s a really good representation of Rod Serling, a respectful representation. And we think it’s going to be beautiful monument all put together,” said Parisi.

The statue will be placed on the hillside above the Rec Park pool across from the statue of George F Johnson. The overall cost of the project is around $100,000 with half of that coming from a state grant secured by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. It will be erected and unveiled sometime in August.

A special dedication ceremony is scheduled for September 15, at the close of this year’s Serling Fest taking place on September 13 and 14.

For tickets to Serling Fest or to donate to the statue, go to RodSerling.com .

Parisi describes the statue using a miniature model:

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