With three cheers for its namesake's legacy, Apotheker Plaza was officially dedicated on the north end of the Metro Regional Center on Thursday.
The plaza was named for Steve Apotheker, a Metro solid waste planner who died in 2011 after a six-year battle with multiple system atrophy.
At the dedication ceremony, the veil was lifted on a sculpture honoring Apotheker's legacy of promoting waste reduction in Oregon. Composed of materials recovered from the waste stream, a glass zero is prominent on the front of it.
The zero, made from crushed glass bottles, recognizes Apotheker's contributions to Oregon's bottle recycling program. Councilor Rex Burkholder pointed to the 2011 revisions of the bottle bill as proof of Apotheker's legacy. It also speaks to Apotheker’s dedication to “zero waste,” a principle focused on the reuse of all materials.
"His work what was got us here today," Burkholder told a crowd of about 100 people.
Artist Amy Wilson, who worked with Mike Suri on the sculpture, said Apotheker was a hero to her. Wilson also worked with Apotheker at Metro for several years.
"If I had to beg, borrow or steal, I was going to be a part of this, because I just loved Steve," Wilson said.
(Nov. 26, 2012)
(June 24, 2011)