This was in The Lyons Recorder newspaper - Written by By Henry J. Barone Have you ever been inspired by someone to the point where it changes the way you think and feel about the world? Well, this happened to me in my fifth grade year at Lyons Elementary with a few of my fellow students. It all started in fifth grade during our Human Rights Unit. Specifically, we were learning about how people with disabilities have also had to fight for fair treatment in our country. This is how we were introduced to Alonzo Clemons, Sculpture Savant.

On a recent Sunday, Alonzo produced a sculpture of a totally different kind, not at all his typical animal works. It is this remarkable crucifix. When asked if he saw a similar image in a magazine, he replied, “In the sky.” Later, he elaborated, “I was sleeping. Saw the Roman soldiers walking around.” It seemed that he had touched upon a new and profound source of inspiration.

Several years ago, Alonzo’s life-sized Arabian foal, Cassie, was purchased for placement at KidsPark, a disability-accessible play area at Lafayette Elementary School. Ultimately, for several reasons, the sculpture could not be placed in the schoolyard.

One of Alonzo’s new friends asked a question that I had asked over 20 years ago, “Can I buy a sculpture that has not been cast in bronze?”

A wonderful opportunity has arisen for Alonzo, as he has been commissioned to create a mountain lion sculpture for Lyons Elementary School. Teacher Mr. Timothy Ambrose tells how this project came to be: