Statue dedication

On Saturday, Dec. 8, a statue of Gen. Vang Pao will be dedicated in downtown Chico during an all-day ceremony honoring the man who helped the CIA wage a secret war in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and who today is a hero for many Hmong in America.

The statue is set to stand next to the stairs on the west side of the City Council chambers building on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. In November 2011 the City Council voted unanimously to accept the sculpture as a donation and approved its location.

The effort was supported by Butte County Supervisor Larry Wahl, who served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. Main Street between Fourth and Fifth streets and Fourth Street between Main and Wall streets will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the statue dedication by the Butte County Hmong Association.