A statue building project at Mt Shasta Ski Park is being met with some resistance in the community. Plans are underway by park owner Robin Merlo to build a 20 foot statue of the Virgin Mary on a platform at the top of the Douglas Lift. The platform is already being built and Merlo says the statue will be erected next summer. She says it’s a “promise fulfilled” to her late husband Ray. She says the goal is not to focus on any one religion but to acknowledge and honor the beauty and spiritual power of the mountain. A group has started a petition to demand a cease and desist of the construction, saying the religious icon threatens to alienate members of the diverse community who do not share the same religious beliefs. They suggest the money be used toward something tangible, like a homeless shelter or detox facility. Part of the land occupied by the ski park is federally owned, but the site chosen for the statue is apparently private property.