New Brooklyn Center amphitheater more than outdoor stage.

Brooklyn Center dedicated its new amphitheater this week. While the Centennial Civic and Veterans Memorial Amphitheater offers a place for musical events, weddings and theater, it’s also a place to honor veterans. "It is marvelous to look at," said former Brooklyn Center mayor Myrna Kragness Kauth. For members of a task force, it was a long labor of love that started after the city's centennial celebration in 2011. The committee wanted to leave something behind that would last into the future. "I think even with what we saw from the beginning, we didn't really envision this as magnificent as it is," Kauth said. "I am just overjoyed with it." The amphitheater cost $564,000 to build. More than half of that came from private donations. The city made up the difference from its parks fund. "Thank you to all the civic leaders and all the veterans for whom this amphitheater is intended to honor," said task force chair Dr. Duane Orn at Tuesday night's dedication. A Community Builder and Veterans Tribute The amphitheater will be a place for musical events, weddings and even theater. "It's been said the whole world is a stage," said Brooklyn Center City Manager Curt Boganey. "This stage, I believe, will be a chance to showcase talents, to experience fear and triumph." Mayor Tim Willson said the amphitheater will be a great community builder. Just as important as the stage are the names engraved on paver stones as a memorial tribute to veterans and family members. "We want our veterans to know how important they are to this community and to thank them for their service," Kauth said. The amphitheater is made of cement and bricks, but for those who worked on the project, it means more than that. "I mean it was just a part of your heart," said Kauth. "We knew we had to do this for the city. It was so important." Mike Johnson, reporting http://www.ccxmedia.org https://www.facebook.com/ccxmedia.org/ http://twitter.com/ccxsports http://twitter.com/ccxnews Learn about our mobile app - http://bit.ly/CH12app Channel 12 is on Comcast cable in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.