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“This was one of the very first things he would do that would dovetail into his later career with the county. It was an idea he had gotten, to try and utilize this space better,” as a private-public partnership, Russ Podzilni’s son, Doug Podzilni, said at Thursday’s unveiling.

In addition to curling, the building is used to display 4-H projects during the annual Rock County 4-H Fair.

Doug Podzilni said it was “very, very gratifying” and humbling to see his father’s name on the sign.

“To see something that he worked on, put together and inspired people to make happen come to fruition, which is this building, 50 years ago, it was amazing. It was exciting. It was something that he was very proud of,” Doug Podzilni said.

Doug Podzilni noted similar examples of public-private partnerships, particularly with curling club buildings. The Milwaukee Curling Club operates in the Ozaukee Pavilion on the Ozaukee County Fairgrounds in Cedarburg. Doug Podzilni is a curler himself and competes in the Ozaukee Pavilion.

“It is used by the curling club in the wintertime, and the building is open for the fairgrounds in the summertime,’” Doug Podzilni said. “It’s a perfect marriage because curling clubs only need a building for six months, and the fairgrounds need it for even less than that.”

Doug Podzilni proposed the county have a plaque made honoring his father, which was approved. Then county officials counter-proposed renaming the facility. The county board’s general service committee recommended it to the board, which then approved it.

“I don’t think I understood how integrated my father was into both the curling club and the county until that happened,” Doug Podzilni said.

Doug Podzilni added, “he was a well-liked and well-loved person and you can’t go anywhere within the county, the curling club or even other places like Cedar Crest where he lived the last few years of his life, without hearing good stories of how he touched people’s lives. He was a positive person and had a joy for life. He’s missed but he won’t be forgotten.”

Russ Podzilni died on Jan. 31 at age 93. He had resigned from his county board seat on Sept. 21 of last year. He served the northeast side of the city of Janesville.