SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Veterans organizations place wreaths at each of the monuments during the 2024 Memorial Day service at Lycoming County Veterans Park.

Just in time for the annual Memorial Day service in Lycoming County on May 23 at 11 a.m., the City of Williamsport and Pennsylvania College of Technology have another agreement to help beautify and improve Veterans Memorial Park.

A recent agreement approved by city council is for an off-campus project presented by John Markley, a former city Streets and Parks employee and member of the park commission.

The park is an astounding array of monuments and memorials dedicated to the men and women of Lycoming County who fought and died and who served and who continue to serve in the military.

A construction sketch was provided and is on the city website.

Hours and days worked by the students at the discretion of the college.

In front of each monument there is about 20 inches of grass area that keeps dying, Markley said. Sod continues to be put in and the grass continually fades, so, instead they are going to fill that area in with bricks, he said. “They will put the concrete in and then put bricks in front of the monuments and that will clean that up,” he said.

The sketch and papers indicate it is a project in front of all the monuments on the south side of the park which is at West Fourth Street and Wahoo Drive.

It was a rather emotionally-touching moment for council, as there was an absence from Councilwoman Bonnie Katz, who frequently thanked Markley, Penn College and the commission for all of the hard labor and work done at the park, especially in preparation of the annual Memorial Day service.

In her stead, Councilwoman Liz Miele noted how much the council appreciated all of their hard work in preparation for this honorary service.

Mayor Derek Slaughter noted how there are cameras installed for security purposes at the park.

Markley remarked how the mayor makes it a point to always come to the service, and that Katz was a big supporter of the sale of the bricks, the proceeds of which go into further improvements at the beloved and nationally-recognized park.

“Your efforts are very much appreciated by all,” Council President Eric Beiter said.