The veterans memorial in Walnutport is completed, save for a few amenities come spring.

Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz informed borough council on Thursday that the project has come along nicely.

“Everything’s done, with the exception of more topsoil,” Wentz said. “It’s as complete as it’s going to be until grass in the spring.”

At that point, Wentz said topsoil, grass and mulch around the trees will be added.

He signaled out businesses such as Thomson’s Meat Market, DDR Construction (Danielsville), CV Electric (Walnutport) and Blue Mountain Evergreen (Walnutport) for their contributions.

However, Wentz noted there are a lot of people from the borough who served but whose names are not listed on the memorial.

He said if they feel their name should be on the memorial, they need to write a letter to the Walnutport VFW, who will compose a list of names.

Borough officials have stressed that none of the work being done to the memorial in the small park between Washington and Fifth streets is coming from taxpayers’ money.

In September, council on a 6-1 vote approved DDR Construction Services Inc. to complete all work at the monument at a cost of $4,500. The work was for curbing, handicapped accessibility, pattern concrete and the installation of flagpoles.

That decision came after council in March withdrew the borough’s application for a nearly $25,000 grant for the memorial.

Jennifer Wentz said at that time it wouldn’t have been feasible to maintain the grant, and added the borough was looking at alternatives to finish the project. She said council’s decision wouldn’t affect the status of the memorial.

Wentz previously said that the memorial work was being paid for through a combination of money from private and public donations, money from the Centennial Committee, as well as in-kind services.

In July 2019, council agreed to spend an additional $2,700 for concrete work that includes an Americans with Disabilities Act ramp.

That came after council agreed in June 2019 to spend up to $2,500 for concrete work at the memorial.

Also in June 2019, council received a pair of donations that totaled $3,000 toward the memorial: one a $2,000 check from the Diamond Fire Co., and $1,000 from the Diamond Fire Co. Ladies Auxiliary. The Ladies Auxiliary to R.W. Fritzinger VFW Post 7215, Walnutport, has also donated $2,000 toward the memorial.

Several members of the 2009 Centennial Committee attended a council meeting in April 2019 to discuss the use of about $11,000 that was set aside in the Centennial fund for improvements to the memorial.

Committee member Doneta Merkle told council at that time the wish of the Centennial Committee was for those funds to be used toward the memorial.

Michael Kukitz, who served as executive director of the Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority until he resigned in March 2019, had obtained the grant for $23,983, funded by a grant through the Northampton County Livable Landscapes Program, Northampton County’s Open Space Initiative.