Export officials hope to relocate vets monument in the spring

Export officials hope to move the veterans memorial at the former American Legion on Kennedy Avenue closer to the borough’s downtown in the spring.

“We want to shoot for April,” said Councilman John Nagoda. “It going to probably be easier than we thought.”

With 2020 marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, borough officials are considering making the anniversary the theme of their annual summer festival, and would like to have the monument relocated before it comes around in August.

“We’d also like to maybe add a stone recognizing the efforts of people here at home to support the troops abroad,” Nagoda said.

The idea for the move originated with former borough resident Gary Wuslich, who returned home for his uncle’s funeral in 2018 and “that the monument should be in a more prominent place.”

Partnering with the Export Historical Society and others, the plan is to move the monument east of the proposed reconstruction of the borough’s former train station just off Kennedy Avenue, where rail tracks used to run.

Borough councilwoman and historical society board member Melanie Litz said a “sizable” sum from an unnamed donor has the project off to a good start.

“We’ve also been working with (Franklin Regional students) on a website for the historical society,” Litz said. “My hope is that we can get that finished up in the next few weeks so that people can donate through PayPal to support the memorial project or to purchase banners we’re going to sell recognizing local military personnel, which will go on telephone poles in the borough.”

The website is not yet active.