Leet officials moving forward with war memorial plans

Leet officials plan to create a new memorial honoring current and former residents who serve or have served in the nation’s armed forces.

A spot in the heart of Ambridge Avenue Park was chosen last year for the memorial site.

The township commissioners voted 4-0 on Aug. 11 to spend about $9,700 for benches, flag poles and flags, solar-powered lighting and other odds and ends around the site. Commissioner Martin Zimmel was absent.

The township plans to pay for the materials from about $15,000 in remaining $300,000 state grant funds for park upgrades announced in July 2024.

Park improvements included upgrades to the basketball and tennis courts, dek hockey and pickleball, new playground equipment and sidewalk improvements.

Donora-based El Grande Industries was the lowest of two bidders for the larger park improvement project. Its bid was about $267,000. Work is expected to be completed sometime next month.

The memorial itself is still in its design phase. Officials said it’s unclear how much that project will cost.

Commission Vice President Dan Peluso said they have not decided on the memorial’s height, width and other measurements.

“It’s kind of dictated by how much money we have and what do we get for that money,” Peluso said.

It is being partially funded through a $10,000 donation from former commissioner Gary Bradel.

One thing that was ruled out was adding names to the memorial.

Commissioners said they were concerned about not having a total list of names and people being left out, as well as higher overall project costs.

“We would have liked to maybe have gone that direction, but it’s just untenable,” Peluso said.

However, the memorial will have the emblems of the different military branches.

A dedication ceremony is expected to take place once the memorial is finished.

Commissioner Donna Adipietro said it’s important to have a permanent recognition of township veterans as previous memorials were destroyed.

A car wrecked into one, and the last honor roll was on the side of a brick wall of the former municipal building.

Memorial committee members said it was not a very prominent place, and the memorial got in such bad shape that it was removed years ago and never replaced.

“We need to put something back to honor those that have served and are continuing (to serve),” Adipietro said.

People interested in donating to the project can make checks out to the Leet Township Memorial Fund.