PHOTO: The monument, located on the corner of 5th Street and Godfrey Ave, will allow for 15,000 pavers, and DeKalb County Revenue Commissioner Tyler Wilkes estimates roughly 2000 pavers will initially be installed. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

By C. Campbell, Staff Writer

cody@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — In the near future, the long-empty lot on the corner of 5th Street and Godfrey Avenue in Fort Payne will see the completion of Patriots Memorial Park, designed to honor those who have served our country, as well as first responders who have done their duty to the community.

Part of the plans for the park include paver bricks, available for purchase by the general public, who can have them engraved in memory or honor of a loved one who served.

Tyler Wilks, the Chairman of the Patriots Memorial Park Board, explained that, after examining other similar memorials, the board agreed that this would be an effective way to raise funds for the project while also adding another feature to the overall design of the monument. Under the current design for Patriots Memorial Park, the monument would have room for approximately 15,000 pavers.

Once the construction is completed, Wilks stated that the board estimated roughly 2,000 engraved pavers would be initially installed at the site, though the blank pavers put in at the same time would be able to be removed and replaced with engraved ones as they are sold.

According to Wilks, he has given out a handful of forms to purchase and engrave pavers for the site, but was not sure how many exactly had been turned in to the board. He also talked about how these brick pavers came in two different sizes, as well as the prices on each. For $100, interested parties can purchase a 4 inch by 8 inch paver, or an 8 inch by 8 inch one for $200.

The 4 X 8 has space for three lines of text, with 18 characters per line, while the 8 X 8 has space for six lines, 18 characters per line. As forms are turned in, Wilks explained, each one goes through a review process to make sure nothing inappropriate would be engraved. Beyond that, “there are no real guidelines for what can be put on them,” he said.

When the Patriots Memorial Park is completed, the granite monument will be a fitting tribute to those citizens of DeKalb County who have answered America’s call and gone on to fight for it, and there is no doubt that the engraved brick pavers around it will add that much more to the memorial.