LycoCTC students John Poust, Jr. (sitting) and Matt Dill, Jr. are going over the start of their design for a new gazebo they are planning to erect on the corner of Main and Water Streets in Hughesville. Instructor, Mike Bigger and Dean of students, Walt Reed are helping the students who received a $10,000 grant from Lowe's and SKILLS USA to build and design the gazebo.

HUGHESVILLE – What an honor it was for SKILLS USA students from the Lycoming Career and Technology Center to have an opportunity to design, build and implement a new gazebo that will be erected on the corner of Main and Water Streets in downtown Hughesville.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mar. 1, students were presented a check for $10,000 from a competitive service grant that they applied for under the SKILLS USA program and Lowe’s Lumber.

“We were notified in early February that we were the recipient for this grant,” said Walt Reed, LycoCTC Dean of students. “We were the only school in Pennsylvania to be awarded this grant,” he added. Students applied for the grant December 1, 2010.

LycoCTC will be partnering with the Hughesville Borough Council, Rotary Club of Hughesville, the Main Street Program and the greater Hughesville Business Association to create the gazebo so that it will be a community focal point of activity and pride according to Reed who helped the youth with the application for the grant along with Peggy Wood and Geneva Peck from the Rotary. SKILLS USA students, Odessa Wagner, Matt Dill, Jr., and Sarah Gensel worked on submitting the grant with Wood and Peck by writing support statements based on the need for the gazebo in their community.

The park has been a work in progress. A tree lighting ceremony was added last year and a memorial with DEA for Chad Michaels across the street. The gazebo will be used for numerous activities such as outdoor community events, music in the park, Santa’s arrival and more said the committee. The students are in the process of designing the gazebo using state of the art drafting and design technology under the direction of instructor, Mike Bigger. “Not only are the students learning CAD skills, but also new techniques for producing the drawings,” Bigger said.

Two students, John Poust, Jr. and Matt Dill, Jr. volunteered to work on the community project. Poust, a second year student and son of John and Kay Poust from Hughesville said, “I am using my mechanical and drafting skills and applying them to something that is actually being built.” He is working on the roof which is a starting point for the design of a 12×18 gazebo. “We are designing it so it can be built by Mr. Shawn Smith’s building construction class,” added Bigger. “The end of March is our deadline.”

“We are going to build as much as we can here,” said Reed. The goal is to have it completely finished for a groundbreaking ceremony in late April, but according to grant guidelines the students have until the end of November 2011 to complete the project. Dannon Houseknecht, a commercial sales specialist from Lowe’s in Montoursville will be on hand helping the students with the process along with Assistant Manager, Adrienne Joyce.

The cost of the materials for the gazebo will be covered through the grant using some of the lumber and materials from Lowe’s. What makes the project unique is that it is a live project made by the students who will see their work and accomplishments still standing 20 years from now. “When I first heard about the project, I wanted to do this to help our town get involved in a special project to leave a good memory and be part of this permanent mark on our town,” said Matt Dill, Jr. Poust is working on the main design and Dill is working on accents and details.

“We have done community projects in the past,” said Reed, Previous projects include planting trees, constructing little league and soccer field dugouts, building a visitors press box at Hughesville football field, and a concession stand at Muncy swimming pool. “This is a big project when you look at this whole thing, ” said Reed about the gazebo. “This is one project with many hands,” he added.