JADE HEASLEY/ The Luminary   A group of volunteers from Montgomery are beginning to hold a series of meetings to re-establish the Community Development Corps with the goal of improving Montgomery Park.  They are inviting the community to join them for their monthly meetings.  From left:  Steve Aunkst, Christy Phillips, Fae Herb, Steve Cook, and Amber Wilt.

MONTGOMERY – A group of Montgomery citizens would like to see improvements made at Montgomery Park. The public park is the largest in Lycoming County and hosts several sporting events a year along with many other events for all ages.

Generations of Montgomery residents have a lifetime of memories made in the park doing organized activities as well as individual visits.

The group of citizens had their first gathering in the Meeting Room of the Montgomery Area Volunteer Fire Company on Sunday, January 7th. Fae Herb said, “We need community residents to be on board. This is the first step. What brought the few people together was wanting to improve Montgomery Borough Park.”

Different ideas were discussed about what sort of improvements to the park would bring the most benefit, as well as the practical aspects of what would be needed to carry them out.

One of the volunteers who attended the meeting was Christy Phillips. She commented, “We wanted to engage more members of the community and kind of plan Montgomery’s future . . . it’s nice to involve people of all ages.”

The desire to make the park a better place has led a small group of volunteers to begin a series of meetings with the goal of restarting the Montgomery Community Development Corps. When the organization is formally brought back, they hope to make the park a more welcoming place for families and community members of all ages.

Fae Herb said that once the committee is reformed, they hope to get grants to make additions to the park. She said some changes can include fitness and wellness systems for senior citizens and the handicapped, rest areas along small trails, and benches along Black Hole Creek “so parents can take their children fishing and relax. This is a starting point. I believe the focus needs to be on family activities. Montgomery is a wonderful community to raise your children. We want to make it better.”

Any major project that involves improving public property requires caring volunteers to make plans and carry out the work. “I would like more people in the community to come out to our monthly meetings so that we can make more changes,” said Amber Wilt.

The first step to improving the park is to re-establish the Community Development Corps, and before it can be reinstated, there needs to be a number of volunteers to join, as well as a few volunteers to serve as officers. Montgomery Borough residents and Clinton Township residents that want to serve in any capacity are welcome to come and help get the organization get reestablished.

The volunteers have decided to hold a second meeting at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, January 28 in the Meeting Room at the Montgomery Volunteer Fire Company located at 24 Montgomery Street. Any member of the community who would be interested in improving the park is welcome to come, whether they are interested in organizing and joining the committee, or in becoming an officer.

Residents are asked to please not park directly in front of the fire hall as the active duty station needs to have a clear path for the fire trucks to leave if called out on an emergency. Free parking is available directly across from the station on the strip between Montgomery Street and the railroad tracks.