MOUNT VERNON – A new monument, partially finalized late last month, ends an 18-month COVID-19-related delay for the Knox County Career Center’s (KCCC) veterans memorial.
Located near the KCCC’s Children’s Garden, the monument is the brainchild of JROTC cadets who attended the school, a recent press release from the career center said.
“The seniors were disappointed by not seeing full completion of the project,” Lt. Col. Chris Salvucci, the unit’s instructor, said in the release. “But other projects and classwork took priority.”
Phase 1 of the monument is comprised of a 9-foot spire and memorial plaques honoring all military branches. Next fall, officials expect Phase 2 to be finished. It will add sundial functionality to the display. Over the past year, workers have noted where the hours fall and will place metal markers that also indicate the solstice and equinox.
“We’re waiting for June 21 to mark the final sundial marks,” Salvucci said. “Unfortunately, it can take years to identify the exact location of each shadow.”
The main astronomical events guiding the markers (summer and winter solstice) only occur annually, and views can be obliterated by weather conditions.
“We have some good estimates from last year before the spire was put in place, but now we’re hoping for good weather on June 21 to locate the final positions of the summer solstice,” Salvucci said.
The sundial was a gift to KCCC funded by AMVETS Post 95, VFW Post 4027, American Legion Post 136, the Knox County Veterans Service Office and the Knox County Foundation. Labor was donated by students. The spire’s concrete base was poured courtesy of the Building Trades program, and Landscape Design and Management students readied the ground for installation.
Creating and positioning the metal hour markers in the ground will be a team effort between KCCC’s Precision Machining students and the Landscape Design and Management students.
During the project’s pandemic-induced hiatus, students’ efforts were channeled toward assistance for members of the community as they navigated in-person and online instruction.
“These restrictions slowed progress on the project,” Salvucci said. “Sometimes we have to learn patience. We had to focus on the people first, then the academics, then the extra projects.”
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