AHOSKIE – No Man’s Land Park on Ahoskie’s Main Street will soon have a new look.

Last week, the Ahoskie Town Council approved two projects concerning the park, both dealing with the sell and placement of engraved brick pavers.

At last month’s meeting, Council members heard a proposal from John Bracy, Commander of local American Legion Post 102. Legion members were studying a fundraising idea, one that encompassed selling the engraved bricks, in honor or in memory of military veterans. Their idea included placing the bricks at the park, an area that is also the home of a granite marker, paid for and erected by the Legion, in tribute of local veterans.

Bracy proposed selling the bricks for $50 each. The proposed cost is $19 per stone, one that includes up to three lines of engraving with 17 characters per line.

Noting the profit margin projected by the Legion’s idea, town officials expressed interest in selling engraved bricks as a way to raise funds for renovations to the park. Those renovations include adding new benches, lighting and replacing the old clock.

Town Manager Tony Hammond noted there were three

at the park with 432 stones and another with 2,340 stones. He said one of the 432 stone areas could be offered to the American Legion while the town could utilize the remainder.

&uot;Our Public Works Department can remove the current stones and installed the engraved bricks utilizing town labor,&uot; Hammond said.

The Town Manager then noted the cost difference between laying the new bricks with or without cement holding them in place. If Council members approved the project, he said it might be cost efficient to install the brick with sand in-between rather than mortar.

There was discussion concerning how easy it would be to remove the engraved bricks if they were only held in place with sand.

&uot;There is a possibility of theft if you decide to use sand instead of mortar,&uot; Hammond noted.

The Town Manager also suggested that, if approved, bricks be sold in increments of 100 rather than installing them, &uot;three-or-four at the time.&uot;

A motion was introduced and approved to offer a 432 brick section to the American Legion, for the town to undertake a similar fundraising project in order to pay for park improvements and to install the engraved bricks using mortar.