Andrew Slog looked at the high stone wall on Monday morning and memories flowed.

Everything about the wall is special and everything has a story, even the large, salvaged stones."They came from the LC & N. They were dumped at the No. 11 stripping," said Slog, 91, of Lansford.The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company's office building in Lansford had burned, and the heavy blocks for the monument wall were once part of that building, a Lansford landmark for more than 100 years before it was destroyed by fire in December 1975."Steve Matusek was the mason. I picked up the rocks and handed them to him," said Slog, believed to be the final worker who helped to build the Miners' Memorial Wall at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, Route 209, at the west end of town.Slog used a handmade tool to apply finishing touches."I did the pointing," he said, noting that the project took about three weeks to complete in 1976.Slog was employed as an underground pipeman for LC & N, working the Tamaqua No. 14 Colliery until it closed.On Monday, volunteers from the events committee of Lansford Alive met at the park to discuss plans for an event set for 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. onJuly 9."It'll be Panther Valley Ethnic Day," said organizer Marie Ondrus, joined by Irma Leibensperger, council President Martin Ditksy, Robert Dobosh and Kim Novak.Spirit of '76The high stone wall was dedicated in 1976.It had been designed by the late Mike "Crow" Sabron, Summit Hill, one of the last of the Lanscoal miners.Back in those days, people came up with nice ideas that didn't necessarily need an architect's fancy renderings."He drew the design on a matchbook cover," said Slog, smiling.Etched in granite are the words: "This monument was built in 1976 as a combined tribute by the last of the PV Deep Miners Club to the valley's deep coal miners of bygone days and the surface coal miners past and present. It is dedicated to the memory of those men who perished in the Panther Valley mines."The west side includes the engraved names of the last of the deep coal miners.Beneath a large chunk of anthracite on the east side is a time capsule to be opened in 2076, the 100th anniversary.Before rededication, the wall will be power washed and some overgrown bushes removed. Benches will be repainted in the coming days, Ondrus said.Adjacent to the wall is a coal car, dedicated July 1 of the bicentennial year.An elegant gazebo also is part of the vista.It had been a dream of Robert Leibensperger, Irma's husband, who served as president of the Lansford Improvement Committee.The gazebo was made possible when philanthropist brothers Ralph and Danny Cipko chipped in $15,800 for a gazebo in memory of Leibensperger, who passed away in November 2001 at age 61.New traditionOndrus and Leibensperger believe Panther Valley Ethnic Day will become an annual event and a uniting, cultural force in the valley.The event will feature music, food, crafts and horse and buggy rides."Ethnic day will honor our miners," said Leibensperger. "They're our founding fathers."Applications from food vendors and crafters are now being accepted. More information: 570-645-8870.In the meantime, volunteers and donations are sought. Donations can be made out to LA Events Committee, 36 Coal St., Lansford, PA 18232.Large commemorative and memorial bricks, custom engraved, are available for sale for $75 and will be installed to form a walkway up to the monument. For more information, call 570-645-7766.