LEWISTOWN — Spring is in the air, which can only mean one thing: another project at Kish Park is set to take life.

Last spring, a brand-new playground was constructed near the outdated mini golf course. Now, with the help of sponsors, construction of a new mini golf course will soon be underway.

The Derry Township Mini Golf Course Committee met Monday to review the construction timeline. The course is expected to be up and running by mid to late May, with a soft opening planned to train mini golf attendants. “So we just have an optimistic goal of a grand opening in the first week of June,” said Township Manager Kelly Shutes.

Derry Township is currently accepting applications for golf course attendants. Applications can be found on the township’s website.

Mifflin County High School teachers Sara Sutton and Rebecca ConnerMiller, Park Manager Josh Garver, fabricator Bryson Wagner, Jenny Barron Landis of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau and Don Walters of Troop 4 of the Boy Scouts attended Monday’s meeting to share their progress in bringing an amusement‒park theme back to Kish Park.

Walters and his troop will construct a steel ferris wheel for one of the holes and assist with other course needs. The ferris wheel will showcase several smaller donors’ logos.

Students from Mifflin County High School, including members of the Class of 2025, will assist Sutton and ConnerMiller in creating designs that Wagner will bring to life using PVC, acrylics and metalwork. They are putting significant thought into every detail, ensuring the fixtures remain beautiful and durable while keeping golfer safety in mind.

Some fixtures are meant to be seen, while others are designed for out‒of‒the‒box fun. One hole, sponsored by the Yeagertown Fire Department in honor of its blue fire truck, “The Blue Goose,” will feature a climbable blue firetruck.

The committee plans to have a fixture for each hole, along with signage for every sponsor.

While Harris Golf is constructing the course itself and expects it to be operational by summer, not all holes will have their fixtures immediately. Several holes are still in need of sponsorship. Those interested may contact Shutes at the Derry Township office at (717) 248‒8151.

Another hole, sponsored by Watson’s Optical and Dr. Dane Spriggle, will feature a bear with giant glasses — a design Sutton and her students have already completed. Wagner will fabricate the bear. Her students also created a mock‒up for a fire truck photo‒op fixture sponsored by the Burnham Fire Department. This interactive hole will allow visitors to stand behind the truck for photos.

Guerini Vending Machine Inc. sponsored a hole designed to mimic a pinball machine, and the visitors bureau sponsored a hole featuring a goose like the ones seen throughout Mifflin County. Landis hopes the bird can rest above the hole, sitting on a “nest” the ball will roll under. She assured Shutes that her design will be ready soon.

While sponsors fund a portion of the course, the remaining costs will come from township capital funds set aside for improvements.