POULSBO — Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson and City Council members will conduct a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24 to dedicate recent improvements to the Poulsbo Municipal Cemetery.

The cemetery entrance dedication ceremony will take place at the cemetery, 20002 Caldart Ave. The ceremony is open to the public.

Recent improvements feature a handsome entrance arch that was designed, constructed, and donated by Bill Austin.

Improvements by city staff include new parking lot surfacing, installation of water lines and outdoor faucets, removal of debris, placement of trash receptacles, and the pouring of base pads for memorial benches.

These additional improvements were authorized by the City Council and paid for from non-tax funds in the Cemetery Reserve Fund, Councilmember Kenneth Thomas said.

Volunteers and donors are encouraged to join in the continuing improvement efforts at the cemetery, including the donation and placement of memorial benches.

A volunteer group dedicated to cemetery preservation and improvement is being formed and organized by Harlan Knudson.

The cemetery was established in 1911. Those interred here include author Elizabeth Montgomery Julesberg, of the “Dick and Jane” children’s books; Anders Bahr, an immigrant Saami reindeer herder famous for his five-year trek moving a herd of reindeer across northern Alaska and the Yukon to the Mackenzie Delta to help the starving Inuvialuit.

There are 2,990 full-sized grave plots in the cemetery, with 1,078 still available for burials. The smaller cremain plots total 544, with 490 currently available for purchase and use. Full-sized plots cost $400 and the plots for cremated remains are $200 each.

For more information about the ceremony, email kthomas@cityofpoulsbo.com.