Community unites to honor veterans John Purcell 05/13/11
Memorial Park in Rotterdam gets new monument
One thing is clear — Rotterdam values its veterans.
After months of volunteer efforts, Rotterdam Supervisor Frank Del Gallo announced the new Veteran’s Memorial Park located next to Town Hall on Sunrise Boulevard will be dedicated on Sunday, May 15, at 1 p.m. Anthony Troiano, past commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 88, is leading the celebration, and Congressman Paul Tonko will serve as keynote speaker.
To help complete the project, Del Gallo put his 2011 Town Board salary of $13,000 toward the project (he earmarked his 2010 salary to cover renovations at the senior center) and said Rotterdam resident and retired police officer Jim Bradshaw also donated a significant amount to the project. About $6,000 was collected from 25 business owners to help fund the project, and without volunteers stepping up to get the task done, it might have cost double the $35,000 to $40,000 it took to complete, Del Gallo said.
“When I took office … the veterans came to me and said they have been waiting 17 years for somebody to build them their own memorial and monument in Memorial Park out here, and I said, ‘I will build you one,’” said Del Gallo.
In addition to donating time and money, residents and business also donated supplies and materials. Zwack Decorative Stone donated the stone, and the artist carving the scene of soldiers into the stone was a veteran himself. Kenneth Maguire, of Key West, Florida, spent more than 350 hours carving the stone with a burring tool, said Del Gallo. After Maguire was done carving into the stone, he painted it.
On top of the new monument is a bell Del Gallo picked up in Alaska more than 25 years ago. Del Gallo said the bell used to be part of a steam locomotive.
“They never made steam engines in Alaska, so it is probably from the lower 48 states,” said Del Gallo.
Getting the project done, while requiring a lot of time and effort, wasn’t too hard, said Del Gallo. Many businesses and residents were eager to help out.........................>>>>...............>>>>......................http://www.spotlightnews.com/news/view_news.php?news_id=1305319803
Nice Monument : ) Thanks for posting, will let my Dad know if he dosen't allready. He lives on the street where the monument is, is a member of the legion, past commander and I'm very proud of him and all who have fought for our freedoms.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
My cousin is a veteran for peace. Do they honor them too
Is he in the "Peace" group that is for the one war that Obama started but is against the other two because they were started by republicans?
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Is he in the "Peace" group that is for the one war that Obama started but is against the other two because they were started by republicans?
Obama started a war??? HUH. Bushy started the Afghanistan war (then abandoned it) Then Bush started the Iraq Oil war (and lost it)
Then NATO started the Libya war...
Maybe Graham means the Successful Obama war against Osama BinLaden!
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
NATO didn't start it for America. Obama started it for America.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
I have a nephew who investigated joining VFP. Yes he was against Bush but doesn't like Obama either. He actually like John McCain. He is a Democrat but totally against ALL war.
NATO didn't start it for America. Obama started it for America.
NATO and Libya - Operation Unified Protector
On March 27, NATO Allies decided to take on the whole military operation in Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. The purpose of Operation Unified Protector is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. NATO is implementing all military aspects of the UN Resolution.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."