Groundbreaking for New Vets Memorial Garden in White Plains
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A new Veterans Memorial Garden will be created at White Plains City Hall next year to honor those who have served and defended the country through the generations.
Mayor Tom Roach, state Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers) along with veterans and other officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking last week at a publicly accessible area of greenspace behind City Hall. The garden will augment the longstanding memorial plaques displayed in the rotunda of the municipal building.
Roach said the city wanted to have a more visible space to honor local veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“This is intended to be something that will be a tranquil place where people can sit and relax and think about what veterans have done to make the country what it is,” Roach explained. “Everything that we enjoy every day is a result of them willing to put their lives on the line.”
The space will feature plaques to identify each branch of the military, plantings and benches for the public to sit for quiet contemplation.
It will also be the new location for the deck gun from the USS Maine that had been donated to the city by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1915. The deck gun has been displayed at Battle Hill for many years, but officials want to better protect it from vandals, Roach said.
State funding of $62,000 was secured by Mayer for the project. The senator said she was thrilled to be able to provide the resources for the garden, and perhaps there will be a greater appreciation from the public, including students, regarding the sacrifices made by veterans.
“I’m glad that we’re going to have an outdoor space, a space that young people, particularly, as well as our vets can come and acknowledge this moment and this sacrifice and be reminded this is real,” Mayer said. “This is not made up in a history book. This is real people who gave so much.”
Most of the work will be done after the winter and completed sometime next year.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/