Tri-Municipal 9/11 Memorial to be Built in Two Phases
A positive turn of events for a planned tri-municipal 9/11 Remembrance Memorial at Croton Landing in Croton has reinvigorated a volunteer effort that was running into road blocks.
A construction team offering in-kind services has been formed to complete what will now be two phases of the project. A task force that has been leading the charge to build the memorial to honor four Cortlandt residents who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, along with other victims of the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, will only be responsible for the cost of materials.
“I think it’s going in the right direction and we’re very positive,” said Janet Mainiero, a Croton resident and professional urban planner who initiated the idea for a memorial a few years ago.
The task force had been striving to have the memorial completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, but fundraising proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The task force was able to raise about $20,000, which fell far short of the $100,000 needed. Cortlandt, Croton and Buchanan officials were also reluctant to commit taxpayer funds to make up the difference.
However, with the emergence of Rocco Mastronardi, another Westchester contractor and others to do construction work free of charge, the memorial is suddenly on a fast track. In fact, Mainiero said the first phase of “Reaching Through the Shadow,” consisting of a 14-foot-long steel beam that was once part of the north tower on a boulder with a sun dial, is projected to be finished by September 11 of this year.
Once that is in place, the task force will focus on the second phase, which is a six-foot-high bronze statue of a woman.
Mainiero will be meeting with town and village officials next week to inform them of the latest plans. Last week, Cortlandt Supervisor Linda Puglisi sought support from the town board for a commitment of $15,000 for the project.
“It’s a wonderful project and a wonderful thing to do,” Puglisi said.
Town Board members John Sloan and Ann Lindau were less than enthusiastic about giving the go-ahead for the funds, especially since Croton and Buchanan have yet to approve any official contribution, according to Mainiero.
The steel beam has been securely stored in the Continental Village Firehouse since being transported to Cortlandt last year.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
