N. Amityville park gets Memorial Day revamp

With its lone wrought-iron bench, overgrown bushes and flagpole engulfed by the outstretched branches of a cherry tree, the triangular spit of grass could easily be overlooked as a simple divider at a crossroads, rather than a monument to armed services members.

"I don't think a lot of people even realize it is a veterans memorial, it just looks so bad," longtime resident Rosemarie Dearing said of the North Amityville Veterans Memorial Park at Albany Avenue and Croydon Road. "It's been neglected for so many years."

The park, which measures about 100 feet at its widest point, bathes in the spotlight once a year as the destination of the Amityville Memorial Day parade. Now, Babylon Town officials, residents and veterans are coming together to give it a face-lift before its next showcase in May.

The park will get a new irrigation system, a new flagpole and flag, another bench, new plantings and concrete walkways, said Tim Ruggeri, town spokesman. It will also get a new sign, and its memorial stone is being restored.

Local businesses are contributing some of the items, and the town is donating the labor. The total cost of the project is $9,300, Ruggeri said.

"We're beautifying a neighborhood and honoring our veterans at the same time," said Florence Findley, who heads the town's beautification committee.

The park was established in 1963, and its stone memorial is dedicated to all veterans, courtesy of Amityville's Hunter Squires Jackson American Legion Post 1218. The post dates to 1919, founded by three Amityville men -- Arthur Hunter, Arthur Squires and Frederick Jackson -- who served with the Army's 360th Regiment during World War I. In 1938, the post received its charter and launched a still-active women's auxiliary.

Post member Al Jackson, who served as a U.S. Army specialist from 1965 to 1967, said members have tried to maintain the park, but membership has declined along with volunteers. "It means a lot to us," he said of the park.

The park rehabilitation serves another purpose, Dearing said. As North Amityville continues to try to pick itself up after a gradual decline since the 1980s, small steps like beautification efforts can help restore community pride, she said.

Town Councilwoman Ellen McVeety said the project is especially important to her, as she fills in for Lt. Col. Jackie Gordon on the board and the beautification committee. Gordon was deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year with her Army Reserve unit. "It has even more meaning for me because she's over there serving right now," McVeety said.

Jackson said he is excited to see the park spruced up in time for the parade and hopes for a big turnout, especially children.

"Kids today don't know a lot about Memorial Day and what it means," he said. "This is something they can look upon, and maybe after seeing it they will have a little respect knowing what happened and why it's there."