Veterans memorial park to be unveiled

A refurbished North Amityville park dedicated to veterans will be unveiled Wednesday.

The North Amityville Veterans Memorial Park, at Albany Avenue and Croydon Road, was given a face-lift last month. The once-neglected park, which serves as the end point for the Amityville Memorial Day Parade, received a new irrigation system, new flagpole and flag, a wrought iron bench, a new sign, new plantings and concrete walkways. In addition, restoration work was done on the park’s memorial stone, which dedicates the site to all veterans, courtesy of Amityville’s Hunter Squires Jackson American Legion Post 1218.

Local businesses made contributions, and the Town of Babylon donated the labor. The total cost of the project was $9,300, town spokesman Tim Ruggeri said, and came from community development funds.

Tomorrow’s dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. On hand will be veterans as well as town and county officials, along with William Lauder, who commissioned the memorial park in 1963 when he was town supervisor. A group of children from nearby Northeast Elementary School will lead attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance and also sing patriotic songs.