State Senator Pete Harckham joined members of the New Castle Town Board and community members for the Town’s 9/11 Memorial Service last Friday. The ceremony was held at the Town’s September 11 Peace Memorial in Gedney Park, which was recently refurbished with state grant funding secured by Harckham.
“It is important that we remember that day, the lives that were lost, the bravery of our first responders and the spirit of community and kindness that emerged in the aftermath,” said Harckham. “I am proud to have helped the New Castle community with the financial support to remember the 9/11 attacks and honor the memory of those we lost.”
Originally constructed in 2008, the memorial included a paved walkway from the entrance of the park to the top of a nearby hill, where a gravel surface featured two I-beams mounted on gray granite platforms, a plaque featuring the names of all 179 New Castle residents who had volunteered to be a part of the relief effort at the World Trade Center, a waterfall, fountain, and benches.
The Town of New Castle discovered weather damage was impacting the tiling around the memorial and decided to refurbish the memorial to better handle the elements and improve accessibility for residents.
New Castle Town Supervisor Victoria Tipp said, “This memorial will preserve the memory of those we lost that day for generations to come and provide a place for community members to reflect, remember, and pay their respects. We thank Senator Harckham for providing this funding to help ensure the lives lost that day are properly honored and never forgotten.”
New Castle Fire Commissioner Michael Wolfensohn said, “We are incredibly grateful to Senator Pete Harckham for his generous support in helping to refurbish our 9/11 Memorial. His commitment made it possible to complete important improvements that otherwise would not have been possible.”
Commissioner Wolfensohn added, “This memorial stands as a place where the people of New Castle, our first responders, and all Westchester residents can come to remember those we lost, honor the heroes who answered the call, and reflect on the extraordinary spirit of unity, compassion, and resilience that emerged in the aftermath of September 11. It is our hope that this renewed memorial will continue to inspire future generations to remember not only the tragedy of that day, but also the strength and sense of community that defined our nation in the months that followed.”
Stephen Yarabeck, a landscape architect who designed the refurbished memorial, noted that the Park Design layout is inspired by the fiddlehead fern, and that ferns were used symbolically since they are used to treat respiratory disease and the fronds’ alternating pattern speaks to the multi-generational impact that the September 11 terrorist attacks had on the world. The project also included locally made permeable pavers, and a new entry to the plaza, on an axis in the park between the waterfall, the memorial’s steel I-beams and the Twin Towers fountains, permits easier ceremonial access.
“Senator Harckham’s grant enhanced the sustainability of this important contemplative space for the community,” said Yarabeck.
New Castle’s 9/11 Memorial renovations were funded through the state’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program. Since taking office in 2019, Harckham has secured over $40 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages across Senate District 40 through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP) and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants, including over $11 million for first responders.
