Letter of Gratitude – 9/11 Memorial Sculpture Garden

From the Office of the Mayor

September 30, 2021

 Press Release

A Letter of Gratitude

The 9/11 Memorial Sculpture Garden is in place and completed in time for a beautiful and meaningful dedication ceremony. It was a community effort, and I would like to thank the following individuals and organizations.

It is with gratitude I thank the Historical Society Curator, Michael Bertolini and former Assemblyman Howard Mills III who were responsible for acquiring the I-beam from the World Trade Center. Thank you to the late DPW Employee, Wayne Shorter and former Building Inspector, Dan Kelly, who brought the beam to Warwick.

Thank you to the committee who helped to develop the Memorial: Artist, Amy Lewis Sweetman, Corey Bachman, Dave Getz, Mike Moser and John Deerkoski and special thanks to George “Mr. Warwick” Arnott for his fundraising expertise.

I would like to thank the following for generous financial donations:

Barton & Loguidice Engineers

BMW, NA

Goodwill Hook & Ladder

NYS Senator Mike Martucci

Pine Island Chamber of Commerce

Seely & Durland Insurance

Town of Warwick

Town of Warwick Shade Tree Commission

Village of Warwick

Village of Warwick Shade Tree Commission

Warwick EMS

Warwick Fire Department

Warwick Lions Club

Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce

Warwick Valley Gardeners

Warwick Valley Rotary

Donations of in-kind service and materials:

Dave Getz, Engineering & Surveying Properties, Village of Warwick Summer Engineer Intern Wakeley Banker, Authentic Antique Lumber, E.P. Jansen Nursery, Eileen Patterson, Track 7, Etched in Time, Roger Vander Plaat, Lazear, Smith, and Vander Plaat, Orange Nursery & Stone Supply, R.S. Phillips Steel, Town of Warwick Historical Society.

Special thanks to DPW Supervisor, Mike Moser, Village of Warwick DPW Employees, Mike Finelli, Chris Kane, Tony Rivera & Jason Makuch, Town of Warwick DPW Employee, Brendan Kolesar, Village of Warwick DPW Clerk Cathy Schweizer, Village Clerk Raina Abramson, Village Treasurer Sadie Becker, Warwick and West Milford Rotary, Warwick American Legion Post 214, Warwick Veterans of Foreign War Post 4662 and the Warwick

Fire Department who provided us with Color Guard for the dedication ceremony.

Thank you to Pastor Duensing Pearce and Father Jack Arlotta for their benedictions and thank you to Noreen Hanson and the Meister Singers and Elissa Jones for their musical talents.

 

These are the many hands that made the 9/11 Memorial Sculpture Garden a reality. It was a project that at certain moments seemed impossible but through the efforts of so many, we created a lasting memorial to the residents who perished September 11, 2001.

We will never forget.

Battalion Chief John P. Williamson

Lieutenant Michael Fodor

Lieutenant John F. Ginley

Lieutenant Stephen G. Harrell

Firefighter Bruce Van Hine

Linda Gronlund, UAL Flight 93

Peter Mark Gyulavary, A.I.C.P., M.R.P.I.

Cynthia Wilson