By:Andrew Coen
An estimated 500 people attended a dedication ceremony for the new Cedarhurst 9/11 Memorial at Cedarhurst Park on a picturesque afternoon last Sunday. With mild weather and clear blue skies, the day wasn't much different from the lovely but tragic morning three years ago.
Bells rang in honor of each of the six victims before the memorial was dedicated. It pays tribute to Neil D. Levin, formerly of Atlantic Beach, who was the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Thomas E. Jurgens, a Meadowmere Park volunteer firefighter and senior court officer for the New York State Supreme Court; Kevin O'Rourke of Hewlett, a former Lawrence-Cedarhurst and New York City firefighter; Bettina Browne Radburn of Atlantic Beach, a vice president of mergers and acquisitions at the AON Corporation; Joseph Rivelli Jr., an Inwood Fire Department volunteer and New York City firefighter; and Ira Zaslow of North Woodmere, an assistant vice president at Lehman Brothers.
Family members of the victims were given an opportunity to address the large crowd. Sandy Gewanter, a family friend of the Levins, said a few words about Neil Levin on behalf of his mother, Gloria. "There is no name for a parent who loses a child, for there are no words to describe the pain," said Gewanter. "Gloria Levin, speaking on behalf of herself and the other families, would like to thank [Cedarhurst] Mayor Andy Parise and the Board of Trustees for providing us with this beautiful and peaceful sanctuary where we can all come to remember our loved ones who are no longer with us."
Jurgens's uncle, Bruce Blakeman, a former majority leader of the Nassau County Legislature and the current commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, also thanked Cedarhurst officials for making the memorial possible. "I want to express our family's heartfelt thanks to our longtime and dear friend of many, many years, Mayor Andy Parise, and all the members of the village board, for this most fitting, appropriate and wonderful memorial to our nephew and all the innocent victims of Sept. 11," said Blakeman. "To sum up his life, he was a Boy Scout, he was an Army medic, he was a volunteer firefighter, he was a court officer, and on Sept. 11 he was a hero."
Zaslow's widow, Felice, said Cedarhurst's memorial is the best she has seen. "There is a warmth here that I did not feel at other memorials that I have spoken at and been at," she said. "Ira would have loved the beautiful setting of this memorial, almost like the memorials one would see in any small town across America."
"This memorial is a beautiful tribute to all those who died on Sept. 11 and in previous wars," said Rivelli's stepdaughter, Felicia. "It's been hard these past three years without Joey, and there will be more hard times, but I know that he is up there watching over us and that he is listening at all times.
"He made the ultimate sacrifice for giving up his life to save others. I will always treasure his bravery and instant love he gave my family."
"The monument will assure the memories of all of our loved ones and live on for many years to come," said O'Rourke's daughter, Jamie. "I can come to this park now and reflect on all the good times that we have had."
The ceremony also featured remarks by local elected officials, including state Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), state Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), Hempstead Town Councilman James Darcy (R-Valley Stream) and Parise. Hempstead Village Mayor James Garner attended as well.
Local religious leaders also addressed the crowd, including the Rev. Paul F. Rahilly, pastor of St. Joachim R.C. Church in Cedarhurst; Rabbi Sholom Stern of Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst; and Mildred Magnusson, who represented the Rev. Elisabeth Aurand, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Cedarhurst.
The ceremony was deeply appreciated by many in attendance, according to Parise. "I have never received so many compliments as I did that day," said Parise. "It made me very proud."
The project, which has been in the works for nearly three years, cost more than $100,000, all raised privately, according to Cedarhurst Village Clerk Sal Evola. The Cedarhurst Memorial Plaza, which begins at Cedarhurst Park's grand archway at the intersection of Cedarhurst and Summit avenues, across from Village Hall, features a brick pathway with four slate inserts commemorating the time of each attack on Sept. 11. Some of the bricks on the pathway are etched with the names of those who have served the Village of Cedarhurst. The memorial also features the original bronze memorial plaques donated in 1973 by American Legion Post #339 in Cedarhurst, an eternal fountain and a beam recovered from the World Trade Center.
In addition to the 9/11 memorial's dedication, the Cedarhurst Officials Memorial, which recognizes all village officials who have served since 1910, and the Memorial Walkway were also dedicated at the ceremony. A memorial to honor the late former deputy mayor, Joseph P. Horan, was also unveiled. And the Veterans Memorial, which honors all those who have served since World War I, was rededicated.
Additional bricks, benches and lights can be purchased for the memorial to commemorate a loved one or to honor an individual, business or association. For further information on the Memorial Plaza, contact Cedarhurst Village Hall at (516) 295-5770.
