By Nicole Falco
"It's great to know that 20 years from now, when [my daughter] Amanda is 23, she can come back and show her friends, colleagues, maybe even her neighbors this great memorial site," Stuart said of the sign bearing her husband's name, erected on her corner. "As many of you know, I don't have a site in a cemetery, so this means a great deal to me."
The corner of Broadway and Cedar Street was renamed PAPD Police Officer Walwyn J. Stuart Drive by the Village of Valley Stream on Oct. 25. That same morning, three other Valley Stream street corners were dedicated in memory of three residents killed in the World Trade Center attacks.
The corner of Hillside Avenue and Clarendon Drive was dedicated to Manuel J. Damota, the corner of Comber Street and Wheeler Avenue was dedicated to Firefighter Raymond York, and the corner of East Beverly Parkway at Albermarle Avenue was renamed FDNY Deputy Chief Orio Joseph Palmer Drive.
"I always knew that through us he will live on ... but I know now, with this street sign, he will live on in the community forever," said Joan York, Raymond York's widow, at the unveiling ceremony.
The morning and afternoon ceremonies were bittersweet and poignant. Mayor Edward Cahill led each ceremony, joined by Town Councilman James Darcy, Assemblyman Bob Barra, Village Justice Bob Bogle, Trustee Joanne Antun and Deputy Mayor Guido Cirenza. Legislator John Ciotti attended two of the sign unveilings.
Thelma Stuart was joined by her family, friends, the Rev. Dan Bowman of the Brooklyn Tabernacle and dozens of her husband's colleagues, including Port Authority Lt. Susan Durett and New York City Police Sgt. Robert Schnebly. The Port Authority Police Department Pipe and Drums opened and closed the ceremony.
Barbara DaMota, widow of Manuel J. DaMota, a project manager for Bronx Builders, was joined by her sons Christopher, 12, and Manuel, born six months after his father's death, as well as Deacon Kevin McCormick of Blessed Sacrament Church, relatives and friends.
Joining Joan York were her children, Robby, Michael, Kristina and Kristen, relatives, friends, neighbors and members of the New York City and Valley Stream fire departments.
Members of those departments also stood beside Debbie Palmer, as did her children, Dana, Keith and Alyssa, relatives, friends and neighbors. The Rev. Thomas Harold, pastor of Holy Name of Mary Church, offered the invocation at the York and Palmer dedications.
Each of the wives expressed their appreciation for the new signs and thanked their families, friends and the community for all the support offered since their husbands' deaths.
Cahill said the street signs would have been erected sooner, but the village wanted to be careful not to exclude any of the victims whose families expressed interest in having street signs erected.
