Recently, the Village received a piece of steel from the Twin Towers to place in our Village Green/Memorial Park. Through the efforts of our Village Clerk, the Mayor and a Village resident, we were fortunate to make the right contacts. We sent letters and photos of our beautiful park, which also has a Ground Zero Survivor Tree and replica of a FDNY Maltese cross that was issued to President Bush following the tragic attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001.

The steel will be mounted and installed in our park as soon as the plaque memorializing it is completed.  I encourage all to come to the park and spend a moment to reflect and remember. Let’s educate those that are too young to be able to feel the horror and sorrow of that tragic time. They need to know how we came together as a nation, and about the terrible loss of life which continues even today.

Those of us here today and generations to come must realize how important our patriotism is. We must be cognizant of what our flag symbolizes. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may continue to be a free nation. Others have been taken from us just because we are a free nation; those that left home on that ill-fated day of 9-11 to go to work not knowing what would follow. When we continue to put our hands over our hearts, remove our caps, and stand together, we pay respect to all of them.

It is obvious why others strive to come here. We are a great nation with a great history. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We are the nation that put men on the moon fifty years ago. We will never give in to tyranny and only become stronger in our resolve to remain a great country when we are threatened or attacked.

God Bless America

Lake Grove Mayor Robert Scottaline