By Craig Giammona
Fred Kress, vice chairman of the Rosedale civic association, said arrangements were made to have the large piece of stone replaced that along with two smaller pieces formed the inverted T memorial.The monument was badly damaged when it was smashed by a BMW in June.”We'll be so happy once it's finally up,” Kress said last week, noting that the $10,000 needed to replace the monument was recouped from the company that insured the driver of the BMW.The intricate work will be completed by a company from Long Island, Kress said.The memorial, located near the corner of Francis Lewis Boulevard and Sunrise Highway in Rosedale, was built in 1962 and dedicated to the veterans of all wars. The site is known as Veterans Square and it is dear to Kress, who often joins other local volunteers to clean the area of debris.Kress first noticed that the monument had been damaged as he drove to work around 8 a.m. on Monday, June 26. The accident apparently had occurred a few hours earlier. It was just one week before the nation was to celebrate July 4.”The timing was extremely unfortunate,” Kress said at the time. “We're at war. Our monuments are very important.”Since the accident, the large stone tablet that anchors the memorial has laid in the grass as cars speed by everyday. But now, Kress said, the repairs are imminent.”It will be up as soon as they can get the work done,” Kress said.In the immediate aftermath of the accident, there was some confusion about which city agency – the Parks Department or Department of Transportation – was responsible for the monument's maintenance. Kress had been told that Parks would handle the matter, while a spokeswoman for the Parks Department said it would fall to DOT. The apparent bureaucratic wrangling had Kress concerned that the monument would languish unrepaired.Either way, Kress said the issue was worked out and fairly quickly.”For something in the city this is pretty good,” Kress said. “Normally I could see it laying there for a year.”Reach reporter Craig Giammona by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
