NORTH HARMONY - The town of North Harmony has established a fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to help pay for renovations to Veterans Park.
Located in Ashville, the current Veterans Park has been used for local Memorial Day celebrations. The park consists of three historic cannons and a memorial listing area veterans who have served the country in times of war and peace.
Sally Carlson, North Harmony town supervisor, approached the foundation about establishing a fund that would provide money for a new memorial. Carlson said the plans for a new memorial include a three paneled stone, with the names of local veterans on the outside and the center panel engraved with the insignias of every United States military branch.
Article Photos
Ralph Whitney, Town of North Harmony councilman, points out his family’s names on the current Veteran’s Memorial. Ron Saxton and Frank Stowe, Veterans Memorial Committee members, Randy Sweeney, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director, and Sally Carlson, North Harmony town supervisor, look on.
In addition to collecting donations for this fund, all proceeds from the sale of Arthur Thomas' book A Ferry Tale, a history of the Bemus Point Stow Ferry, will be donated to the fund. Thomas, who passed away in March 2011, was a first lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II. A former North Harmony town justice and town councilman, Carlson said Thomas would be proud his work is helping to honor other veterans.
Carlson is also asking that anyone who is currently, or was in the past, a resident of North Harmony and served the country to contact the Town Clerk's Office and provide their name and branch of service to be included on the memorial. Names may also be submitted on the town's website, townofnorthharmony.com.
For more information on the fund, contact the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation at 661-3390 or visit crcfonline.org. Tax-deductible donations may be made to the North Harmony Veteran's Memorial Fund, c/o Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring St., Jamestown, NY 14701.