Memorial Park, tucked in the cover of Jackson Avenue and Underhill Road across from the Syosset Train Station, will receive $10,000 worth of upgrades from the Syosset-Woodbury Chamber of Commerce. The funds, which are from a PSEG Long Island grant, will go toward new benches, landscaping and a mural.
“It’s a very central area,” said Russell Green, the chamber president.
Green said the funds will be desinated to “generally cleaning up the area so it’s a much more well-manicured place to honor our veterans.” Typically, Green said the PSEGLI grants are distributed for use by small businesses, but this year the terms were changed to support community involvement.
He said the chamber has been a recipient of PSEGLI grants since 2020 and wanted to use this year’s to help the VFW. In addition to new benches, the parklet will receive new landscaping, as well as a mural. Green said the upgrades will hopefully be completed by late July.
Green said the mural will be completed by Splashes of Hope, a nonprofit in which artists volunteer their time and only charge for the cost of materials. He said the mural will be placed on the far end of the park, where medallions are currently displayed on a wire fence.
Russell said the park is partially overseen by the Syosset VFW Post 6394. Post Commander Mitch Furman said the VFW “unofficially” takes care of the park, maintaining it and alerting the town when issues arise, like light fixtures that should be replaced.
“When the flag needs to be replaced, we either replace it or we contact the town,” he said.
On May 3, Furman said the VFW hosted a “Day of Service” and focused its attention on the park—trimming bushes, picking up litter and raking the lawn.
Furman said when the chamber first received the grant, they approached the VFW and asked what upgrades were necessary. He said they came up with a “wish list of potential improvements.” Among the list were new benches, he said.
“We did a big clean-up, and we look forward to seeing what they’re going to do with the rest of the grant,” Furman said.
Furman said the chamber and the VFW have a beneficial relationship. He said the chamber has hosted meetings in their building, and the veterans organization acts as color guard at the chamber’s annual street fair.
“We’re always happy to host them,” he said.
