North Tonawanda city officials, businesses and local residents are hosting a pair of public events in the city today.
The first event, a pride flag raising ceremony, will take place at 1:30 p.m. in front of city hall on Oliver Street.
Determined to make North Tonawanda a warm and inviting place for the LGBTQ+ community, the Oliver Street Merchants in partnership with Niagara Pride conduct pride flag-raising ceremonies both at city hall and the Oliver Street Pride Fest, according to a release from the city.
“Niagara Pride is thrilled with its ongoing partnership with Oliver Street Merchant Association. When it comes to advocating for equality and making communities welcoming to minorities, like the LGBTQIA+ individuals and families, strong relationships with ally organizations is critical to make it a reality,” Ronald Zenon Piaseczny, president and co-founder of Niagara Pride said.
At 4 p.m. today, NT Mayor Austin J. Tylec and City Historian Susan Gosch will re-dedicate the Veterans Memorial Wall during a ceremony in Brauer Park at 214 Payne Ave.
The Memorial Wall, also referred to as The Roll of Honor, was constructed shortly after World War II ended and commemorates the residents of North Tonawanda who served their country in WWII, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The initial dedication took place on Memorial Day in 1946. At that time, the names of around 1,500 North Tonawanda citizens who served in WWII were engraved on individual bronze plates resting on mahogany behind glass panels. It was discovered that the original plates had been removed around 1967, but officials had no record of their whereabouts. In 1998, then Common Council President Paul Reidenouer appointed a task force to work on the restoration and a decision was made to add Korean and Vietnam War veterans. Supplemental plates were added with those names.
In late 2023, the City Historian’s office was contacted with more names that were also missing from the original plates. For this re-dedication, an additional supplemental plate with those missing names was commissioned and will be unveiled along with an address from Sgt. Major Brett Scheuer. In addition, much needed work was completed to repair serious erosion on the wall itself including painting and masonry work.
The monument, made entirely of concrete, is approximately 50 feet wide and 8 feet high, and contains the names of more than 2,500 North Tonawanda Veterans on darkened steel plates.
This restoration project and the supplemental plaque were generously funded by the AMVETS of Niagara Frontier Post #26 of the New York State Department of AMVETS, courtesy of Matty Rusin.