Attention! Memorial Day Events Posponed Until TOMOROW Take Note

Due to weather and safety concerns, the activities for Memorial Day at Glenn Island Park have been rescheduled for TOMOROW, May 26th at Glenn Island. THe time is the same 1:00 PM to 8:00PM with all of the same great entertainment as planned. Blood Sweat and Tears has been gracious enough to accommodate the late changes so make sure you come down and show your support for everyone! Event promoter Peter Parente states  “Obviously we would prefer to have the event go on as planned, we have to make the safety and comfort of our many supporters, performers and volunteers the first priority.” 

Thanks Peter !

Memorial Day is This Weekend and New Rochelle Remembers – Will You?

The parade may have been curtailed, but that won’t stop New Rochelle from taking the time to remember our fallen heroes and giving a salute to our troops this weekend down at Glenn Island. The premier New Rochelle event that we have become so fond of will continue at the new venue this Saturday, May 25th between 1:00 and 8:00 PM. Headlining the entertainment for the day will be the one and only Blood Sweat and Tears. Come down and join the fun and show your support for those who have made days like this possible. Here at the Armory group we salute not only the men and women in the service, but we offer a big thank you to those who keep the tradition alive and work so hard to make this day a day to remember. Ooh Rah!

 

Make it a full weekend and take part in the rest of the activities

 

  Saturday May 25th 1PM – 8 PM

          Glen Island Park Pelhem Road New Rochelle

      NR Veterans Salute To Our Troops  As We Remember Our Fallen Heroes

          Special Honors to NR First Responders…NRPD,NRFD & Trans Care EMS

Sunday May 26th  9 AM at Beechwood Cemetery-

          Grave Flag Replacement Service

Monday May 27th 10 AM at Memorial Plaza, New Rochelle

          Wreath Laying Ceremony

For further information please contact Peter Parente 914 557 5556

United Veterans Memorial & Patriotic Association of New Rochelle

 

Take the Armory Poll – What Would YOU do With the Armory?

There is a petition asking the City to re-evaluate the economics surrounding development in New Rochelle. We urge you to sign the petition and take a look at what the folks over at Echo Bay Facts are proposing to improve things in this great city. Read about the true economic repercussions of the Mayor’s Echo Bay Fiasco. You won’t like what you see. Before you head over there, we thought it might be interesting to see what’s on your mind. Take a moment to participate in our own snapshot poll about what YOU, the rightful owners of the Armory, would do. Be sure to pass it around to your fellow supporters and check back to see the results.

A New Section Has Been Added – Read the Stories From those Who Were There

We are pleased to launch a new section on our Website. It’s called  “A Day in the Life – True Tales From the Armory“. From time to time we will be posting stories and memories of the experiences so many had relating to this historic building. From Naval personnel to Marine “Devil Dogs” and civilians alike, see what it meant to be associated with the Armory during wartime and peace. The soldier and civilian coming together for common cause. Want to tell about your own experiences? Just contact us through the site, or tell one of our friends over at the Post 8 Legion Hall on North Avenue. We’ll do our best to help tell your story and remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Just look over on the right side column of the home page  and click on “A Day in the Life – True Tales From the Armory”

Thanks!

There’s a Huguenot the Bramson Administration Can Not Control

Gadsen Flag Hoisted High in Deerpark,New York as a Tribute to New Rochelle’s Citizens and Their Armory

About an hour and a half from New Rochelle, in the quiet Town of Deerpark,NY, Veterans,Town Officials and citizens of Huguenot, New York and New Rochelle joined ranks to salute the hoisting of the historic American flag known as the “Gadsden Flag”. As New Rochelle City Council condemns local Veterans groups about the “appropriateness” of this flag, Deerpark Town Supervisor, Karl A. Brabenec understands all too well just how appropriate this symbol of American history is. Karl, along with Deerpark Councilman David Dean and Orange County Legislator, Dennis Simmons spoke eloquently among a crowd of WWII, Korea, Viet Nam and Desert Storm era Veterans about the importance of honoring our military history. “This flag should not offend anybody” said Brabenec, a first generation American whose parents and grandparents lived through Nazi Germany and Communism in Eastern Europe before making their way to the United States to provide a better life for their family. Brabenec’s father went on to serve in the U.S. Navy. Army /Air National Guard Veteran and Orange County Legislator, Dennis W.Simmons standing in front of their 9/11 Memorial, spoke in disbelief out how the Gadsden (which was Commissioned as an official Navy Jack on September 11th, 2002) can fly from any Naval ship but not in front of the Naval Armory in New Rochelle. With words of appreciation and thanks to the Deerpark assembly Assemblyman Ron Tocci presented the Town with a Gadsden flag to hoist in memory of those who have sacrificed and honor those who have made this Country what it is. He also drew the connection between the founding of New Rochelle by the Huguenots and the fact that the Deerpark Town Hall is situated in the Hamlet of Huguenot. Closing comments by Town Councilman David Dean, also a Veteran,  welcomed all to Deerpark where “we’re free men and women here and we believe in the sanctity of this flag and it’s a shame it was stricken from the town of New Rochelle Armory” . Well said Councilman. The crowd then gathered around the flagpole as the flag was prepared with the assistance of New Rochelle’s own Veterans James Murphy, Jim Lasser and James Tudy. A solo voice carried through the breeze with a rendition of  God Bless America, and for that moment, the voice, the wind and the flap of the flags carried with it the souls of all those who came before us to make this moment possible. These are the times when Americans stand strongest. Rallied around our history and foundation. Thank You Deerpark, Huguenot, and of course our Veterans. God Bless America.

You can view a video of the ceremony by clicking HERE

or some photos HERE

Announcing the Veterans Memorial Performing Arts Center (Updated)

(Note- the presentation was originally posted as a powerpoint document. It has been converted to a slide show for ease of viewing. Click on any slide to enlarge and start the show)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, AUGUST 7 2012 The presentation for the adaptive reuse of the New Rochelle Armory has just been presented to City Council

The development team for the Veterans Memorial Performing Arts Center has just been presented to the New Rochelle City Council. The vision to restore the historic building and utilize it as an art center with focus on community engagement and stimulating the local economy. you can view the presentation by clicking the link below.

Stay tuned for more information and a story.

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Save The Armory – Save New Rochelle

 

Shaping Our Future By Preserving the Past

It rises up from its knoll to command its surroundings. A veritable fortress of pre-war brick and vintage architecture, this depression era icon is a dedication to the American Spirit.   The vast, truss-framed barrel roof has provided shelter to generations of soldiers and families. The vaulted wall of arch top windows at either end forge the daily sunshine into shafts of light that dance across a prairie sized floor.  Tinker, tailor, soldier, and sports heroes alike have all shared that sunshine in the once vibrant and community-centered facility. Sending young soldiers off to war, sporting events and the arts have woven the fabric of New Rochelle’s “Rich History”. This building is ready to breathe life back into the City but it needs YOUR help, NOW !

“But what can I do?”– It’s the most common question asked and yet it’s the easiest to answer. Get involved!

• Ø Come to our next meeting. Thursday, June 7th at the American Legion Post 8, 112 North Ave. New Rochelle at 7:30 P.M.

• Ø Visit our website and sign up for our newsletter, learn about the Armory’s rich and distinguished history

• Join the Save Our Armory Committee as we shape the future. Volunteers are needed at all levels such as fundraising, technical support and canvassing.

Every great journey begins with the first step. Your first step.

http://www.newrochellearmory.com        www.newrochellearmory.org

Welcome to the New Rochelle Armory

Welcome and thank you for visiting our site, your site. Without doubt, the Armory belongs to all of New Rochelle and its many fine citizens. The Save Our Armory Committee is currently putting together a business plan as a response to the recent City- issued Request for Proposals (RFP). It is our hope that our plan will persuade the Council that we have the best interest if the City in mind. We will show how a properly planned, revitalized Armory will be the stimulus for a new chapter of economic growth, community enrichment and showcase highlighting the best of what New Rochelle has to offer.   We have a lot to be proud of right here in this fine city. As the signpost at Eastchester Road proclaims, “Rich in History”. Let’s capitalize on this, celebrate this, as we move forward with a vision of  New Rochelle  that exceeds its expectations. So join us here at the Save Our Armory Committee in bringing that vision into a reality. Come to our meetings (NEXT ONE IS THURSDAY, MAY 31ST AT 7:30PM IN THE POST LEGION HALL 112 NORTH AVE, NEW ROCHELLE) and see the plan unfold. Contact your elected officials and tell them this  is the way to go. Most of all, get involved with us and spread the word about the benefits to the city this plan will bring.

While you’re here, catch up on the events that lead us to the current success. Click on ” search by categories” > ” New Rochelle Armory in the News” and see the story of our first proposal to the city. We believe as you learn more and more about the Armory and its history you won’t need us to convince you. It speaks for itself.( If you have questions do not hesitate to contact us through the “contact us” section of this site)

So welcome again, read up, get involved, but most of all Thank You.

Keep in mind

IT’S YOUR ARMORY !

Bi-partisan Victory New Rochelle Armory

Pristine and Ready for Service to the Community and the World

In a stunning 7-0 vote, the New Rochelle City Council voted tonight to approve a re-stated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to developer Forest City Residential. Coupled and running concurrently with the MOU will be the city’s issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking options for the adaptive re-use of the Armory. This essentially places the historic building into the mix as a major player in the overall scheme for development of the Echo Bay waterfront.

The surprising vote was the result of Council’s last-minute “tweaking” of the latest version of the MOU. Under the revised plan, the time frame for coming back to the table has been shortened from 18 months to 8 months. This will give  City Council the opportunity to  review the proposals for the Armory, Echo Bay and the plans for the city yard at Beechmont side by side offering a view of how the various components will relate to each other. One of the fundamental sticking points was in keeping the Armory building and its property intact. Originally, Forest City was planning to destroy the Armory to make way for housing. Subsequent plans by the developer had envisioned cutting off the “annex” part of the Armory and taking over the property behind the Armory. Under pressure from Councilman Hyden and others, the plan now calls for separating the Armory and its property from the development envelope so as to allow interested parties to have a feasible parcel to work with in the new Armory design.

We salute Council for working together in the interest of the City and realizing the significance of this historical building. As reported in an article from Talk of the Sound , “This is a win for everybody,” said Ron Tocci, co-chair of the Save Our Armory Committee. “It shows its possible to have bipartisan agreement for the good of the City.” . This is a monumental step in the right direction. We’ve gone from the city’s outright refusal to co-operate with restoration efforts to  actively participating in the discussion to explore the potential. It’s a win-win for everyone, especially the residents of New Rochelle. The Save Our Armory Committee would like to thank the bi-partisan support in making this first step possible. Cooperation at this level is fundamental to bringing about the support needed to allow this historic icon to return to service. Service to the community, remembering the sacrifices of our Veterans and reinforcing our commitment to preserving history to help shape our future.

Only YOU Can Make the Memorial Day Parade a Reality!

Not just Uncle Sam, but all of New Rochelle and our Military Personnel need YOUR help. This years Memorial Day parade is in jeopardy and  without the support of the community, the parade will suffer. The United Veterans Memorial and Patriotic Association of New Rochelle is asking for donations to assure the parade will continue its contribution as the preeminent Memorial Day event of the region.

The New Rochelle Memorial Day Parade is an event that New Rochelle residents have enjoyed for the past four years. Each year the parade has grown larger and better. A part of the day has also included the after-parade-event at Hudson Park. In the past this event has been filled with music, good food, military vehicles and helicopter static-display, fun for the kids and so much more.

The planning process, which is monumental, is underway for this year’s Memorial Day Parade. Remembering the sacrifices made on our behalf by our brave veterans is a most important and worthy endeavor. Honoring and showing our appreciation for the many troops who are brought up to New Rochelle on Memorial Day during “Fleetweek” is also the least we can do as they serve our country in Afghanistan and other places overseas. The appreciation and gratitude they receive here in New Rochelle has become something that the troops remember and talk about for years afterword.

There is something everyone, including you, as a resident or business owner in New Rochelle can do to be a part of this most important day. Due to financial constraints, the City of New Rochelle is paying for less of the Memorial Day Parade expenses this year. You can show your appreciation and gratitude for our veterans and troops by helping the United Veterans Memorial and Patriotic Association of New Rochelle pay the cost of this very special day. You can send a donation to them, UVMPA of New Rochelle, 112 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10803. You can save the date, Monday, May 28th, 2012 Memorial Service 10:30 a.m. at Memorial Plaza (adjacent to the New Rochelle Public Library). Parade kicks off at 11:00 a.m.

Do you own a business? Think of the appreciation and support the crowds will give your company when they hear your name announced as a proud supporter of the parade. Public or private, every bit counts, but make no mistake, now is the time to do it. Don’t leave it up to someone else, and don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of a truly spectacular event.

Won’t you please join us as we remember on Memorial Day, May 28th and be a part of the appreciation we show our veterans and the gratitude we show our troops. They pay the price for our freedom; help us pay the cost for their special day of remembrance. We need to raise $30,000 dollars for this year’s event. Our Vets and troops gave their best for us. Please be as generous as possible for them. Thank you all in advance. If you need further information about Memorial Day please contact Peter Parente at (914) 557-5556 or post a comment.

Remember, they’ve done their part, so let’s do ours.

Send that donation today to:

UVMPA of New Rochelle

112 North Ave

New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801-7404