New York State Senator Pete Harckham joined Cortlandt Town Supervisor Rich Becker, Town Board members, and members of the Cortlandt community over the weekend for the official opening of the newly redesigned Michael C. Mongero Veterans Memorial Park.
Located at the corner of Locust Avenue and East Main Street along Route 6, the park was originally constructed in 1999 and named in honor of Michael C. Mongero, a former Cortlandt Town Councilman and founder of the Town’s Regional Veterans Committee. Mongero served as a landing craft pilot in the U.S. Army during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion.
The impetus for the park’s renovation came after a car crashed into the park’s gazebo in 2025. The Town of Cortlandt used the incident as an opportunity to undertake a broader redesign and reached out to Harckham for funding assistance. Harckham secured a $100,000 state grant to support the improvements.
“It’s important that we keep spaces dedicated to honoring our veterans in good condition to properly thank the brave servicemembers in our community for the sacrifices they made in defense of our country,” said Harckham. “I was proud to assist the Town of Cortlandt with this renovation project to ensure that Michael C. Mongero Veterans Memorial Park remains a welcoming space for veterans and community members to gather, reflect and pay their respects to those who served our country. This project is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through state and local collaboration and I thank Supervisor Becker and the Town Board for their work to get this project done.”
The renovations included removal of the old gazebo, refreshed landscaping throughout the park, and installation of a new walkway, lighting and benches. The project also added new trees and redesigned the brick memorial area, where community members can honor local veterans with engraved memorial bricks.
Another significant addition is a new plaque honoring Cortlandt resident Christopher Katz. Katz was a member of the Walter Panas High School Class of 2020 and served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and as a recruit with the U.S. Capitol Police before his death in a car accident in 2025.
“The park was originally dedicated in 1999, to honor veterans from World Wars I and II, as well as Korea, and Vietnam,” said Cortlandt Town Supervisor Rich Becker. “After 27 years, the park was in desperate need of a rehab, and a major grant of $100,000 was obtained through the efforts of Sen. Peter Harckham. As part of the ceremony, a plaque was unveiled in memory of Katz, a 23-year-old veteran and Capitol Police Officer who we lost last year. The Town of Cortlandt is grateful to Sen. Harckham for his efforts to rejuvenate this Memorial Park for all our residents and veterans.”
The redesigned park now provides an updated and welcoming space for the Cortlandt community to honor generations of local veterans and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Funding for the park was provided through New York State’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program, which supports critical infrastructure improvements for municipalities and nonprofit organizations. The program helps communities strengthen resilience, improve operational efficiency, and better serve residents.
