SIDNEY CENTRAL SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Fall 2016
Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present Sidney Memorial Veterans Park—a Hugh Success
Time Capsule Opening Held At Former Sidney Center Elementary School
On August 27th, Greater Maywood Rural Community Services, the non-profit group which currently owns the former Sidney Center Elementary School, held an event to remove the corner stones from the building. Embedded in the stones were time capsules with items placed by students and staff in 1954, the year the building was Dignitaries gather at the Sidney Elks Lodge for a dedication day photo — Pictured above from left to right, Exalted Ruler John Edwards; opened and 2002 when renovations were completed. The event was NYS Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch; Brigadier General James W. McIntyre, USAF (Ret) and SVMPA President; Brigadier General Peter a great success and many from the community gathered for great food, Palmer, USA (Ret) and Keynote Speaker; Master Sergeant Timothy conversation and to witness the Hudson, USAF (Ret); Chief Petty Officer Richard S. Germond, USN opening of the time capsules for (Ret) and Emcee; Commander VFW Post 7914 James Weibel; Sidney the very first time. Mayor Andy Matviak; and, SCSAA President R. Douglas Sheldon. Con’t on pg. 5 According to Brigadier General James W. McIntyre, U. S. Air Force (Retired) and President of the Sidney Veterans Memorial Park Association (SVMPA); and, from all other accounts and every perspective, the new Sidney Veterans Memorial Park is a huge success for the community and “must see” attraction for area visitors.
Hailed as one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking veteran parks in the northeast, the Sidney Central School Alumni Association (SCSAA) and our membership played a major role in making it possible. Alumni member donations and a $10,000 matching grant from SCSAA totaling more than $40,000 essentially paid for the flag house entrance with its grand Sidney Alumni Memorial Wall and freestanding Alumni Veterans Monument (AVM). The Dedication Ceremony for the uniquely designed park which took place last Memorial Day weekend, exactly five years to the day after groundbreaking, attracted a crowd of well over 2,000 people and was covered by area newspapers and television stations. Two area retired teachers who have made visiting veteran memorials in Hawaii and the northeast one of their favorite pastimes, said of the park, “It is by far Continued on pg. 3
Alumni Room Open House! All are invited to attend an Open House and SCSAA board meeting, to be held Jan. 14, from 9 am to 1 pm in room 102, at the Pearl Street School. The Civic Center has been sold, which means the SCSAA Board of Directors was losing their room on the 3rd floor. Bill Christiansen, Superintendent of Sidney Schools offered a room for the board to use on the 1st floor of the Pearl Street School. To many of us older alumni, it is the former Pearl Street Elementary School and for the younger generation, you probably went to Junior High there. Continued on pg. 5