A serene oasis amidst a busy four-way intersection at Route 6 and Locust Avenue in the Town of Cortlandt got a facelift during the spring and early summer, with a grand reopening ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 8, at 11 a.m.
Michael C. Mongero Veterans Memorial Park, named for a World War II veteran who participated in D-Day, “is a beautiful green space. It’s supposed to be a quiet space for contemplation and relief,” said Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker.
The Town of Cortlandt recently renovated the park this past spring due to decayed trees and damage to the pavilion and to other structures resulting from a car accident in 2025. Supporting the restoration were a $100,000 grant to the town from state Sen. Pete Harckham and a $20,000 settlement from the accident.
As part of the renovation, brick pathways were replaced with concrete, a new flagpole was installed, and the park was redesigned.
Arborists and consultants advised the town that the decayed trees were structurally compromised and therefore unsafe. As the renovation plan came to fruition, new trees were planted throughout the park.
The park is named to honor Michael C. Mongero, a World War II veteran who enlisted at 17 and participated in D-Day in 1944 as a landing craft pilot.
He was a 40-year resident of Cortlandt and served 16 years on the town board.
As the founder and first chairman of the Cortlandt Veterans Committee, Mongero also helped persuade New York State to build a nursing home for veterans on the grounds of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Hospital Center in Montrose. He was dedicated to advocating for veterans.
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The park in its previous condition. (Town of Cortlandt)
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A new bench is part of the park’s purpose as “a quiet space for contemplation and relief,” says Cortland Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker. (Town of Cortlandt)
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A new concrete path under construction to replace aging bricks. (Town of Cortlandt)
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The park in its previous condition. (Town of Cortlandt)
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The old brick path. (Town of Cortlandt)
