WTC security and emergency response newspaper article

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g I o o o Masons Throw Support Behind S.17Bru¥ Be|t^ “0 c CT o' o cn The Great Kills Masonic Lodge #912 Free storm drains. Tlii.s would subsequently pre- "□ o and Accepted Mason.s together with the New serve the habitat of Hora and fauna that i.s ro ro fork City Department of Environmental indigenous to the area involved. 9L O) Protection (DEP) have joined forces in an As the DEP buys back more land to pro­ O effort to maintain and protect part of the vidc for thi.s service, they find that o o Staten Island Blue Belt al Wood Duck Pond. Community involvement is the true way to c The collaborative "Adopl-A-Blue Bell" & ensure that these pockets of parks arc main- 3 o "Give Back to the Community" programs arc tained for the communities to use. 3 sponsored by ihc Department of “Adopt A Community” is the brainchild of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the project Chairman Bill Welsh and Co­ Masons. Chairman Vincent Finnochairo, of Great Kills The solemn Masonic dedication ceremony Masonic Lodge #912. Il.s mission i.s to iniro- was held at Wood Duck Pond in Great Kills. duce the Island to a fraternal organization that In aitcndance, representing the NYC DEP, not only cares about the community but that was the DEP Commissioner Joel Mele; Dana has many ties to the various communities on Gumb, director of the Blue Belt program on Staten Island. fSjaa Staten Island; James Rossi, manager of the Wood Duck Pond lies in the shadow of the Staten Island Blue Belt; and Jack Crawford, former Great Kills Masonic temple on assistant manager of the Staten Island Blue Amboy Road and Lindenwood Road, now a Belt. church. Representing the Grand Lodge of Mason.s “This program was instituted due to the were Most Worshipful Carl Smith, Grand fact that not only was our original Lodge Master of Masons in the State of New York, RW; Carl Filje, Deputy Grand Master of located here in Great Kills, but also because many of our members live in this communi- ABOVE: (Left to right) Richard Piper, Master; DEP Commissioner Joel Mele; Grandmaster Carl J. issas Masons; and RW Edward Trosin, Grand ty,” Finnochairo stated. Smith, William Welsh and Vincent Finnochairo Marshall, RW; Edward Stouter, District “Great Kills Masonic Lodge is one of the (lor right) dedicating the plaque. RIGHT; • Deputy for the Richmond Masonic District: first organizations to work closely with the Commissioner Joel Mele ond Grandmaster Corl and George McDonald, Grand Steward. DEP on Illis type of project. Thi.s project that

stes J. Smith plant a new tree. Representing the Great Kills Lodge wa.s we have started give.s the Great Kills people a W. Richard Piper, Master, RW; Robert Welsh, new area to explore. 1 have lived acros.s from Pataki were read at the ceremony. Secretary, RW; and Frank J. Borcllo Jr., treas­ Wood Duck Pond for over 20 years and in the “Through your 'Masonic Give Back to the urer. last few weck.s I have never seen so many Community’ program, you have dedicated The Staten Island Blue Belt is a small, but families walk and bike through thi.s stretch of yourseivc.s to maintaining and beautifying an significant pan of the Blue Belt in New York land” Welsh commented. environmentally precious region of the Blue State. Its purpose i.s to provide a natural waler Congratulatory letters from both Mayor Belt in Great Kills, for which you arc to be system for storm drainage, in lieu of piped Rudolph Giuliani and Governor George commended," wrote Pataki. —- The Mayor wrote “I commend the Mason.s for doing a terrific job in working with the DEP in their ‘Adopt a Blue Belt’ program on the Wood Duck Pond site. It is a pleasure to recognize local organizations that share my commitment to the environment.” k" For more information regarding the Masonic Organizations in your neighbor­ hood, contact Robert Welsh al 816-1431 or email [email protected].

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