Less than a month before the eighth anniversary of the terror attacks, vandals damaged the township’s 9/11 memorial.
According to police, someone vandalized two pond skimmers, a water and air pump, a wood sign, and threw a bench in the water at Memorial Ponds at Route 571 and Clarksville Road overnight on August 6 and then again on August 7.
During the Township Council’s August 10 meeting, Acting Business Administrator Robert Hary reported to the council that the memorial ponds sustained “significant vandalism damage to them.” However, ‘what we’ve been able to do is get one of the recirculation pumps going to keep the fish alive,” he said.
He said that officials in the township were “unnerved” by the incident. Hary said he has already spoken with police officials, including Lieutenant Patrick McCormick about the incident. “Everyone’s upset by it, and they’re going to take some very active measures,” Hary reported, adding that he could not release details of those measures to prevent jeopardizing the police investigation.
Hary said township officials hope to have the memorial repaired within the next week. However, the money will have to come out of the township’s coffers because the damage falls just under the township’s insurance premiums.
The 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pond at the Ron Rogers Arboretum features twin reflecting ponds connected by a series of waterfalls and a stream. The pool, surrounded by trees and benches, is lined with boulders and river stone. Flagpoles were donated by the American Legion and West Windsor Lions Club. The monument project was coordinated by the township and Friends of West Windsor Open Space. It was dedicated in April, 2002.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the West Windsor Detective Bureau at 609-799-1222.
