She said that the WHCSCA had recently been issued a use and occupancy permit by the county, but was still awaiting two developers’ estimates of the cost of constructing a memorial out of granite. While West Hempstead-based contracting firm AVF Development will donate the structure’s foundation and install fencing around the memorial at the park, Norton said she hopes to select a developer by the end of March, given the three to four months it will take to acquire a naturally produced slab of granite, so the memorial can be completed in September.

The World Trade Center steel that will be used is currently on display at the West Hempstead Library, where it has been housed for close to two years.

An Evening of Wine and Roses will be held at the West Hempstead Firehouse from 8 to 10 p.m. Guests are also encouraged to “sponsor” roses that night, with a $5 donation for a single rose or $50 for a dozen, with checks payable to WHCSA, P.O. Box 425, West Hempstead, NY 11552.

Click here to learn more about the event.