A ceremony was held Saturday to celebrate the installation of a bench dedicated to the memory of late Westfield Fire Chief Dan Kelly in Edgewood Tree Park (at Hanford Place and Edgewood Avenue, near where Kelly lived).
The project, which also included a landscaped area and stone walkway, was organized by Aidan Windorf, a Hanford Place resident and Boy Scout with Troop 73 out of Holy Trinity. Windorf conceived and executed the project as part of the requirements to achieve his Eagle Scout rank.
“I chose this project for two reasons,” Windorf said. “The first, to serve as a memorial to Chief Kelly, a true champion to the Westfield community. The second, to beautify a small piece of our neighborhood that’s a favorite place for kids and families to play.”
Members of Kelly’s family, including his wife Karen, brother (and current Westfield Fire Chief) David Kelly attended the event, as well as several members of the town council and Mayor Andy Skibitsky, firefighters, neighbors and friends. During the dedication ceremony, a bronze plaque commemorating the late fire chief’s 35 years of service in the Westfield Fire Department was unveiled.
Windorf thanked the dozens of people who supported his project, as well as local businesses including Williams Nursery, M&N Boychuck Stone and Master Memorials.
A recent graduate of Oratory Prep in Summit, Windorf will attend school this fall at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.