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Restraining Order On Memorial Field Cleanup Stays In Place

A restraining order remains in place following stalled work at Memorial Field, as Mayor Richard Thomas and other elected officials continue to butt heads, this time before a Supreme Court Judge.

Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas released a video statement this week following the judge's ruling.

Photo Credit: Mayor Richard Thomas

On Tuesday, lawyers representing both sides of the debate met with New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Loehr to discuss the debacle that has become Memorial Field, which remains a destitute destination in the city after decades of being one of Westchester’s premier locations for families and events.

Memorial Field remains a point of contention among elected officials in Mount Vernon, with the county seizing control of cleanup efforts at the once vibrant park.

Thomas’ eager work at Memorial Field - including the demolition of the grandstands, possibly without proper permissions - led to a temporary restraining order that was issued last month, halting any work on the site.

During a 90-minute meeting, neither side reached a resolution, with a second hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 17. Until then, the restraining order restricting Thomas and crews from doing work at Memorial Field remains in effect.

In a statement released on Tuesday following the hearing, Thomas stood resolute in his standing that he is complying with the law and that Memorial Field needs to be cleaned up before major work can begin to reopen it.

“As far as the county takeover, those details are far from complete,” he said. “What I know is we have to remove and address what was illegally dumped out there, and that’s the issue. Nothing more, nothing less. We’re just waiting for the judge to acknowledge that we’re doing a clean-up job at the site.

“We’re making good progress, where everyone is starting to talk, be it through attorneys or through the judge. Memorial Field is moving forward, and we’re looking forward to cleaning up the mess that was left.”

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