POUGHKEEPSIE – The Northside of Poughkeepsie has a new memorial to welcome motorists into Poughkeepsie which pays tribute to the late US Navy Petty Officer Corey Ingram, who died in an explosion aboard the USS John McCain in 2017. The traffic circle at Smith Street and Creek Road has been renamed Corey Ingram Circle. A ribbon cutting for the newly erected memorial is taking place on February 29, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. and the public is invited.
A special memorial marker has been constructed in Ingram’s honor and placed at the north end of the roundabout to be coupled with a flagpole. The center of the roundabout was designed by the Poughkeepsie Alliance “to be a durable gateway that would celebrate the identity of Poughkeepsie,” a recent lengthy statement said. The result of the committee’s direction has resulted in an illuminated series of Corten steel fins that each hold a letter of Poughkeepsie as you drive around the traffic circle.
To further establish the area of the Corey Ingram Circle as a destination, the Alliance created Champions Walk to honor and memorialize community leaders who made significant contributions to the Northside and the City of Poughkeepsie. The walk is located directly in front of Hudson Gardens Apartments, commonly referred to as “The Bricks”. The intent to provide a durable, low-maintenance, significant entrance to the City of Poughkeepsie, to help inspire the city’s youth -especially neighboring youth from the Northside to follow the legacy of community leaders led to the creation of each champion’s portrait, in a format similar to newsprint photographs, along with their names and biographies that have been laser cut and drilled into 8-foot tall vertical Corten Steel markers.
To coincide with the ribbon cutting for Corey Ingram Circle, the first five Champion monuments have been placed and are on track to be completed before the ceremony. The larger site plan is planned to accommodate up to 20 champion markers that could encircle the outer perimeter of Corey Ingram Circle. Future additional champions would be nominated and added in subsequent years until the full site is completed.
The first five champions, selected from more than 40 nominations are:
- Theodore “Tree” Arrington, Founder of Relationship, Empowerment, Affirmation, Leadership (R.E.A.L) Skills Network
- Barbara Jeter-Jackson, a longtime public servant in a variety of positions.
- Wesley J. Lee, Founder of Saving At Risk Youth for Corporate America (SARCA)
- Perinella “Penny” Lewis, Former 5th ward Councilwoman
- Lorraine Roberts, Community activist and Scholar
For additional information, click here to visit the Poughkeepsie Alliance Facebook page.
