Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, along with the town board, hosted a memorial program in honor of the nation's 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan. At the ceremony, officials and friends gathered to recall the man known as "The Great Communicator." The ceremony took place in the town hall courtyard, which the supervisor is proposing to be named the "Ronald Reagan Plaza."

"Like so many other Americans, I was deeply saddened by the passing of former President Ronald Reagan," Supervisor Murray said. "His native charm and warmth, coupled with an abiding 'goodness of character,' earned him the respect of governmental colleagues as well as the admiration and trust of a nation."

The town hall ceremony included remarks from Rabbi Morris Friedman, who hosted a 1984 visit by the former president to Temple Hillel in North Woodmere and also welcomed the former president to his home for a private lunch. Additionally, the program incorporated a firing detail, the lying of a memorial wreath and a bagpiper playing one of the former president's favorite hymns, Amazing Grace. Town officials unveiled a temporary monument where an official memorial will be located.

During the ceremony, Supervisor Murray reflected on the manner in which President Reagan brought a renewed sense of civility to public service. She also observed that through his dynamic personality and determined will, the former president revitalized the spirit and resolve of a nation. "President Reagan guided America's return to its rightful place as the preeminent global power," Supervisor Murray noted. "Simultaneously, Ronald Reagan presided over the reinvigoration of our nation's economy.

"President Reagan is acknowledged as the person most responsible for the end of the Cold War and he also precipitated the collapse of the communist bloc," she continued. "In a famous 1986 address he implored Russian Prime Minister Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall and in 1989 he watched with the world as this symbol of oppression also collapsed."

The supervisor cited President Reagan's toughness in employing U.S. forces to defend freedom and his uncommon sensitivity in speaking to all Americans after the 1986 Challenger shuttle tragedy. "A man of great warmth and wisdom, he restored faith in the presidency and trust in government," she said.

"As Hempstead Town's first woman supervisor, I admire President Reagan for his nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Supreme Court Justice in United Stated history. I also believe it is very appropriate to hold this memorial program here at town hall because this was a man of supreme courage and unwavering conviction who will always be an inspiration for those of us who pursue a career of public service.

"I am honored to host this memorial program and I welcome the opportunity to share remembrances of President Reagan with our employees and esteemed guests," Supervisor Murray concluded. "Along with the rest of this great country, Hempstead Town will remember Ronald Wilson Reagan as a leader for the ages and a real-life American hero."