For the second time since its dedication in honor of the heroes of September 11, the memorial gazebo at Hall's Pond Park in West Hempstead has been vandalized. According to the West Hemsptead Civic Association, several spindles were kicked out of the railings on three sides of the structure, causing visible damage and ripping through the supports on the upper and lower railings.

The Nassau County Police were notified by a neighbor while the crime was in progress, and units of the 5th Precinct and the Auxiliary Police responded to the scene, apprehending two youths in their late teens.

While estimates as to the cost of repair have yet to be obtained, the cost to the collective psyche is, perhaps, the highest here. "This is both disturbing and disheartening," said Seth Bykofsky, chair of the West Hemsptead Civic Association's Zoning Committee, as he did a walk around of the gazebo, observing the damage. "So many people in our town have worked so hard to raise the standard, to better the quality of life, and, in a matter of minutes, a couple of malcontents, with a few swift kicks, attempt to raze one of the very symbols of our community's resurgence. When and where will it end?"

As with the damage wrought last year by acts of vandalism, the West Hempstead Civic Association has vowed to rebuild and is accepting voluntary donations to help defray the cost. Donations, in any amount, may be sent to WHCA, P.O. Box 425, West Hempstead, NY 11552-0425; Attn: Gazebo Fund.