Local legislator, MTA led way

By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong

The sign stood alone and neglected before its restoration. Photo courtesy Barbara and Thomas Scuccimarra
The sign stood alone and neglected before its restoration. Photo courtesy Barbara and Thomas Scuccimarra

A once-derelict sign along the Metro-North tracks at the Garrison train station shone in refurbished glory Thursday, May 16, after its unveiling by District 1 Legislator Barbara Scuccimarra and Robert Bickford, the Putnam County representative to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) board, which oversees Metro-North.

The sign, simply bearing the name “Garrison,” initially stood on the west side of the tracks, between the old depot (now the Depot Theatre) and the former Guinan’s pub. Now the sign graces a brick wall below the pedestrian elevator on the east side of the tracks.

Scuccimarra noticed the sign’s continued deterioration last winter and wrote to Metro-North President Howard Permut proposing that the railroad “restore it to its former state to again welcome the public to our community that we are all so very proud of.” Metro-North agreed, sent the sign to the railroad structures shop at Croton-Harmon for a thorough facelift and brought it back to Garrison for official installation on a glorious spring morning.

Robert Bickford and Barbara Scuccimarra show off the restored sign. Photo by L.S. Armstrong
Robert Bickford and Barbara Scuccimarra show off the restored sign. Photo by L.S. Armstrong

“Due to their efforts, a piece of history has been saved,” Scuccimarra said Thursday.

In a news release announcing the sign’s debut, Metro-North noted that it has added three trains each weekday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday, serving the Garrison train station, which about 400 riders use daily, Monday through Friday.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Armstrong was the founding news editor of The Current (then known as Philipstown.info) in 2010 and later a senior correspondent and contributing editor for the paper. She worked earlier in Washington as a White House correspondent and national affairs reporter and assistant news editor for daily international news services. Location: Cold Spring. Languages: English. Areas of expertise: Politics and government

One reply on “Old ‘Garrison’ Sign Refurbished and Restored to Train Station”

  1. I guess this is going to go down as Ms. Scuccimarra’s crowning achievement in office: getting Metro North to restore a sign. I can see I have nothing to worry about when it comes to the issues facing Putnam County as long as my legislator is on the case.

    Some of the highest taxes in the U.S.? No problem. A sheriff publicly at war with the district attorney, who has shown questionable judgment in his choice of a live-in personal trainer? Nothing happening here, keep walking. A bloated force of bureaucrats whose salaries and benefits are unsustainable? Not even on the radar. Thanks for keeping it real.

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