Hillsdale OKs Joan D'Alessandro Memorial Site

A permanent memorial to Joan D'Alessandro, the 7-year-old Hillsdale girl who was murdered in 1973, will be built in front of the Hillsdale train station.

Joan's mother, Rosemarie D'Alessandro, previously asked the borough Council if they could put the "white butterfly garden" in Veteran's Park. Officials said they were open to the idea, but Mayor Max Arnowitz said some vets he had spoken to were opposed to including it in the park.

Since then, officials met with D'Alessandro and they agreed to the new location in front of the train station.

"It's perfect," Council President Tom Kelley said. "It's right in the center of town."

D'Alessandro previously said the memorial will include flowers, a bench and a butterfly sculpture with the goal of promoting child protection and safety. She said she was inspired to build the memorial after briefly seeing a white butterfly while visiting the location in New York's Harriman State Park where Joan's body was found.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Joan's death. In the time since then, D'Alessandro has been an active advocate and pushed for the passage of Joan's Law, which eliminates the possibility of parole for those who murder young children.

D'Alessandro will still need to present plans to the town for approval. Councilman Frank Pizzella said he knew someone who would be willing to draw the plans for free.

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