The unveiling happened today, because it is the 47^th anniversary of William Moore’s murder. Moore, who was a former Marine and postal worker, was an outspoken advocate for civil rights. It was on his solo march to the governor's office in Mississippi that William Moore was gunned down by an unknown assailant along a remote road in Alabama. Moore's name is listed on the Civil Rights Memorial in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Major Barnett, a local educator, brought Mr. Moore's story to my attention and we felt it was important to educate this community about Mr. Moore's contributions to the local and national civil rights movement,” said Executive Fiala. “The effort to memorialize Mr. Moore received $1500 in donations from the community and also recently received a major boost from Bernard Stoecklein for which we are extremely grateful.”

 

Stoecklein is the CEO of CMS Mid-Atlantic, Inc., parent company of Vestal Hills Memorial Park. He is also a former Marine. When he heard Mr. Moore’s story he says he decided to underwrite the complete bronze plaque in William Moore’s honor. It was that plaque that was unveiled at today’s news conference.

 

The additional funds which were raised through donations will be used to finalize the memorial green space at the Intermodal. The Intermodal site, at the corner of Chenango and Henry Streets, is across the street from Kennedy Park in the City of Binghamton and down the street from the Martin Luther King Promenade. Organizers felt this was an appropriate place to memorialize Mr. Moore.

 

In addition to Mr. Stoecklein and Major Barnett, County Executive Fiala was joined at today’s news conference by members of the William Moore Memorial Committee. Members include; Nancy Dooling from the Press & Sun Bulletin, Broome County Historian Gerald Smith, Barry Moore, Postmaster of the Binghamton Post Office, as well as members of the County Executive’s staff, Darlene Croston, Colleen Wagner and Darcy Fauci.

 

Coincidentally, Darlene Croston, who is one of Barbara Fiala’s Executive Assistants, is the granddaughter of William Moore’s widow Mary Moore Birchard. It was only after the County Executive had started this memorial effort that she met Darlene Croston and only after Darlene started working for the County Executive that it became known that she was the granddaughter of William Moore’s widow.