The name of Salina’s new Community Center was unveiled with the families of Onondaga County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Department Officer Michael Jensen on hand.
Salina Supervisor Nick Paro said plans for the center have been in the works for a while, but the naming decision came recently.
"The president of the fraternal order of police, Syracuse Division actually, who are also residents of the town of Salina, came to my office with this idea of naming it in honor of Lieutenant Hoosock and Officer Jensen," Paro said. "I felt that it was an appropriate thing to do. The town had been looking for something to honor these two men. And this made the most sense. It was perfect timing."
The two officers were killed in a suburban neighborhood in the town last April when they were ambushed at a gunman’s home. Also attending the naming ceremony, Joseph Imperatrice, the NYC Blue Lives Matter Co-Founder.
"Whenever one is lost, no matter New York City or elsewhere, you feel it," Imperatrice said. "And to be able to come here and see something that's going to keep these heroes' names alive, you see the families, they wake up and for a couple minutes out of today, they could smile through the tears, they could feel appreciated, know that their loved one won't be forgotten."
The new center is expected to be open to the public in spring of 2025.
