Dedication set for New Kensington playground with memorial to murdered girl
A late April dedication ceremony is planned for New Kensington’s new JFK Park, which will include a memorial to a city girl murdered more than 40 years ago.
A bench and plaque in memory of Tiffany Miller will be part of the playground, which is named for President John F. Kennedy. The city moved the park to a location on Fourth Avenue, next to Mt. Calvary Mission Baptist Church, after selling its former location on 11th Street to UniFirst.
Miller was 5 years old when she went missing from her Peach Court home on Sept. 21, 1979. Her body was found 5 miles away in the Allegheny River eight days later. The case remains unsolved.
Aaron Moore of Arnold, a New Kensington native, is a friend of the Miller family. He spearheaded an effort to get and pay for a memorial to her.
“At the end of the day, it’s all one community,” he said of the two cities.
The plaque that will be with the bench states, in part, “Forever with the angels, always in our hearts.”
The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 25. The dedication and ribbon-cutting will be at noon, Moore said.
There will be music and food, and Moore said everything will be free. Moore said he has someone to make burgers and hot dogs, and he is looking for other donations.
“I want to make it a community event,” Moore said.
Members of Miller’s family are expected to come from out of state.
“They’re excited to have this move forward,” he said.
The bench will be placed at the park and covered for about a week before the dedication, he said.
“I’m really excited to see it coming together from just an idea,” Moore said.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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