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Street to be Renamed
for Pierre Raymond
Killed in Iraq, Lawrence Man to be honored

Lawrence City Councilor Nunzio DiMarca has been spearheading an effort to honor Lawrence native Pierre Raymond, who died serving his country in the war in Iraq.

Originally, Councilor DiMarca submitted a request that the City Council rename North Parish Road for the fallen war hero, because North Parish Road runs from Winthrop Avenue to the gates of the Veterans Memorial Stadium, which is scheduled for a grand reopening on May 20th. 

But when the issue was discussed in the Ordinance Subcommittee of the City Council, District “E” Councilor Gil Frechette suggested renaming the one-way portion of Osgood Street instead.

Councilor Frechette said he was concerned about the people who lived on North Parish Road having to change all their bills to reflect the new name of the street.

Frechette said it would be an unfair burden for people to change their license, insurance, credit cards, etc. and said that the one-way portion of Osgood Street near the stadium was a better location because there are no homes there.

Councilor DiMarca accepted Frechette’s idea and said that the process is moving forward to have the street renamed by the time the stadium is reopened.

The Council notified the city engineer of the proposed street change so that city maps could be updated. A full vote of the Lawrence City Council will still be needed before the street can be officially renamed. The Council is expected to take the measure up at its May 16th meeting, just four days before the opening of the stadium.

Sergeant Pierre Raymond died from injuries he sustained after an attack on September 15, 2005 near Ramadi, Iraq.

Hit with shrapnel in the chest and neck while sleeping in his quarters, Raymond was talking and joking with the medical team who treated him immediately after being hit.

Doctors, however, could not stop the bleeding so Raymond was rushed to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for emergency treatment, where he was kept alive until his family arrived. He died shortly thereafter.

Raymond joined the Army in 1998 and had spent 13 months in Bosnia as a military mechanic.

He was discharged in 2001, but was called back to serve in the National Guard with the 228th Forward Support Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, which supported a Marine Expeditionary Force. Raymond was dispatched to Kuwait in June. He’d barely been in Iraq a week before he was wounded.

Lawrence Mayor Mike Sullivan said he thought DiMarca’s idea was “fantastic” and added that the timing and location of the street renaming was “absolutely perfect.”

“With any luck, this will all come together before the May 20th dedication of the Veterans Memorial Stadium.”

District “B” City Councilor Grisel Silva said she wholeheartedly supports the measure to rename a portion of Osgood Street to “Pierre Raymond Way” and praised Councilor DiMarca for his efforts to honor a man who died protecting freedom around the world.
“Councilor DiMarca has been working very hard to find a way to honor Pierre Raymond,” Silva said.

“Since long before the Council was asked to rename Broadway for Juan Pablo Duarte, he has been behind the scenes meeting with city officials and fellow councilors to come up with the most fitting way to express our gratitude for the sacrifice Raymond made in the name of fighting terrorism and protecting the American people,” she added.

Councilor DiMarca said he spoke with Sergeant Raymond’s family about renaming the one way portion of Osgood  street and that  they were very excited” that Pierre was being honored by the city of Lawrence. 

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The May, 2006 Edition of the Valley Patriot
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