Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman that Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced March 8 the formation of the COVID-19 Commemoration Commission to develop a memorial honoring frontline workers and “memorializing the lives of Ulster County residents lost to COVID-19.” March 8 marked the two-year anniversary of the first reported COVID-19 case in Ulster County. Ryan has now named the 22 members of the commission responsible for “citing and curating a permanent monument in Ulster County to tell the story of the response and impact of the pandemic, and to highlight how the entire community rallied and supported each other during the course of this once-in-a-century pandemic,” according to a press release from Ryan’s office. Ryan said in the release, “...The COVID-19 Commemoration Commission will both highlight the service of our community members — from our doctors and nurses, to our teachers, to our first responders, and beyond — who rose to the challenge and risked their lives to protect us, as well as memorialize the hundreds of lives we tragically lost.” There is no cost estimate for the memorial yet, but it is expected to be included in the 2023 budget, according to Assistant Deputy County Executive Dan Torres. The members of the commission include Ulster County Legislature Chairperson Tracey Bartels; Ulster County Legislature Minority Leader Ken Ronk; Communication Workers of America Local 1120 representative Rob Pinto; United Way of Ulster County President Stacey Rein; and, New York State Nurses Association representative Estela Woych-Aquino. The commission will hold its first meeting in April, with a timeline for project completion, pending budget approval, in 2023. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.