Memorials and vigils are planned Tuesday and Wednesday on Staten Island and throughout the city, allowing New Yorkers to mark the 18th anniversary and remember loved ones lost on or as a result of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Firefighters in firehouses throughout New York City will observe moments of silence, as bells will ring to commemorate the moments tragedy struck 18 years ago.
Additionally, public and private events planned locally to commemorate that tragic date this year include:
IN MANHATTAN
Hundreds of people, including families of victims, survivors, first responders and political leaders, will gather Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8:46 a.m. for the 18th annual commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center. It will include moments of silence, marking when the Twin Towers were struck and fell, when the Pentagon was attacked, and when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will broadcast the ceremony live on its website. Houses of worship are asked to toll their bells during the first moment of silence at 8:46 a.m.
Flags will be lowered to half-staff on the 9/11 anniversary at 8:46 a.m. to mark the moment when Flight 11 struck the North Tower at the WTC.
An honor guard will be made up of members representing the FDNY, NYPD and the Port Authority Police.
The 9/11 Memorial Museum will be open exclusively to 9/11 community members from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last entry being 6 p.m. Normal operations will resume on Sept. 12.
Tribute in light
Tribute in Light is a commemorative public art installation first presented six months after 9/11 and then every year thereafter, from dusk to dawn, on the night of September 11, becoming an iconic symbol of the memory of those lost and the strength of New Yorkers’ spirit.
Twin beams of light will rise from the roof of the Battery Parking Garage, south of the 9/11 Memorial. Reaching up to four miles into the sky, they are comprised of 88 7,000-watt xenon light bulbs positioned into two 48-foot rectangles, replicating the shape of the Twin Towers.
On the anniversary of 9/11, the Memorial Plaza is open to the public from 3 p.m. to midnight for the viewing of Tribute in Light. The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.
ON STATEN ISLAND
Angels’ Circle will hold its annual ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. on the corner of Fingerboard Road and Hylan Boulevard in Grasmere.
The Postcards Memorial annual ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the St. George Esplanade, adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal.
The ceremony will include a reading of the names of the Staten Islanders who were lost on 9/11, as well as a reading of the names of the first responders who have perished since that day due to their work at Ground Zero.
Special musical selections and a video tribute will honor those lost on the tragic day.
Free parking for the ceremony will be available in the New York Wheel Parking Garage (located next to Richmond County Bank Ballpark at Richmond Terrace and Nicholas Street). Those who wish to attend can also access the memorial via the walkway adjacent to the ballpark. The memorial is a short walk from the St. George Ferry Terminal and the Empire Outlets.
At FDNY Rescue 5 in Concord, members of the community are invited to participate in a memorial prayer service, including moments of silence, at the Clove Road firehouse.
Candle lighting will take place for any victims, including the 11 members of Rescue 5 who perished while responding to the terrorist attacks. Moments of silence will be held, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the moment Flight 11 struck the North Tower.
Participants may gather at the firehouse beginning at 8 a.m. for the service.
A private reception will be held at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Livingston, for Rescue 5 members and families.
The Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center (JCC) will begin a month-long campaign for its food pantry, collecting socks and gloves in memory of the tragic event. Each location will display a poster and a yahrzeit candle in honor of those who perished on 9/11 along with each collection box for donations.
The Notre Dame Alumni Club of Staten Island will again sponsor an “Eve of Solemn Remembrance,” a celebration of Mass in memory of friends, relatives and neighbors who lost their lives on 9/11.
The 18th annual Eve of Solemn Remembrance will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. in Our Lady of Pity R.C. Church, 1616 Richmond Ave., Bulls Head.
Bishop John J. O’Hara, episcopal vicar of Staten Island, will be the main celebrant and homilist.
St. George resident Jim Smith will read the names of the Staten Islanders whose lives were lost on that day.
Richmond University Medical Center will pay tribute to the victims of the attacks and honor military and first responders at a ceremony on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in front of the 9/11 memorial adjacent to the main entrance at 355 Bard Avenue.
Physicians, staff, patients and community leaders are expected to participate. The ceremony will include tributes, a moment of silence and reflections from first responders who participated in the rescue operations 18 years ago.
Board & Brush, a Staten Island based creative studio where patrons design and create wooden home décor, is hosting a special event to commemorate 9/11 at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 in its Tottenville location. All proceeds raised with benefit the Carl V. Memorial Fund.
The studio has crafted a unique wooden sign design featuring a pre-9/11 skyline with the words “Never Forget” emblazoned in blue across the front.
The Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund, is an Island-based nonprofit founded in honor of Carl Vincent Bini, a Rescue 5 firefighter whose died while responding to the 9/11 attack. Its mission is to assist community members in times of need.
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© 2019 Staten Island Advance
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