Communities to Commemorate, Remember on 20th Anniversary of 9/11
Area residents will have their choice of 9/11 ceremonies to attend on Saturday, with some communities planning changes in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
The ceremony in New Castle has been moved from its usual early evening time slot at Gedney Park on Route 133 to 9:30 a.m. The proceedings will observe moments of silence at 9:59 a.m. and 10:28 a.m., the moments that the south and north towers of the World Trade Center collapsed in downtown Manhattan, said Michael Wolfensohn, who helped organize the 20th-anniversary ceremony for the town.
By Tuesday, there will be 2,977 American flags measuring 11 by 18 inches each that will be placed in an area near the 9/11 Memorial at Gedney Park.
There will be remarks from various dignitaries.
“It’s a solemn day to commemorate those we lost and also it’s a day to commemorate and honor those who had demonstrated incredible courage in the face of fear,” said Acting Supervisor Jeremy Saland.
Westchester County will hold its annual ceremony at Kensico Dam Plaza at 3:30 p.m. It will also unveil a new memorial to first responders and others who have died from illnesses related to working at Ground Zero. It will be located near the 9/11 memorial The Rising at the park.
In White Plains, the city’s September 11th Remembrance Ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. at Liberty Park on Lake Street, the site of the city’s permanent memorial.
White Plains will join with 60 communities across America thanks to the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Social Justice for Youth Community Youth Court. The youth court program was named an official partner for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 Day of National Service and Remembrance.
The Community Youth Court program received the special 9/11 Flag of Honor, which includes the names of all 2,983 victims who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and Feb. 26, 1993, at the trade center. The flag visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City on June 27, 2021, and was on the ground where the Twin Towers once stood and where the 9/11 Memorial now has been erected. The City of White Plains will display this flag during the ceremony and later in the City Hall Rotunda.
White Plains will also honor the six White Plains residents who died on Sept. 11, 2001, as we do each year.
All 60 partner communities will honor 50 victims each by reading a short bio and sharing where they are remembered at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. This will be the largest national coordinated 9/11 Day Project in America.
Here are a list of other area 9/11 ceremonies taking place this weekend:
Carmel: Putnam Heroes Memorial Candlelight Vigil, Cornerstone Park 7 p.m.
Cortlandt/Croton/Buchanan Tri-Municipal Ceremony: Croton Landing, 1 p.m.
Mohegan Lake Illumination Ceremony: Granite Knolls Park, 2975 Stony St., Mohegan Lake, 8 p.m.
Mount Kisco: 9/11 monument near the Mount Kisco Public Library, 6:15 p.m. Followed by refreshments and live entertainment at the Main Street firehouse.
Mount Pleasant/Pleasantville: 20th anniversary September 11 Remembrance, Mount Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla on Friday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m.
North Castle: Wampus Brook Park gazebo, Maple Avenue, Armonk, 11 a.m.
Somers: Bailey Park, 10 a.m.
Yorktown: Shrub Oak Memorial Pavilion at Hart Library, 8 p.m.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
