Community Corner

Community To Honor Victims of Sept. 11 at Remembrance Ceremony

New Providence will hold a Day of Remembrance this Saturday in memory of the victims who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The residents of New Providence will never forget the terrorist attacks from September 11, 2001.

This Saturday, the Borough of New Providence will hold a solemn service of remembrance on the 10th anniversary of the attacks in memory of the 3,000 lives, especially the six lives from our borough, that were lost on that tragic day.

“We’re hoping to put together an event that is fitting of the loss and the tragedy that is still very much with, not only the family members, but with all of us, 10 years later,” said Mayor J. Brooke Hern. “We want to make this, more than anything, something that is meaningful to the families that will be in attendance with us. This is obviously something they carry with them every day and we want to let them know that our thoughts, our prayers are with them, and that we are still here for them and with them as a community.  That’s what this remembrance really is all about.”

Find out what's happening in New Providence-Berkeley Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hern said the borough is expecting 200 people to attend the ceremony in Centennial Park, beginning at 10 a.m.

“The program is going to include a Pledge of Allegiance by Girl Scout Troop #1267, the New Providence Police Honor Guard is going to [give a Presentation of the Colors], the Star Spangled Banner is going to be performed by Cindy Gelormini,” Hern said.

Find out what's happening in New Providence-Berkeley Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Following Hern’s welcoming comments and an Invocation by Rev. Margaret Hodgkins, there will be , the borough’s Sister City, and Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. will deliver the Keynote Address.

“Council President Michael Gennaro will be speaking, there will be a role call of the community members lost on September 11, which I will read, and we will also give remembrance to those who were also residents of Summit and Berkeley Heights,” Hern said.

Then, combined Honor Guards will deliver the Gun Salute, Bulger Cooper Hyde and Bagpiper Ian Ramike will perform, followed by the Benediction by Rev. Murdoch MacPherson.

New Providence Deputy Police Chief Scott Torre, who is the main organizer of the ceremony, said 100 uniform personnel are expected at the ceremony, including individuals from the New Providence Police Department, Fire Department and Rescue Squad, as well as the New Providence Police Department Honor Guard, NP Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard and NP American Legion Honor Guard. Other area fire departments were invited to attend as well.

Hern said he asked Torre earlier this year to organize the ceremony, as he was close with the families of the victims from New Providence.

“I couldn’t think of a better person to work with them to put together something that they would want to be a part of, that they thought would be fitting, and so this memorial has been guided by the families through Deputy Chief Torre and he’s done a tremendous amount of work to put this together.”

At the ceremony, the borough will also unveil the new 9-11 Monument, which consists of a 14-foot high piece of steel that was salvaged from the World Trade Center.

Council President Michael Gennaro and Port Authority Commissioner Anthony Sartor worked closely to acquire the material from the World Trade Center, Torre said. The monument will be erected in Centennial Park next to the granite memorial, donated by the borough’s sister city, Flower Mound, TX. The memorial donated by the American Legion will also be relocated near the new 9-11 Monument and the memorial from Flower Mound, TX.

“We are hopeful that the new memorial with the artifact from the World Trade Center will be completed,” Hern said. “We are rushing with help from volunteers from private companies that are doing this without charging the borough. In particular, Jeff Grob, who was the architect for Centennial Park, has designed the new memorial and continues to work on it. Kyle Conti Construction, they are erecting the 9-11 Monument. Nat Conti, Conti Construction, is also giving his time. Paulus, Sokolowski and Sartor (PS&S) are providing the engineering work on it. So it’s really a partnership from the private sector.”

There were some obstacles with trying to complete the 9-11 Monument on time for the ceremony this Saturday, Hern said. But volunteers and borough employees involved have gone “above and beyond the call of duty.”

One obstacle that came up was the color that needed to be mixed with the concrete was not ordered on time due to Hurricane Irene last week.

“It looked like that wasn’t going to be in on time to get this done and Jimmy Johnston, our Director of Public Works, found it and drove down to Newark [last Thursday] and got it,” Hern said. “So that’s certainly not in his job description to be doing that and he’s making it happen, and so are so many other people. There are so many examples of that.”

Hern said he is confident the monument will be completed, or near completion, for the ceremony.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend the ceremony this Saturday in Centennial Park at 10 a.m.

 

May we always remember those lost on Sept. 11, 2001

New Providence:

Gerard J. Coppola

Richard A. Dunstan

Michael Gogliormella

Robert Wayne Hobson, III

Susan D. Murray

William Tselepis

Berkeley Heights:

Scott Hazelcorn

Patrick Murphy (Pentagon)

Summit:

Thomas R. Clark

James Lee Connor

Kevin Raymond Crotty

Thomas I. Glasser

Robert A. Lawrence, Jr.

A. Todd Rancke

Clive "Ian" Thompson

David Brian Brady

Mark Bruce

The information below is included in the New Providence Day of Remembrance Program, which was supplied by Deputy Chief Torre and is available on the borough's website:

Special thanks to all who made this event so special:

Councilman Michael Gennaro and Port Authority Commissioner Anthony Sartor: for securing the steel beams from the World Trade Center.

Jeffrey Grob, Architect: for his assistance in the design of the 9/11 monument.

Kyle Conti Construction: for building the pentagon platform and their assistance in erecting the 9/11 monument.

Nat Conti: Conti Construction: for their assistance in erecting the 9/11 monument.

James Johnston and the Borough Public Works: for bringing the steel back from NY and for all the work that was done to make this memorial so beautiful.

George Reichert and Todd Heacock, Engineers PS&S: for their assistance in the planning and design of the 9/11 monument.

Charlie Mazzucco Masonry: for the installation of paver walkway around the monument.

Anthony Schipani Electrical Contractors, for their work on the lighting.

Scofield Systems: for donating the color concrete additive for the Pentagon platform.

Honor Tree Service: for their assistance in raising and securing the steel beams.

Prestige Diner: for providing breakfast for our 9/11 families and invited guests.

Noah's Bagels: for their donation of bagels for the volunteers and attendees.

Northeast Flags, Mountainside: for the use of the large American Flag displayed.

Mayor Hern and Borough Council and Administrator Douglas Marvin: for their support of the Memorial and Ceremony.

New Providence Police Department Honor Guard

NP Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard

NP American Legion Honor Guard

New Providence Police Department

New Providence Fire Department

New Providence Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary

Berkeley Heights Fire Department

New Providence Rescue Squad

Mr. Ian Ranike, Bagpiper

Cooper Hyde, Bugler

Mrs. Cindy Gelormini

Girl Scouts Troop #1267

Mrs. Connie Miller and the City of Flower Mound, Texas

New Providence Interfaith Council

New Providence PBA, Local #132

All attendees and volunteers


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from New Providence-Berkeley Heights