Community Corner

Middletown's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Update

Progress on the flag tribute and information on the 10th anniversary tribute ceremony

An update from on the coming tribute to victims lost to 9/11:

Thanks to an outpouring of support from the community, Middletown will hang approximately to honor the 37 residents who died in the World Trade Center tragedy a decade ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who answered the township’s call to sponsor this fitting tribute,” said Mayor Anthony P. Fiore, who heads the September 11 Memorial Planning Committee. “I’m proud to report that $23,100 has been donated by residents, business and local organizations to fund the commemorative flag display. The outpouring of support from the community has been nothing less than amazing.” 

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The flag banners will be installed on telephone poles this week along Kings Highway, Church Street and Middletown-Lincroft Road. On the bottom of each banner is the words ‘Middletown Remembers 9-11-01.’  The banners will continue to be used after the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy as a reminder that Middletown remains vigilant in its support of the War on Terror, Fiore said.

The commemorative flag display is part of a trio of tributes selected by the World Trade Center Planning Committee to honor those who lost their lives at what is now Ground Zero ten years ago.

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The township will hold its memorial service, including a candle lighting ceremony, on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the Middletown World Trade Center Memorial Gardens, 36 Church Street. Among those who have agreed to participate are local religious and government leaders, veterans’ organizations, emergency responders, girl and boy scouts.

General parking will be available the main train station lot and the satellite lot at Sears, located at the corner of Kings Highway and Route 35. A shuttle bus will transport attendees between and the gardens. The service will be held rain or shine.

Thirdly, an art exhibit in honor of the 10th anniversary of World Trade Center tragedy conveying patriotism, hope, connectedness or growth is on display at the Middletown Arts Center through September 25th. The located at 36 Church Street, is adjacent to the Memorial Gardens.  Amanda’s Easel invites people of all ages to the Middletown Arts Center to create a community art piece in response to 9/11 on Sept. 8 and 11. The activities will be free and open to the general public.

Amanda’s Easel is operating in collaboration with the MAC on this project and will ask participants to use art to create a representation of a person or people in the community that they feel connected to. The piece will represent individual and communal resiliency.

 

About the Gardens

Residents honored at the Gardens are:

Lorraine D. Antigua

Jane S. Beatty

Donna Bernaerts-Kearns

Alfred J. Braca

Ronald M. Breitweiser

Patrick J. Buhse

Stephen J. Cangialosi

Swede Joseph Chevalier

Dolores Marie Costa

Edward Desimone III

Michael Egan

David Ferrugio

Daniel J. Gallagher

John M. Grazioso

Felicia Hamilton

Patrick A. Hoey

Kathleen A. Hunt Casey

Brendan Mark Lang

Roseanne P. Lang

Anna A. Laverty

Michael Patrick McDonnell

Peter T. Milano

Louis J. Minervino

Justin John Molisani, Jr.

James Thomas Murphy

Christopher Newton-Carter

Paul R. Nimbley

Robert Emmett Parks, Jr.

Nicholas P. Pietrunti

John M. Pocher

Beth Ann Quigley

Gregg Reidy

Robert Andrew Spencer

Dick Stadelberger

Kenneth Tietjen

Anthony Ventura

Rodney James Wotton

The history of the Gardens:

The Middletown World Trade Center Memorial Gardens are located next to the Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street, Middletown, NJ 07748. The memorial features a landscaped walking path with individual memorials for each resident lost, where visitors can reflect about the loss Middletown has suffered.

The Gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk. The township holds a remembrance ceremony each year at the Gardens.

were developed by the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, a non-profit group consisting of family members and interested residents. The group, chaired by former Mayor Patrick W. Parkinson, came together shortly after the tragedy to develop a lasting tribute to 37 residents who were lost as a result of the World Trade Center attacks.

Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 10, 2002. The Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on Sept. 11, 2003.  Construction of the memorial was made possible largely through donations.

Preparation of the site was completed by a group of local contractors who provided their services at no cost. Middletown companies who donated their services include: Frontier Fence Co., J.H. Reid, JOMAC, K. Hovnanian, Najarian, Pantaleo Electric, Trap Rock Industries, and Stavola Contracting Co.  Stephen Kealy, of Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union No. 472, helped to bring the contractors together. T&M Associates donated design work associated with the project.


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