WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 7
A memorial display depicts NYPD and FDNY members and the twin towers. The crosses represent the victims. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Middle Village honors and remembers lives lost on 9/11
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
Hundreds gathered in Juniper
Valley Park in Middle Village on the
20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist
attacks for a solemn memorial program,
remembering the almost 3,000
people who lost their lives that day
in New York City, the Pentagon and
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The emotional program included
the reading of the names of the 9/11
victims from the surrounding area,
a video montage of the attacks and
the aft ermath accompanied by Alan
Jackson’s song “Where were you when
the world stopped turning,” as well as
the observance of the Tribute in Light,
shining bright against the late summer
evening sky.
The 9/11 Vigil Committee in Middle
Village has held a candlelight vigil and
memorial service at Juniper Valley
Park for 20 years — the fi rst vigil was
held a few days aft er the worst terrorist
attack on U.S. soil and attracted
6,000 people.
Organizers and elected offi cials had
an important message: Never forget
that fateful day, which has become
synonymous with sacrifi ce, heartache,
heroism and unity.
Frank DeBiase, president of the
9/11 Vigil Committee, remarked that
the committee, which comprises a
group of volunteers from Middle
Village and Maspeth, had invited 13
local schools to participate in a 9/11
essay contest.
“Only one school submitted entries,”
said DeBiase, a retired corrections captain
and Ground Zero fi rst responder.
He then introduced Christ the King
High School senior Melissa Rojas,
who won fi rst place with her essay “A
never-ending tragedy.”
Queens Deputy Borough President
Rhonda Binda said that the victims’
legacy lived on in their families, and it
was the duty of New Yorkers to honor
them.
“And another way that we can honor
them is to celebrate our freedom as
Americans and keep this city and this
borough open and embracing diversity,”
Binda said.
Congresswoman Grace Meng expressed
her gratitude to the volunteers
who organized the memorial and the
families who brought young people
to the vigil who were either too young
to remember 9/11 or who weren’t even
born at the time it happened.
“I say this more as a mom than as an
elected offi cial, ” Meng said, urging
that schools nationwide teach about
the darkest day in U.S. history. “For us
to ensure that our future generations
of young people know and understand
what happened that day, it shouldn’t
be just one school in our district who
submits essays to talk about and remember
9/11.”
Assemblyman Brian Barnwell,
who lost his cousin FDNY fi refi ghter
Edward White on 9/11, pointed out that
some, unfortunately, didn’t pay much
attention to the anniversary of the
terrorist attacks.
“It is our duty to make sure the next
generation of Americans know what
was what happened and why it happened,”
Barnwell said.
Councilman Robert Holden recalled
the fi rst vigil on Sept. 16, 2001, and how
proud he was of the 6,000 community
members who united in Juniper Valley
Park. He said some marched to
FDNY Squad 288/Hazmat 1 fi rehouse
in Maspeth, which lost 19 fi refi ghters
on 9/11.
In 2013, community members asked
the Landmarks Preservation Commission
to landmark the fi rehouse but
were turned down because of policies,
Holden said.
“I said, ‘baloney,’ … we are going to
fi ght,'” Holden said, sharing that he
would introduce legislation in the
City Council to landmark the fi rehouse
dedicated to the 19 fi refi ghters.
Holden said it was the duty of those
who lived through the tragedy to tell
the next generation about the lives lost
on 9/11 and how many families were
left devastated.
“So even if I have to introduce legislation
to make it mandatory in New
York City public schools, I will do that.
It has to be taught,” Holden said. “It’s
the right thing to do.”
State Senator Joseph Addabbo said
it was important to remember those
who perished on 9/11, those who are
dying from 9/11-related illnesses, and
the heroic eff orts of those who saved
thousands of lives on that day.
He recalled when over 10,000 construction
workers from the greater
New York area joined the FDNY and
NYPD to help in the search for victims
and survivors.
“I like to think about 9/12, the day after,
because we started to rebuild. We
weren’t afraid. We didn’t back down,”
Addabbo said. “We got together with
those who lost others, and we helped
them rebuild their lives.”
He urged everyone to reclaim the
spirit of unity everyone felt aft er the
terrorist attacks.
“We started with the fl ag and the patriotism,
and so in honor of those that
we lost, in honor of those that were
saved and honor of the fi rst responders
and the veterans, may we work
together as a community,” Addabbo
said.