Community Corner

Aberdeen Mayor Visits NYC 9/11 Memorial

Fred Tagliarini describes the experience as emotional

Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini joined eight other New Jersey mayors in a special tour of the 9/11 Memorial and Memorial Museum currently being built at the site where the World Trade Center once was.

"It's amazing to see the progress they have made," Tagliarini said. "But when you stop and realize why this is taking place, you are brought back ten years ago to this tragedy. You really run the gamut of emotions when taking this tour."

Tagliarini was invited on the tour by the Governor's Office, which was led by Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni. They were led through Memorial Plaza, the 9/11 Memorial and the Memorial Museum, all in varying stages of completion.

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The 9/11 Memorial is set to open this year, marking the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that claimed approximately 3,000 lives.

There will be a special, private ceremony on Sept. 11, 2011 for the families of those who died that day. The memorial will open to the public on Sept. 12. Visitors must reserve a pass in advance in order to alleviate lines and overcrowding.

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According to the memorial's website, the memorial spans about half of the sixteen acres of land where the World Trade Center was. Two large waterfalls pour into pools in the shell of where the twin towers stood.

"It's one of the most emotional places," Tagliarini said. "It's the closest to Ground Zero as you can get. You can see the foundation of the towers."

Surrounding the north pool are the names of those who were working in or visiting the north tower, the crew and passengers of the American Airlines Flight 11 and those who were killed at the bombing of the World Trade Center on Feb. 26, 1993; while the names surrounding the south pool honor those who were working in or visiting the south tower and other areas of the complex, the crew and passengers of United Airlines Flight 175, those who were working in or visiting the Pentago, the crew and passengers of American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines Flight 93 and the first responders who received the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor.

A total of 400 Swamp White Oak trees are being planted around Memorial Plaza. According to the memorial's website, this specific tree, which is indigenous to New Jersey, was picked because of it's individuality, durability and leaf color.

As the leaves change in the fall, the Swamp White Oak ranges from amber to golden brown and even sometimes pink. The trees can grow as tall as 60 feet, and designers hope that the trees will eventually form a canopy over the plaza. The trees will never be identical because of their different growth rates, serving as a physical reminder of living individuals.

Also on the site of the World Trade Center will be a Memorial Museum, which is expected to open Sept. 12, 2012. The museum will contain artifacts, including two steal tridents left from the twin towers, photos, videos and the Survivor's Stairs, that as a whole contribute to a shared understanding of history that day.

Tagliarini, along with the rest of the group, was also given the opportunity to tour the unfinished 69th floor of the Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center, which is being constructed on the old site of the eight-story Six World Trade Center.

There he got an opportunity that he will never forget.

"We were all given the opportunity that is customary for visiting construction sites like this. We each got to sign a girder on the 69th floor, so my signature is on there facing the Hudson River," Tagliarini said.

Tagliarini was also recently invited by the Empty Sky Foundation to the new New Jersey memorial being built on Liberty State Memorial.


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