VOICES Newsletter



August 5, 2010


Dear Families and Friends,

As the 9th anniversary approaches we are planning our annual Day of Remembrance events in New York City. On Friday, September 10th we will host our 9th annual Information Forum at the Marriott Downtown. As we finalize the agenda we welcome any thoughts on topics that might be of interest to you.

The Information forum will be followed by events at the New York Stock Exchange. We are very excited to announce that at 4pm we will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, followed by a cocktail reception on the floor of the NYSE. The anniversary is a time for the 9/11 community to reconnect, so we hope to see many of you at our events again this year. Invitations will be sent in the mail and posted on our website. Registration is required for both events and you can register online.

Recently the news has been filled with reports about the planned Muslim community center near Ground Zero. Although our staff has had an opportunity to speak with many of you who have participated in Living Memorial workshops or contacted our office, we would appreciate if you would take a few moments to complete a brief survey to gage our membership. In an effort to keep you informed, we have included articles below as well as information on how to share your thoughts with elected officials.

In closing, I want to remind you that tomorrow -
Friday, August 6th is the deadline to submit your name for the lottery to read names at the September 11th commemorative events. Information is included below.


Warm regards,
 

Signature

Mary Fetchet & The VOICES Staff

 ________________________________________________________

 


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

9/11 Living Memorial
Workshop Appointments


New Canaan, CT
August - September
Monday – Friday
10:00am – 3:00pm

New Brunswick, NJ
August – September
Tuesday and Thursday
9:00am to 4:00pm

New Brunswick, NJ
August – September
Wednesday
9:00am – 7:00pm

Wellesley, MA
Tuesday, August 25th
10:00am - 6:00pm

New York City
September 10th
Marriott Downtown
8:00am – 3:00pm

For a full schedule of upcoming
workshop appointments Click Here.

VOICES Teleconference Schedule

Tuesday, August 17th
Parents' Support Group
3:45pm to 5:00pm

Tuesday, August 17th
Rockland In-Person Group
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Wednesday, August 18th
Siblings' Group
2:30pm to 3:30pm

Tuesday, August 24th
Witness/Survivors' Support Group
4:00pm to 5:00pm

For a full schedule of upcoming teleconference groups Click Here.

For a complete list of events visit our website at www.voicesofsept11.org.

To add an event to our calendar contact newsletters@voicesofsept11.org.



VOICES Day of Remembrance Events
Day of Remembrance ImageJoin us for Panel Discussions, Focus Groups, Living Memorial Workshops and Exhibits of interest to the 9/11 families, children, survivors, rescue and recovery workers. The event will be located at Marriott Downtown, 85 West Street from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Topics will include promoting resiliency in the 9/11 community, the identification of remains, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, VOICES 9/11 Living Memorial Project, 9/11 issues in the news and advocating for public policy reforms, identifying the unmet needs of the 9/11 community and the National Day of Service and Remembrance. More.


12 Year Old Shannon Yaskulka's Replication of the World Trade Center Towers
WTC Replication ImageWhen 12 year old Shannon Yaskulka was given the assignment to create a structure for her 6th grade school science fair, she immediately decided to create the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in honor of her grandmother, Myrna Yaskulka, an employee of Fred Alger Management who perished on 9/11. Shannon replicated the Towers from newspapers and other recycled materials and wrote a brief narrative about the history of the World Trade Center. On July 15th Shannon visited our New Brunswick office along with her family to present the project. During the discussion Shannon’s family mentioned that the project was very therapeutic, as it gave them an opportunity to discuss fond memories of her Grandmother while recreating the towers. More.

9th Annual September 11th Commemoration Ceremony
Commemoration Ceremony Image
On July 9th, 2010 Mayor Bloomberg and the City of New York announced their plans for the 9th Annual September 11th Commemoration Ceremony. As in recent years the ceremony will take place at Zuccotti Park, adjacent to the World Trade Center site.

If you are a family member who would like to read names or would like to suggest a participant please contact cferer@cityhall.nyc.gov or call 212-442-8953 by Friday, August 6th. For more information and to read the letter in its entirety Click Here.


Scout Surge 9/11
Scout ImageVoices of September 11th is pleased to join the Boy Scouts of America as they celebrate their 100th anniversary, as well as the Flag of Honor Project in promoting National Days of Remembrance. Through the program Scout Surge we can teach our youth about those who were lost on 9/11 and the events of that day.

Scout Surge is a wonderful way to ensure future generations will “Always Remember”. I hope you will visit the 9/11 Living Memorial Project to learn about the lives of these amazing people and the wonderful foundations and memorials that were created in their memory. More.


Share your views on the plans for the Muslim Community Center
VOICES Survey ImageAs you may have heard, plans to build a Muslim Community Center in Lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from the World Trade Center site, progressed this week when the Landmark Preservation Commission denied granting the former Burlington Coat Factory building landmark status. I know this topic is of particular interest to the 9/11 families, many of whom have contacted our office regarding the recent developments. We have included several newspaper articles and links to television interviews on the topic to keep you informed here. For those of you who are interested in sharing your thoughts with your elected officials, you can contact Mayor Bloomberg’s office at www.nyc.gov/mayor or locate your Congressman or Senator at www.thomas.gov. We have included a brief survey and would appreciate if you would take a few moments to provide us with your thoughts on the issue. More.



Critics stymied on 9/11 mosque
PLANS to build a mosque and a Muslim community centre within two blocks of Ground Zero have cleared a hurdle amid a groundswell of opposition. The campaign against the $US100 million ($A109 million) 13-storey centre is being led by right-wing pundits and politicians. More.

A Civil Response to the Cordoba Controversy
The Interfaith Youth Core writes, "Many people have been reaching out to Interfaith Youth Core asking for our perspective around the issues arising from the planned Muslim Community Center (Cordoba House/Park 51) in lower Manhattan. More.

Mass. 9-11 Widow Getting Presidential Medal
As a widow of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Susan Retik was showered with love and support from family, friends and even strangers who sent food, flowers and cash. But when she watched the news and saw war widows in Afghanistan, she knew they had no such support system. More.

Ground Zero Islamic center project clears major obstacle
New York cleared a key obstacle Tuesday for plans to build an Islamic center with a mosque near Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers which were toppled by Al-Qaeda in 2001. More.

Plan to Aid 9/11 Victims Is Rejected in House
House Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic plan to provide billions of dollars for medical treatment to rescue workers and residents of New York City who suffered illnesses from the toxic dust and debris at ground zero. More.

Judge Says Retired Fireman Deserves Place on 9/11 Memorial
Helping to evacuate the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 was James J. Corrigan’s job as a fire safety coordinator for the complex – and his calling as a retired Fire Department captain, his family said. He was killed working alongside his former colleagues. More.

Visit VOICES In The News for articles and announcements of interest to the 9/11 community.


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
www.voicesofsept11.org

©2009 Voices of September 11th.  All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

VOICES of September 11th is a nonpartisan advocacy group that provides services and advocates for all those affected by September 11th; promotes public policy reform on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism; and builds bridges between international communities changed by terrorism. In 2006, VOICES launched the 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive that commemorates the lives and stories of September 11, 2001.