I am writing this week from Washington, where I represented VOICES at the 9/11 Public Discourse Project’s announcement on the progress of their recommendations. The PDP's second report card shows that we have a long road ahead to implement the reforms in the Commission's report. VOICES is committed to supporting the Commissioners, and our Legislative Updates below offers information and web links to keep you up to speed on the status of these vital reforms.

VOICES teleconference support group for Adult Children of 9/11 Victims is expanding and needs new members. The group will meet over the phone every other Tuesday at 12 noon, with the first meeting on November 1. Please contact VOICES’ office if you are interested in joining the Adult Children’s Group or any of VOICES in-person or teleconference support groups by calling (203) 966-3911, or toll-free
(866) 505-3911.

As Florida braces for the approach of Hurricane Wilma, we hope all of you will take the opportunity to evaluate your own family’s disaster preparedness measures. To help you get started, VOICES provides an array of readiness information and resources on our Website’s Preparedness Page. As always, feel free to contact VOICES if we can be of any assistance.

Warm Regards,

When: Thursday, November 10th at 6:30 pm
Where: The El Caribe Country Club, 5945 Strickland Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Donation: $100 per person paid in advance, please RSVP by October 21st
Contact: Ginny Hindy at (718) 238-1798 or visit the website for more information

Join the friends and family of Mark Hindy for a night with old friends, new conversation and fabulous food to benefit the Mark Hindy Charitable Trust. Please click here to read a note about this foundation from Ginny Hindy, mother of Mark and Executive Director of the foundation.

Please click here to send us information on your memorial or foundation event. The information will be posted on the VOICES website and included in upcoming e-Newsletters.

“Double Check,” J. Seward Johnson’s sculpture of a stockbroker that became an impromptu rallying point and memorial at Ground Zero in the days following 9/11 has been recast in as a permanent memorial located at the Colgate Hudson River Walkway in Jersey City. The sculpture dedicated Thursday, re-named 'Makeshift Memorial" has bolted-on bronze roses, FDNY and NYPD arm patches, cast-metal printed flyers, and a gray patina reminiscent of the dust that settled on it in the aftermath of the attacks (see picture, left). An article in the Newark Star Ledger reports on the dedication ceremony and tells the compelling story of the sculpture's history and travels in the aftermath of 9/11.

The Smithsonian Institution may move into the space at Ground Zero left open by the withdrawal of the International Freedom Center late last month. The New York Daily News reports that the Smithsonian has been approached by State officials to help with programming and possibly move into the planned Cultural Center designed by Snohetta, a Norwegian design firm. In other news, the foundation raising money for the Ground Zero Memorial has collected $101 million dollars in private funds to date, according to an Associated Press article today. The WTC Memorial Foundation reports that fundraising is on track for their goal of raising $500 million. Also yesterday, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation released plans for the retail complex housed in the planned PATH rail terminal at Ground Zero. The design devotes over 200,000 square feet in the terminal to shops and restaurants, a
New York Post article reports.

WTC Families for Proper Burial’s rally attracted a group of 200 family members and other supporters of respectful treatment for unidentifiable remains from the WTC site to Ground Zero last Sunday. Families rallied around the 2,000 pound Bell for the Unforgotten and remembered loved ones while calling for action from the City of New York on the issue, as described in an article from The Journal (N.Y.) News.
WTC Families for Proper Burial have also filed suit in Federal Court in New York City to force the City to remove all unidentifiable remains from the Fresh Kills site. On Monday, as described in a New York Post article, Judge Alvin Hellerstein suggested that the city and the families try to work out a compromise that respects the dead and the families' wishes while controlling the cost to taxpayers.

When: The group will meet on Tuesday, November 1st at 12:00 pm EST and every other Tuesday
How to Join : Email dwestfal@voicesofsept11.org or call 866-505-3911.

The teleconference groups are facilitated by a mental health professional and provided at no cost to the participants. Prior registration is required. To see a complete schedule of the teleconference and in-person support groups offered by VOICES, please click here.

Through the generosity of the public, the American Red Cross has awarded a $55,000 payment to the estates of 2,869 people (as of 9/30/05) who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on America, or who still are missing four years later. If you are the executor or administrator of an estate for a 9/11 victim, and you have not applied for the Estate Gift (also called the Supplemental Gift), the Red Cross is urging that you call them at (877) 746-4987 to request an application. Click here to visit the Red Cross September 11 Recovery Program's website and click on “Resources".

VOICES would like to remind you the 9/11 Treatment Program at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute is offering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment at no cost. For more information on PTSD and the Columbia program please click here.

The Program for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Studies at Weill Cornell Medical College’s Department of Psychiatry is offering free psychotherapy to September 11th disaster workers and their families. They will be hosting a free screening day on Monday, November 7, 2005 in Manhattan and White Plains. Interested participants should call (212) 821-0783 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-in appointments are also available. Please click here for more information.

9/11 Public Discourse Project Releases Second Report Card

The 9/11 Public Discourse Project released its second report card on the status of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations for government reform yesterday in Washington, D.C. Part II of the report card focused on reforming the institutions of government, including the CIA, FBI and Congress. Click here for the full text of the report card and a statement from Commissioners.

Part II of the report card faults the FBI for failing to act on the panel's recommendations and the White House for not doing enough to defend civil liberties, as reported in a New York Times article today. The report also raises concerns regarding the inaction of Congress to overhaul congressional oversight of intelligence and terrorism issues. The Commissioners also criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for publicly discounting the authenticity of intelligence that compelled the NYPD to ramp up security on city subways last week. In response to the calls for better coordination between City forces and DHS, Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that the Department would 'embed' federal officials at the NYPD and LAPD to serve as information and strategy liaisons, an Associated Press article reports.

Part I of the report card, issued September 14th, sharply criticized the Executive Branch and Congress for foot-dragging on recommendations for first responder communications, dispersal of federal preparedness grants on the basis of risk, and other issues. Click here to read the first report card.

DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff faced intense questioning from members of the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. Secretary Chertoff, who has faced widespread criticism for perceived failures in the Department’s response to Hurricane Katrina, announced a comprehensive overhaul of America’s disaster preparedness measures. Chertoff admitted that FEMA, which was absorbed into the DHS in March 2003, was “overwhelmed” by Katrina and promised that the agency would be reorganized and staffed with disaster relief professionals, as quoted in a Washington Post article. Chertoff singled out former FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned under intense criticism twelve days after Katrina struck, but Chertoff himself was criticized by members of the committee for not providing better leadership when the scope of the disaster became apparent. Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT) questioned Chertoff about why he didn't take a more aggressive role in making sure FEMA was responding properly. “I don't get a sense that your heart was in this, frankly,” Shays is quoted in a USA Today article.

In local preparedness news, Senator and Gubernatorial candidate John Corzine (D-NJ) held a press conference on Wednesday to argue that he has the best plan to protect New Jersey’s critical infrastructure and densely populated areas from a terrorist attack. Recent polls have shown an increasingly tight race between Corzine and his Republican opponent Doug Forrester in New Jersey, a traditionally Democratic state. Corzine has campaigned heavily on the issue of State preparedness, believing his experience in Washington sets him apart from Forrester. On Wednesday, Corzine claimed that the seafront stretch between Port Elizabeth and Newark Airport is the most "dangerous two miles in the country," as reported in a Jersey Journal article.