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It has been a busy week with many developments
which will affect the future of the WTC Memorial site and homeland security
reforms. On Tuesday I traveled to Washington, along with members of the
Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations and the Association of Flight
Attendants, to lend my support to Representatives Christopher Shays
(R-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). They offered an amendment to the
Homeland Security bill mandating that all cargo transported on airlines
be screened for explosives and hazardous materials. They also proposed that airlines should
be required to notify passengers if the cargo is not screened. Despite these risks, these amendments
were not allowed by the Rules Committee.
Click here to read
VOICES press release, along with the speeches
of those in attendance, or read a summary
from cnn.com.
Congressmen Markey and Shays are continuing to
push for cargo screening with a comparable standalone bill – H.R. 2044. The legislation
was introduced May 3rd and has been referred to the Homeland Security
Committee for review. We urge you
to contact
your Representative and Senators to express your
feelings on this vital safety issue.
On Thursday, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg
unveiled the design for a proposed Cultural Center at the heart of Ground
Zero. We believe the building
encroaches on the area set aside for the Memorial to honor the memories
of the 9/11 victims. We call on
Governor Pataki during this time of transition to closely scrutinize any
modifications to the original memorial plans and to meet with the
families to discuss our concerns.
VOICES press release
fully outlines our position.
Also, the Public
Discourse Project, which was created last year by the former members
of the 9/11 Commission, will hold panel discussions
in Washington, D.C. this summer to evaluate the progress of implementing
the intelligence legislation. The
panels will be held weekly beginning on Monday, June 6th and ending July
25th, at which point the Commission will issue a report card. The panels will discuss topics related
to each of the recommendations including intelligence reform, US foreign policy, and
transportation safety. The first
forum, on Monday, June 6 will address the CIA and FBI reforms, and the
second, on June 13 will focus on challenges facing the first Director of
National Intelligence, John Negroponte.
The forums are open to the public and will be televised on C-SPAN. All are encouraged to come to learn
about the vital task of carrying out the Commission’s
recommendations. For a full schedule
of the Public Discourse Project’s summer hearings, click here.
We want to thank everyone who participated in our
Forum at the Doral Arrowood on April 30th. It was wonderful to see so many
friendly faces. We have received
positive feedback from those who attended, and we have collected great
ideas about how to improve future programs. If you have not responded to our online
survey, please click here. We invite
everyone to view the slide show of the event on our website.
Just
a reminder to SAVE THE DATE for the VOICES September 10th Forum and
September 11th Commemorative Luncheon at the Marriott Financial Center
Hotel in New
York City.
We are beginning to plan for this event and welcome your comments
and suggestions regarding panel discussions and activities.
Warm
Regards,
Mary
Fetchet
Betty and Dennis Nielsen,
recipients of last years VOICES Building Bridges Award, have continued
to work tirelessly over the past several years with one goal in mind: to
provide a unique quilt to all the families of 9/11 victims. With the help of churches, youth
groups, and various other organizations, they have produced over 5,000
quilts, expanding their reach to the families of soldiers lost in Afghanistan and Iraq. These quilts provide a tangible comfort
to many families. Recently,
Freedom Quilts has become a 501(c)3. If you would like to help them continue
their efforts, and to view the quilts they have created, please visit
their website. We thank Betty and Dennis for their
dedication and generosity to our families.
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May
19, 2005
The
commission that investigated missteps leading to the attacks of Sept.
11, 2001, plans a report card this summer on how the government has responded
to its recommendations... More
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May
19, 2005
A
design for the World Trade Center museum complex will be unveiled today,
a step forward for Ground Zero plans that recently have been moving
in the opposite direction... More
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May
19, 2005
Thousands
of shoulder-fired weapons are unaccounted for, intensifying a search
for ways to reduce terror threat to jets... More
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May 18, 2005
President
Bush today praised new National Intelligence Director John D.
Negroponte and principal deputy intelligence director, Air Force Lt.
Gen. Michael V. Hayden, during the officials' swearing-in ceremonies
held here... More
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May 17, 2005
The
U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced $140,857,128
in port security grants... More
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May
17, 2005
Gov.
George Pataki signaled that he wanted to have Ground Zero rebuilding
back on track when he appointed his chief of staff, John Cahill, the
point man on rebuilding last week... More
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This event, hosted by the Middletown Arts
Council, will display the complete quarter-mile long quilt consisting of
over 3,500 individual squares honoring every victim of 9/11.
When: May 20-22, 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Where: Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ
Contact: Visit the United in
Memory website
for more information, or call Maggie O’Brien, director of the
Middletown Township Arts and Cultural Council, at (732) 615-2000 x2419.
To view a recent article, along with pictures, click here.
We try to keep the most
up-to-date information on memorials and foundations available on our
website. If you would like to have information on your event, memorial,
or foundation listed, please click here.
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