IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 3, 2006
Apr 21, 2006
March 31, 2006 |
DEAR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, Again this week several 9/11 issues were in the news, including the release of emergency calls on September 11th. We know this is a very emotional issue for most of you, as it has been for me and my family. It's understandable that you may want to protect your family from the media coverage and reminders of that day. However, I recognize that some individuals may be interested in finding out more details about their loved ones experiences that day. There is no right or wrong way, but each person should have a plan on how much information they can tolerate and whether they want to interact with the media. For those of you who have children, I just want you to remind you to be cautious and aware of what information your children may be exposed to in the news. As always, our mental health professionals are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm if you would like to speak with them. Please contact our office at (866) 505-3911 or by email. Warm Regards,
Voices of September 11th cordially invites you to attend our annual Information Forum and Commemorative Luncheon to mark the Fifth Anniversary. Both events will be held at the Marriott Financial Center Hotel, 85 West Street, New York City adjacent to the WTC site. The Information Forum, which is open to September 11th families, survivors and rescue workers, will be held on Sunday, September 10th. Activities will focus on building resiliency and gathering together to remember our loved ones five years after 9/11. Once again this year, children’s activities will be available during Sunday’s Information Forum. The Commemorative Luncheon will be on Monday, September 11th immediately following the Commemorative Events. We are in the planning stages and will keep you updated in the VOICES e-Newsletter and the VOICES website on the schedule of events for both September 10th and 11th. We welcome your suggestions and hope you are able to join other VOICES members from across the country and world as we continue to expand our community of support and friendship for all those affected by 9/11.
When: Saturday, April 1, 2006, 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm The Fifth Annual Firefighter Michael J. Cawley Memorial Fund party will offer live music, a complimentary buffet, desserts, drink specials, raffles and both a live and silent auction.
MEMORIAL BOWL-A-THON TO BENEFIT THE JOE GRZELAK "JOE KNOWS" SCHOLARSHIP FUND
When: April 2, 2006, 1:30 pm Please join Battalion Chief Joe Grzelak's family and friends for the Bowl-a-thon, an event to raise money for the scholarship fund set up in his name. Joe believed that knowledge is power, hence his nickname "Joe Knows". All proceeds from this event will go toward two scholarships given in his memory at St. John Villa Academy. Come join us for a day of fun, raffles and refreshments.
ANOTHER TASTE OF THE PERFECT MANHATTAN BENEFIT
When: Thursday, April 6, 2006, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Please join A Caring Hand, The Billy Esposito Foundation for an exciting evening including an eight piece band, silent and live auction, an elaborate sweepstakes and a tasting-style dinner from many of the top restaurant and spirit companies in New York. 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.
NEW YORK CITY OFFERS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RELEASE OF RECORDINGS VOICES is distributing a list of FAQ's from the City of New York regarding the release of 911 calls from inside the twin towers to the families this week, and to media outlets today. The information comes directly from Jonathan Greenspun, Commissioner of the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit: This morning, the New York Times and many other media outlets are releasing a recording of a call made to 911 Emergency Services on September 11, 2001. This call has caused some deep concern and confusion about what the City of New York is releasing to the media on March 31, 2006. The FAQ below answers many of the questions about what EXACTLY is being released and, more importantly, what is NOT being released. It is crucial that all family members understand that the calls that will be released by the City on Friday will be redacted calls that do not contain the words of their loved ones. Entire calls (including the words of the caller) of anyone who perished in the attack will be released only if we receive specific written authorization from the victim's next of kin. The call that was the subject of today's Times article and that the paper placed online was released by the City to the to the victim's parents who then made a personal decision to share it with the New York Times. Below are some questions and answers that cover the release of these calls. Should you have any more questions, contact Ada Rehnberg at the Mayor's Community Assistance Unit. Ada can be reached at 212-788-7410 or by email at arehnberg@cityhall.nyc.gov Q -- What records concerning Sept. 11th will be released on Fri., March 31, 2006? A -- The City is releasing portions of the calls made to the 911emergency response system on Sept. 11, 2001, concerning the attack on the World Trade Center. Q - Are these being released pursuant to a legal decision? A -- Yes. In 2002, The New York Times and nine family members sought to obtain the records under the State's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) against the New York City Fire Department. The Times and the other petitioners had argued that disclosure was in the public's best interest. The City had argued that privacy needs of the callers should be paramount given the intensely emotional and private nature of the calls and the related communications... click to read more questions and answers. MEDIA COVERAGE OF TWIN TOWERS 911 RECORDINGS RELEASE Please note that some of this coverage of the 911 calls is graphic and could be difficult for family members. As always, VOICES Mental Health Professionals are available Monday through Friday from March 30 -- 9/11 Tapes Revive Lost Voices, and Families' Pain -- 27 families learned in the last few days that the city had tape recordings of 911 phone calls made by loved ones from inside the twin towers. Faced with a court order issued three years ago and the prospect of new ultimatums, city lawyers this week offered tapes of the individual calls to the next of kin (New York Times) March 31 -- NYC Releases 9 / 11 WTC Emergency Calls -- Nearly nine hours of emergency calls, some made from inside the doomed World Trade Center, were released by the city Friday (Associated Press) March 31 -- In Operators' Voices, Echoes of Calls for Help -- The city released partial recordings today of about 130 telephone calls made to 911 on Sept. 11, stripped of the voices of the people inside the World Trade Center but still evocative of their invisible struggles for life (New York Times)
JUNIOR LEAGUE HOSTS "READY CONNECTICUT" -- AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EVENT Are you ready for an emergency …a natural disaster, pandemic, terrorist attack or nuclear explosion? Do you know what services your community has in place and what you can do to prepare yourself and your family? These are some of the issues, which will be discussed on Monday, April 3rd at 7:30 pm at the New Canaan (CT) Library, during an event sponsored by the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. (JLSN) in collaboration with the Red Cross, the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Management, and Homeland Security’s Region I and local directors of Emergency Preparedness. Town representatives will be present from Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, Weston, Westport and Wilton. Between 7:00 and 7:30 pm a welcome reception will be held in the library’s Adrian Lamb room where attendees will have an opportunity to examine samples of emergency preparedness kits. The evening will educate the community on the many ways to prepare for an emergency as well as provide information on both regional and local plans for dealing with a variety of potential emergencies. Jim Cole, Director of Emergency Management for New Canaan, will provide an overview of the emergency plans for the 14 towns in Region I (Fairfield County) which is a template for the state of Connecticut. A demonstration on how to protect family records on a computer chip will be given and samples of survival food packages will be shown. In addition, Red Cross Emergency Services Director Michele DeLuca of the Mid-Fairfield Chapter will show examples of Emergency Preparedness Go-Kits and First Aid Go-Kits. Other speakers include Mary Fetchet, Founding Director of VOICES of September 11th, and Emergency Management Directors from area towns. The event is free to the public; reservations are not necessary. The New Canaan Library is at 151 Main Street, New Cannan, CT. Parking is available in municipal lots on Maple Street off South Avenue (adjacent to library) and at the corner of Main Street and Cherry Street. For further information, please call Nancy Gilbert at (203) 966-8579. Are you having an emergency preparedness related event in your town?
9/11 MEMORIAL QUILTS NEEDS YOUR HELP: SEEKING AON COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHS VOICES is happy to pass along this appeal from our friends at America's 9/11 Memorial Quilts regarding their wonderful tribute to our loved ones. Almost every other section of the Memorial Quilt is finished. We are in need of AON Victims photos. (Click for a list of AON employees needed for the quilt). This is a final call for AON photos to be included on the memorial quilt which is to be dedicated to all 9-11 families on Sept 9, 2006.
Photos can be emailed to 911quiltmaker@charter.net OR mailed to the address below: WEEKLY NEWS BRIEFS March 27 -- Moussaoui says he was to hijack 5th plane -- A cool and collected Zacarias Moussaoui appeared to move himself a step closer to execution yesterday with testimony claiming he was part of the Sept. 11 plot (NY Newsday). March 28 -- More remains discovered near WTC site -- Some victims' family members call for additional searches after human remains are found at Deutsche Bank Building (AP). March 27 -- Pataki: Freedom Tower Is Economically Viable -- Reacting to state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's claim that the planned Freedom Tower at Ground Zero could be an economic "white elephant," Gov. George Pataki said Monday it "can be done in an economically viable way" (AP). March 24 -- '9/11 Cancer' kills Bronx EMT' -- A selfless Bronx paramedic has become the third EMT to die from a Ground Zero illness in the last 12 months (AP).
SAVE THE DATE!
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