Last week, I spoke at a conference in Chicago, Illinois and had the opportunity to meet several wonderful individuals who survived Hurricane Katrina. I was struck by their frustration and the similarities in the challenges we face.

This week, we were confronted with more news related to 9/11 – the discovery of additional remains at Ground Zero, the Moussaoui case and the release of a film about Flight 93. Although we have included details about many of these news items to keep you informed, we encourage you to read them with discretion. In an effort to provide some guidance on media exposure, Dr. Robin Goodman, VOICES Director of Family Programs, has included some suggestions below.

Some family members may also have been concerned by reports that cockpit voice recordings from Flight 93 and 911 calls from the World Trade Center used in the Moussaoui trial would be released to the media. VOICES contacted the U.S. Attorney’s office and was assured that the Flight 93 recording would only be released if those Family Members did not object. If you are a Flight 93 Family Member and have concerns about the release, please contact VOICES and we will put you in touch with the U.S. Attorney's office. We have also been assured that only two 911 tapes would be entered into evidence, and that those two families, when contacted directly, gave their permission for them to be released.

Finally, we wish those of you celebrating Passover this coming week health and happiness as you gather with family and friends. As always, please contact our office at (866) 505-3911 or by email if we can be of any assistance.

Warm Regards,

Mary Fetchet

StoryCorps, the national oral history project, is conducting a special initiative to collect the life stories of those who were lost on September 11 by inviting family members, friends, and coworkers to record memories of their loved ones.

On Thursday, April 27th and Saturday, April 29th, StoryCorps is making a special visit to VOICES of September 11th to give our families the opportunity to record their memories. Recording sessions will take place on Thursday, April 27th from 12:30 to 7:30 pm and on Saturday, April 29th from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. The VOICES office is located at 93 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT. Reservations are required. (Click for more information)

When: Monday, May 8th, 11:30 am
Where: The Canyon Club, 568 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY
Contact: Al Riccobono at al.tooner@verizon.net or call (914) 403-8061

Joe was an avid golfer who enjoyed spending time on the course with his friends. The annual golf outing in his honor is a continued remembrance of who he was and how he lived his life, and proceeds from the outing further his memory by providing scholarships to athletes who incorporate his ideals in their lives (From the Joe Riverso Memorial Site).

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.

On Monday, the jury in the Zacarias Moussaoui case found the defendant eligible for the death penalty for withholding information the 9/11 attacks from investigators. Phase Two of the trial began Thursday with prosecutors’ arguments that 9/11 was so devastating that Moussaoui deserves to die. Some 9/11 families agree with the prosecution that Moussaoui should be executed. Others believe that he is actively seeking death at the hands of the U.S., and that a sentence of life in prison would prevent him from being made a martyr and rallying point for other terrorists. Read what is being said about the trial ON THE RECORD, and click the links to find the quotes in context.

Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor of NYC: "By the time the second plane hit, we knew for sure it was a terrorist attack." Reuters

Rob Spencer, prosecutor: "It was his choice to become a terrorist and it was a choice he was proud of." Associated Press

Gerald Zerkin, defense lawyer: "The government's evidence will present an extraordinary challenge for you. You must somehow maintain equilibrium... You must nevertheless open yourselves to the possibility of a sentence other than death." Reuters

Alice Hoagland, Mother of Mark Bingham, Flight 93: "We in America can now demonstrate that we are a nation of mercy, as well as a nation of laws and justice. We've already demonstrated our justice by allowing him to condemn himself out of his own mouth. And if we can transcend the kind of hatred he has shown toward us by allowing him to live, we will have given him a higher standard by which to live." CBS "The Early Show"

Abraham Scott, Husband of Janice Scott, Pentagon: [Moussaoui is] "like a dog with rabies - one that cannot be cured, and the only cure is to put him or her to their death... The other 19 terrorists are not here to give us justice. But I do believe, with him being put to the death penalty, it will bring justice to this particular incident." McClatchy Newspapers

Ken Fairben, Father of Keith Fairben, WTC paramedic: "I have mixed emotions. I didn't want the death penalty because that's what he wants the most because of this martyr thing that he has." NY Post

The judge in the Zacarias Moussaoui trial ruled Friday that families of September 11 attack victims are entitled to the same unclassified aviation security documents the government turned over to the al Qaeda conspirator's defense team. (More)

Universal Pictures "United 93," the first major motion picture to dramatize the events of 9/11, is causing mixed reactions even before its scheduled premiere in late April. A trailer for the film shown last weekend caught some moviegoers unprepared with its graphic envisioning of the last hours of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew overwhelmed the hijackers and stormed the cockpit. The trailer presents the dramatization of the hijacking of Flight 93 as well as replaying television images of a burning WTC Tower One and United 175 on a collision course with WTC Tower Two. After four and a half years, is America ready for a 9/11 movie? (More)

By Dr. Robin F. Goodman, VOICES Director of Family Programs

Although September 11th, 2001 has become a part of history, reminders of the horrific day are ever present. It often seems impossible to avoid images, stories, photos, commentary, memorabilia and other things related to the attacks and hijackings in New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

It can be particularly difficult when caught off guard – especially when doing something that was hoped to be enjoyable. For example, when waiting for a movie to begin, many found themselves being shown a preview of, United 93, a film based on the plane that crashed in Shanksville. For some impacted by the events of 9/11, the preview was distressing. The same reactions can occur when watching television news, coming upon a photo in a newspaper or even overhearing conversations. The lack of control and choice over viewing or hearing reminders is often what is most upsetting. It would not be unusual to have the reminders stir up a range of feelings similar to those experienced after the original events. When coming up against such unexpected reminders, it can be helpful to keep the following in mind. (More)

A "making of" featurette accompanying the trailer in some theaters claims "United 93" was made in close consultation with the victim's families, and presents the endorsements of individual family members. The film is scheduled for release on April 28th, but will be shown in a sneak preview at the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25. A letter to 9/11 Families from the organizers of the festival, including actor Robert De Niro, explains that, "We made the decision to choose this symbolic film with a great deal of deliberation and as an expression of solidarity. We are honored to showcase a film that portrays the story of the bravery of the men and women who sacrificed their lives aboard United Flight 93." The letter states that some Flight 93 families will be attending the premiere, although Universal has planned a private screening for families to watch the film.

This week, 74 bone fragments and human remains were found by construction workers cleaning toxic waste from the vacant Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street near the World Trade Center site, officials said Tuesday. The city medical examiner's office plans to extract DNA from 74 pieces of remains recovered this week and try to match it against a database of the 2,749 people killed at the trade center on September 11, 2001, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office, as reported by the Associated Press.

Some Sept. 11 family members have urged the LMDC to have forensic experts search the building first. On Thursday, a group of Family advocates asked Mayor Michael Bloomberg “that a team from the Medical Examiner’s Office be placed at this location full time for the remainder of the demolition to handle any additional remains unearthed by the forensic experts,” in a press release distributed by Where-to-Turn.

In response to the Families' concerns, the LMDC announced today in an email to family members that a certified archeologist and an FDNY official "will oversee the final inspection of the roof ballast and other areas where fragments may be discovered."

The medical examiner's office is storing more than 9,000 unidentified remains and hope that more sophisticated DNA technology can allow for identifications in the future. If you would like to be kept informed about the progress of the deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street, please visit the LMDC website and sign up for an e-update. On the right side of the page, click on Deutsche Bank/130 Liberty Street Deconstruction. The WTC hotline for the office of the Chief Medical Examiner is (212) 447-7884.