March 9, 2007
DEAR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS,
This week the Senate debated amendments to S. 4, legislation to implement the unfulfilled 9/11 Commission recommendations. You may be aware of the "political gridlock" that has settled in as unrelated amendments were offered that could ultimately jeopardize the passage of the legislation. Yesterday, in a letter addressed to Senator Mitch McConnell, I joined several other family members in calling for the removal of "highly provocative, irrelevant amendments." I believe this legislation is critical to ensuring the safety of our communities and country. Your opinion is important, so we encourage you to contact your Senators and let your voices be heard.
Below we have featured a memorial created by Windsor, Connecticut High School students. I was honored to attend its unveiling and learn about the heartwarming story of its creation. The memorial began as a classroom assignment and evolved to include a local sculptor, the school and the broader community. Its creation is not only a tribute to those who perished, but also embodies the heartfelt support we felt from our communities following 9/11. It is a special privilege to meet all those involved with the creation of the memorial and to document the story of its creation on our 9/11 Living Memorial website.
As always, please feel free to contact our office if we can be of any assistance.
Our best wishes to you and your families,
Mary Fetchet
Founding Director
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| VOICES PROGRAMS AND EVENTS |
Save The Date: 9/11 Living Memorial Workshops
*TIME CHANGE* In New Jersey
9/11 Living Memorial Workshop
Saturday, March 31, 2007
*New* Time: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Location: Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ
The program will include a brief presentation on the 9/11 Living Memorial (www.911livingmemorial.org) and opportunities to begin creating a Living Memorial Page with Debbie Westfal, Family Liaison for the 9/11 Living Memorial. Refreshments will be served. More details will be announced soon. Call or email Michelle Doherty toll free
(866) 505-3911 to register. To read about a previous workshop held in New Canaan, CT, please click here.
April Dates in Westchester and Long Island:
In Westchester
9/11 Living Memorial Workshop
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: Larchmont Yacht Club
1 Woodbine Avenue,
Larchmont, NY
In Long Island
9/11 Living Memorial Workshop
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Two sessions: 12:30pm to 3pm
and 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: WTC Family Center
2277 Grand Avenue,
Baldwin, NY
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9/11 Living Memorial Feature |
Windsor, CT High School 9/11 Memorial: "To Those Who Were"
 This week we are proud to feature a wonderful memorial at Windsor, Connecticut High School dedicated to the memory of "every person who lost their life on 9/11." This uniquely beautiful memorial is the product of dedicated work from the Windsor students, teachers, and a local artist. The page explains the origin of the memorial project as well as the creative and heartfelt way in which every life lost on 9/11 is individually commemorated in the Windsor, CT High School 9/11 Memorial, titled "To Those Who Were"
In September 2003, Diane Peskurich, a special education teacher at Windsor High School gave her social skills class an assignment to improve the school and the community. The class decided to create a simple tribute to the victims of September 11th. When a local sculptor heard about the project, he offered to work with the students and the result was far more ambitious. Lon Pelton, a Windsor artist who makes sculptures with scrap metal, collaborated with the students in the development of the memorial. The plans moved from a wooden plaque to a sculpture.
 Mr. Pelton joined the bottoms of two discarded oil drums to create a thin cylinder. He then cut out the images of the Twin Towers. Once the cylinder was complete, the students drilled a hole for each person who died in the attack, reading the name of each victim as they drilled. Mr. Pelton installed lights in between the two oil drums, as well as night sensors for the lights. The memorial sculpture was placed in the courtyard of Windsor High and is entitled “To Those Who Were”. At the foot of the sculpture is a plaque entitled “Embrace”, designed by Patrick Daly, a Windsor High School senior art student. During the day, sunlight streams through the cutout to cast a shadow of the Twin Towers on the ground and at night the light glows through the holes as if the World Trade Center were surrounded by stars.
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| Action alert UPDATE |
Amendments to Senate 9/11 Bill Results in "Political Gridlock"
A series of procedural moves and political infighting has led to further delays on the Senate bill implementing the unfulfilled 9/11 Commission recommendations (S.4). Senators were unable to agree to consider the amendments as one package, which would allow the bill to move to a final vote. This is largely the result of the proposal of unrelated amendments to the legislation. In a letter to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), VOICES Founding Director Mary Fetchet and Family Advisory member Carol Ashley joined other 9/11 familes in calling for the removal of “highly provocative, irrelevant amendments.” (Read Full Text) Although a final vote is possible on Friday, it will likely not occur until early next week. The threat of a veto still remains, however, over the inclusion of collective bargaining rights for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers. Check the VOICES website for more information as it becomes available.
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| EVENTS FOR 9/11 COMMUNITY |
9/11 Family Members, Friends, and Survivors Invited to Special Events
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
“Keeping the Memories Alive” Salute to Uniformed Public Service, Survivors and Families who lost loved ones, September 11, 2001
Time: 6pm to 9pm
September Space Lower Manhattan, 11th Floor
11 Broadway (between Exchange Place and Bowling Green)
New York, NY 10004 Phone: 646-289-3098
WORLD MEMORIAL will hold a meeting at WORLD CARES – September Space – Lower Manhattan to review fifth-year 9/11 ceremonies and discuss ideas for this year’s memorial exhibit at Inwood Hill Park. Agenda will include: planning, program, displays, schedule, logistics, music, and the process to add family names to the Release of Souls 9/11 Memorial. The “One Day Change Our World” HONOR ROLL banner will be on display. This beautiful poster (click here to view) includes names and official titles of all 9/11 victims. Joint creation by WORLD MEMORIAL, ART AID, NASA, and International artists! Snacks and beverages provided. Space is limited, please contact… Mitch Mendler, WORLD MEMORIAL President, mitchy@publicsafety.net,
619-944-7011 Cell Phone,
619-331-5000 Pager
www.world-memorial.org,
www.releaseofsouls.org,
www.worldcares.org
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Private Painting and Healing Event as part of Garden in Transit Program
Time: 12pm to 3pm
Location: 149 W. 32nd St. (b/w 6th and 7th aves.)
Website: www.portraitsofhope.org
RSVP (yes only): Melanie@portraitsofhope.org
Highlights will include a silent art auction, refreshments, and live entertainment.
 Garden in Transit is an incredible new project by the nonprofit organization Portraits of Hope. Merging the best of healing arts with public art, thousands of participants at hospitals, schools, and community institutions will paint vibrant flowers symbolizing life, beauty, hope, joy, inspiration, and healing on weatherproof panels that will be installed on the rooftops, hoods, and trunks of New York’s iconic yellow cab creating a magnificent "garden in transit" for the NYC metered taxi's centennial in Fall 2007.
The project will create a massive beautification and visual rebirth of New York’s Cityscape. This new life has a unique meaning for those whose lives were touched most closely by the tragic events at the World Trade Center. We invite 9/11 survivors and the families and friends of victims to come and paint at a private healing event at our studio.
A special stamp will distinguish the artwork of honorees at this event in recognition of their special role in the Garden in Transit project.
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| HOMELAND SECURITY UPDATE |
News in Brief
March 6 - Send $$$ Not Screeners MTA tells feds - The MTA has rejected the feds' offer to provide government screeners to inspect
railroad riders for explosives - and wants more money instead... (New York Daily News)
March 6 - New York Officials Urge Renewal of Federal Terrorism Insurance - New York officials urged Congress yesterday to renew a terrorism insurance program set to expire at the end of this year that they said allowed the city’s economy to recover and grow in the years after the Sept. 11 terror attack... (New York Times)
March 5 - Experts: U.S. unprepared for nuclear terror attack - Although the Bush administration has warned repeatedly about the threat of a terrorist nuclear attack and spent more than $300 billion to protect the homeland, the government remains ill-prepared to respond to a nuclear catastrophe. Experts and government documents suggest that, absent a major preparedness push, the U.S. response to a mushroom cloud could be worse than the debacle after Hurricane Katrina, possibly contributing to civil disorder and costing thousands of lives... (McClatchy Newspapers)
March 3 - Driver's License Law Delayed - Legislators in Maine took the lead among states this year in rebelling against tougher driver's license requirements established by Congress in 2005. Last week, Republican Susan Collins, one of the state's two U.S. senators, did the same on a national level by offering legislation to delay implementation of the law (PL 109-13) known as the Real ID Act. Collins, the ranking member of the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, offered her provision Feb. 28 as an amendment to the pending homeland security bill (S 4). The next day, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced a temporary reprieve for states to meet the requirements, and Collins withdrew her amendment... (Congressional Quarterly)
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