November 9, 2007

Dear Families and Friends,

This week we held a workshop in Brooklyn, New York. Our staff was touched by the stories and the personal keepsakes the families shared to include in the 9/11 Living Memorial. They brought exceptional photographs, newspaper articles, and tributes as well as medals and awards to include in the digital archive.  
 
Many of those attending were firefighter families who maintain a strong relationship with each other and have found comfort in visiting the firehouses where their sons worked. We were encouraged by the two mothers who came to know one another through the loss of their sons. Stories like this reinforce my belief that these new friendships have been a gift and that we've come to know those who died through those who survived. These friendships have allowed us to learn about our loved ones from a different perspective and create fullness to their memory.
 
We are looking forward to hosting a workshop in Staten Island this coming Wednesday.  Please contact our office if you are interested in attending.  Again, our thanks to all of those who attended and shared your mementos with us.  Your continued courage is an inspiration to all.

Warm regards,

Mary and the VOICES staff
 

VOICES programs and events

VOICES holds 9/11 Living Memorial Workshop in Brooklyn

VOICES hosted two highly successful 9/11 Living Memorial workshop sessions in Brooklyn on Wednesday November 7. VOICES staff helped families to create tribute pages for their loved ones. We worked digitized documents and photographed mementos and keepsakes to preserve them for future generations. Many thanks to Our Lady Help of Christians for generously hosting the workshop and for all their help with the event.

Next Week: 9/11 Living Memorial Workshop Sessions in Staten Island, NY

VOICES will hold two workshop sessions in Staten Island, NY on November 14, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 397 Clarke Avenue. The workshops will take place from 1:00-3:00pm and from 5:30-7:30pm. Reservations are required.

The workshops will begin with a brief presentation on the 9/11 Living Memorial. Then Debbie Westfal, Family Liaison, will help you to begin creating a 9/11 Living Memorial tribute for your loved one. Please bring items you would like to include on your loved one's tribute pages, such as photos, memorial programs, and any other mementos you would like us to photograph or digitize. For a full list of items that we are including in the digital archive visit the list here. To view other family tribute pages visit www.911LivingMemorial.org

If you would like to attend one of these workshop sessons, or you would like to have us run a workshop in your area, please contact Michelle Doherty at VOICES (866) 505-3911, mdoherty@voicesofsept11.org
 
The 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive is dedicated to commemorating the lives and stories of September 11, 2001 and the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

9/11 living memorial feature

Rockaway Partnership Waterfront Tribute Park

The Rockaway Partnership Waterfront Tribute Park, at the corner of Beach 116th Street and Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, New York, is our 9/11 Living Memorial feature this week. Opened in 2005 by Mayor Bloomberg, the Tribute Park feature a mosaic centerpiece, a "Fireman's Walk", and a granite rock engraved with the names of all 343 firefighters who gave their lives on September 11th, 2001.

75 members of The Rockways community lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. It was at this site, overlooking Jamaica Bay, that area residents gathered to look at Lower Manhattan and to seek comfort in community. Later, it became a place to remember those who died. The Rockaway Chamber of Commerce, the Tribute Park Committee, and other members of the community helped transform the site into a place for renewal of spirit and healing. Community-based businesses, artists and private citizens worked together to create a place of retreat, reflection and commemoration.

Tribute Park features a mosaic centerpiece pointing directly at Lower Manhattan, a central path containing custom-inscribed memorial bricks designated "Fireman's Walk," a breathtaking pavilion with a stained-glass dome, and a granite rock carved in the shape of a fireman's helmet engraved with the names of all 343 firefighters who gave their lives on September 11th.

The firefighter memorial, mosaic centerpiece, and pavilion were designed by artist Patrick Clark. Clark's memorial elements were selected through a competition held by the Rockaway Chamber of Commerce. Miller worked with local gardener Nadia Murphy to select the plants for Tribute Park's lush gardens. Benches were installed and an American flag proudly waves within the park's wrought iron gates.

EVENTS AND INFORMATION FOR THE 9/11 COMMUNITY

New York State Representatives Urge Independent Standards for Adding Names to 9/11 Victims List

Representatives Maloney, Nadler and Fossella have urged New York City Mayor Bloomberg to create an independent panel to come up with specific standards for determining whether a death was caused by exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero. Their request comes after a ruling by the city's chief Medical Examiner that the death of retired police detective James Zadroga was not due to the more than 400 hours he worked at the former WTC site.

The Representatives agreed with the Mayor's recent comment that determinations about 9/11-related deaths would unfortunately have to be made for decades to come, and for that reason, an independent body of experts should set the standards for making such decisions. "At a time when the City is in litigation filed by those exposed to ground zero toxins, procedures and standards derived by an independent panel would remove even the appearance of a conflict of interest in 9/11-related cause of death determinations," the Representatives said in a statement.

Mayor Bloomberg Committs to Memorializing Fallen 9/11 Workers

New York City Mayor Bloomberg says that he will find a way to memorialize people like James Zadroga and others whose deaths have been linked to 9/11, but says that their names do not belong with those around the two voids at the National Memorial. The Mayor had first committed to memorializing fallen workers in a private meeting with Zadroga's father, an NYPD detective who contracted a lung disease and died after working more than 400 hours at Ground Zero. Read more at our website.