July 24, 2009
Dear Families and Friends,
Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson recently announced the plans for the September 11th Anniversary Ceremony in New York City. This year's service will reflect the new designation of September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Family members will join volunteers from the five boroughs to read the names of those lost. Although family members can no longer descend to bedrock, the Port Authority is providing access to the newly constructed upper level section of the memorial site. We have included information below.
As many of you may know, we are opening an office in New Brunswick, New Jersey. We are very excited about the expansion of VOICES and look forward to working more closely with the families in the New Jersey area. In the coming weeks we are hosting a number of 9/11 Living Memorial workshops at our new location and will shortly announce our plans for our annual Day of Remembrance activities around the anniversary.
In this week's newsletter we have included a number of articles about homeland security issues. I was recently invited to join a 17 member task force evaluating the current Homeland Security Advisory System. The mission of the task force is to evaluate the effectiveness of the current system in informing the public, government and private sector. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail with your thoughts on the topic.
In an effort to keep our membership informed we would like to publicize upcoming commemorative events. Please forward details about anniversary events that you would like to include in our newsletter or calendar of events.
Warm Regards,
Mary and the Voices Staff
VOICES Programs and events
9/11 Living Memorial Workshop Schedule
VOICES is hosting a number of 9/11 Living Memorial workshops in the tri-state area. In addition to the workshops listed below we would be happy to arrange a workshop in your community. To learn more, or to register for a workshop, please contact Monica Rosado at (203) 966-3911 or mrosado@voicesofsept11.org. You can also visit www.911livingmemorial.org.
VOICES, New Canaan
Date: Wednesday, July 27th
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: VOICES, 161 Cherry Street, New Canaan
VOICES, New Brunswick
Date: Tuesday, July 28th
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: VOICES, 84 Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ
VOICES, New Brunswick
Date: Wednesday, August 5th
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: VOICES, 84 Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ
VOICES, New Canaan
Date: Wednesday, August 12th
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: VOICES, 161 Cherry Street, New Canaan
KBW, New York
Date: Thursday, August 13th for KBW families & employees
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: The office of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, 787 7th Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY
VOICES, New Brunswick
Date: Thursday, August 20th
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: VOICES, 84 Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ
VOICES, New Brunswick
Date: Monday, August 27th
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: Manhasset Public Library, 30 Onderdonk Avenue, Manhasset, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Date:Thursday, August 6th
Time: 11:00am to 5:00pm by Appointment
Location: Our Lady Help of Christians Church Rectory, 1315 East 28th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210
Teleconference Schedule:
Voices of September 11th offers teleconference groups that are facilitated by our mental health professionals. The teleconference groups provide an opportunity for those impacted by 9/11 to talk with others that share their same experience. Please contact our office at (203) 966-3911 if you are interested in participating.
Tuesday, July 28th: Witness/Survivor Teleconference Group, 4:00pm to 5:15pm
In the News
Task Force Formed to Review Homeland Security Advisory System
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the creation of a task force which will evaluate the efficacy of the Homeland Security Advisory System over a 60-day period. The task force is comprised of a wide variety of elected officials, security experts and other professionals, including VOICES of September 11th’s Founding Director, and is designed to analyze the current system and suggest improvements. After completing their review, the task force will present its findings to Secretary Napolitano, who will then discuss the findings with other Cabinet officials in order to suggest a course of action to the White House. To read more, Click Here.
Detention Policy Task Force Submits Review and Receives an Extension
The Department of Justice and Department of Defense recently announced that the Detention Policy Task Force released a preliminary report regarding military commissions and a plan of action for determining adequate methods for prosecuting suspected terrorists. The final report is expected to be submitted by the task force in six months since they recently received an extension authorized by an Executive Order. To read more about this task force, Click Here.
NYC Mayor and Governor Announce Plans for 9/11/09 Ceremony
As September 11th is rapidly approaching, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Patterson announced the plans for the 8th anniversary ceremony in New York. Since September 11th was recently designated a “National Day of Service and Remembrance” by President Obama, the ceremony will seek to embody these ideals and family members by inviting volunteers from the five boroughs of New York City to read the names of those lost in the attacks. The Port Authority is also granting victims’ family members access to the upper level of the memorial site that is currently under construction at ground zero. To read the announcement Click Here, and information about the upcoming ceremony, Click Here.
Steelers Host Flight 93 Fundraiser
After the National Park Service announced its plans to construct a $58 million, 2,200-acre memorial in Shanksville, PA, several Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers players and the team’s president, Art Rooney II, have decided to host a "9/11 We Will Never Forget" dinner at Heinz Field on Sept. 11, 2009 to raise additional funding for the memorial site. To read more about this event, Click Here or visit Here.
Progress of the 9/11 Commission Report After 5 Years
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledged the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 Commission Report in a recent press release. Secretary Napolitano highlighted many of the advancements that the Department has accomplished in its effort to “protect and respond to acts of terrorism and other threats.” To read more of the Secretary’s progress report, Click Here. Also, to review the 9/11 Commission’s original report Click Here or look at the Public Discourse Project’s work Here.
Excessive Oversight Hinders Homeland Security’s Progress
Five years ago the 9/11 Commission Report released its 41 recommendations to Congress about how to combat and prevent terrorism, and today the Executive branch has enacted over 80% of those suggestions. Although there have been many advancements in dealing with terrorism, the DHS’ progress is being impeded by the excessive array of oversight committees. In a recent article, Mary Fetchet stated that the Congress needed to “streamline the process” and that “there are far too many committees involved in issues that are unrelated to homeland security.” To read more about the overabundance of oversight in the DHS, Click Here or visit Here.
The Continuing Debate over REAL ID/PASS ID
When the 9/11 Commission Report made its recommendations, it called for stronger security standards for the issuance of identification cards and driver’s licenses. Although Congress originally passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, it has been met with a great deal of resistance, which has led to the subsequent creation of the PASS ID Act. Even though both sides agree that changes must be made to the current ID system, their view points part ways when it comes to the extent they believe it must be reformed. To read both sides of the argument,
Click Here or visit Here. |
