On Friday, Sept. 11, many of our local heroes will be paying tribute to those who lost, or risked, their lives on that unforgettable day, as the rest of the world mourned. Here are just a few of the local remembrances being held, all of which are free and open to the public.
Bellport
The Bellport, Hagerman, and Brookhaven fire departments, South Country Ambulance, VFW Post 8300, and Village of Bellport will be hosting their annual 9/11 service in honor of those who were lost. The event will be held on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Bellport Village Dock, in front of the memorial, featuring a piece of steel from the tower that was bent and mangled and has been preserved by the village.
The ceremony will honor all who perished that day and due to cancer-related illnesses, including:
Brookhaven
The Brookhaven Fire Department will be holding a ceremony at 6 p.m. at the firehouse headquarters.
East Patchogue
The Hagerman Fire Department will hold their service at 6 p.m. near the memorial outside the firehouse on Ralph T. Perry Drive.
Patchogue
The veterans’ organizations of Patchogue, including Patchogue American Legion Post 269 and VFW Post 2913 and Amvets Post 111, will be hosting the Village of Patchogue’s annual 9/11 memorial service to be held at the 9/11 Memorial Park on Cedar Avenue at 9 a.m.
The Congregational Church of Patchogue is also hosting a 25th anniversary 9/11 interfaith service of remembrance on Friday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. led by Rev. Dwight A. Wolter.
The Patchogue Fire Department will be hosting its annual 9/11 service at the firehouse located on Jennings Avenue at 6:30 p.m. The service will take place at noon in front of the 9/11 memorial featuring a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and inscriptions to Lt. Michael K. Healey, Alfred R. Maler, and Eric A. Stahlman, Patchogue residents who perished that day.
Medford
The Medford Fire Department will be holding a ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Medford Fireman’s Park across the street from the firehouse.
Our community remembers the day the towers fell
Marc Siegel, owner of Blum’s in Patchogue, remembered being at 7-Eleven with a friend having a coffee. Lori Belmonte, owner of the Colony Shop, was home getting ready for work that morning watching the TV in disbelief.
John Sarno, owner of the Village Idiot Pub, Drift 82, and Chops, was going to CW Post for his teaching degree while bartending at night at Nappers in Smithtown. He said he was still sleeping when the first tower went down; his friend called and it went to his answering machine. He sat on his couch and watched as the next plane hit in disbelief while also concerned about his cousin who worked on Water Street.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” he said. “Unfortunately, too many forgot.”
Alison Buck, owner of TOLA. in Bellport Village, remembered the day just as vividly.
On 9/11, she was working in Corporate America as director of events for a speech recognition company in Boston.
“As word began spreading around the office about the World Trade Center, the phone in my office was ringing off the hook. I frequently flew Flight 11 to L.A. for work, so some of my family members were calling to make sure I was in the office and not on the flight that morning,” she said. “I remember the office manager came over the loudspeaker and told everyone to go home and be with loved ones, but I stayed and just stared out my office window for hours, dumbfounded, listening to the news, watching everyone scurry about below crying and running to catch the red line.”
This 9/11, she said she will be in NYC for a tradeshow and will take the train back to work at TOLA. Pines.
“There is always a pause in the city streets at 8:46 a.m. for a moment of silence,” she added.
Also, she and her family will be attending the memorial down at Bellport Marina.
Patchogue Village trustee Kevin Weeks clears his schedule every 9/11 to make himself available to any 9/11 remembrance event planned by the community organizations, and this year is no different, with a total of four scheduled events over two days. He said he plans to attend all of them.
“Of course, it’s important to pause, reflect, and remember everyone we lost that day, when the very worst of humanity showed its face to us, to our nation, and to our city. But it’s important to remember that the very best of humanity was also on display that day: selflessness, sacrifice, bravery, courage, and love,” he said. “Evil came to our shores, and specifically to our city, but love answered the call, from firehouses and precincts in all five boroughs, and also from Long Island. A very wise man once said, ‘There is no greater love than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends.’ To me, that is the lasting legacy of 9/11: Love responded to hatred, and ultimately won. And so, we remember those we lost, while honoring and celebrating the sacrifice, and the love, that showed us the best of who we are.”
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