AMHERST TIMES
9-11 Commemorative Committee Chairperson and Amherst Councilmember Deborah Bruch Bucki announces that the Town of Amherst will conduct its annual “9/ll Ceremony of Remembrance” on Tuesday, September 11, 2018, at 9:30 AM, at the Amherst Memorial Hill Grove. The Grove is located along the Ellicott Creek Trailway, 7/10 of one mile from the entrance at North Forest Road (between West Klein Road and Maple Road).
A living memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, the grove consists of an American flag, a monument, and 120 trees surrounding a memorial bench. Two pathways that traverse the grove form a memorial ribbon. A stone wall offers seating that faces the monument and the trees, and thereby permits visitors an opportunity to stop and reflect upon the lives of those who perished. According to Mr. Leonard Castrianno, a member of the 9-11 Commemorative Committee who lost his son Leonard in the attack on the World Trade Center North Tower, “Memorial Hill Grove was the first memorial dedicated to the 9-11 victims, and held its groundbreaking on October 20, 2001. To that date, there had not been an announcement of any other memorials in remembrance of the 9-11 victims.
Describing the importance of the 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance, Councilmember Bucki commented, “This year, America marks the seventeenth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 200l. Americans must remember the civilians, firefighters, police officers, and dedicated flight crews who died on that terrible day. It is my honor to serve as chairperson for this event.” The program will include the presentation of colors by the Town of Amherst Police Department Honor Guard, as well as the reading of names of the 9/11 victims from Western New York.
Supervisor Brian Kulpa stated, “Each year, the Town of Amherst remembers those individuals lost in the tragic event of September 11. This ceremony pays great tribute to the victims who lost their lives and their families, and offers an environment of solitude and respect. I’d like to thank the Amherst 9/11 Commemorative Committee for arranging this opportunity for our residents, and providing such a beautiful grove for this annual ceremony”.
For those who are in need, the Town of Amherst will provide limited transportation to the grove from the Ellicott Creek Trailway parking lot, located on North Forest Road. Some seating is available at the site, but participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs if they wish. The ceremony is open to the public, will last approximately thirty minutes, and will be held rain or shine.
The Town of Amherst 9/11 Commemorative Committee is also coordinating a “Flag Staking” event on Thursday, September 6, 2018, from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM by volunteers from the Youth Engaged in Service Program, under the coordination of Antonella Abbott, the Director of Volunteers for the Amherst Youth and Recreation Department. A sea of American flags will surround the Flag of Remembrance that includes the names of all those who died on 9/11.
These flags will be displayed on the lawn in front of the Amherst Municipal Building at 5583 Main Street in Williamsville.
Originally published on Amherst Times. Republished with permission.
