9/11 Memorial Service

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Mayor Wildes hosted the Seventh Anniversary 9/11 Memorial Service on the front lawn of the Englewood Public Library last Sunday, September 7th, 2008. The memorial took place on the library lawn by the memorial garden established by Mayor Wildes in 2004 containing engraved stones honoring each of the eight victims from the community who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Last year, a park bench donated by the Andrew Kim Foundation was dedicated to the memory of Andrew Kim and others in our community who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and who will be forever remembered in our hearts.

City Council members, key Fire, Police, and Englewood emergency service personnel who responded to ground zero, Englewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, members of victims' families, Library Board of Trustees officials, local clergy and State and County officials joined in this special event. Honor Guard units of both the Englewood Police and Fire Departments lead the program.

A special guest, Bernard B. Kerik, joined Englewood at the memorial service. The 40th Police Commissioner of the City of New York experienced the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and responded by innovative and creative management and oversight to the rescue and recovery work on the investigation of the tragic events at the World Trade Center.

Kerik (served as Iraq 's interim Minister of Interior and Senior Policy Advisor) earned more than 100 awards for his service, and received a metal of Valor and a Presidential Commendation for Heroism, from President Ronald Reagan.Today he deals with national security issues, focusing on the threat of international terrorism which we face here in the United States.

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Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes 9-11 Memorial Remarks (2008)

Seven years ago, terror struck American soil. Since that time, our nation has fought against a foe who seeks to undermine our democracy, combating an enemy who desires no peace, and battled an evil that which claims the lives of innocents. As our soldiers serve bravely overseas, America's mettle continues to be tested.

And we have withstood that test. Devastated as we were after that heartless assault, our economy swung back, our morale was restored and our people revitalized. We are, and have always been, a country constantly growing, and the ruthless attack of 9-11 has failed to slow our progress.

Now different and new challenges face us. Our economy struggles to get back on its feet. New leadership will assume power in a few short months and sweep in a re-energized administration affecting our economic, domestic and foreign interests. We don't know what some of these transformations will bring. We pray that they are for the best and bring only good with them.

But we can exercise some control or change in our own community. And this year is one of personal growth alongside our nation's growth. In our community, we start with one simple change: meaning. In 2008, we add fresh and revitalized meaning to something which has been with us for some time.

This cenotaph to the eight individuals taken on September 11, 2001, has been a place of solace and respite for their families and friends. This year, we make it a memorial to new heroes as well. It will take on new meaning as we dedicate it to those fallen since 9-11; to sons and daughters of Bergen County and soldiers from every corner of the United States, who fought and died serving their country.

In past years we remembered and memorialized our lost loved ones to ensure that our community, families and visitors never forget the tragedy which struck so vital a chord in the hearts of our people. We planted a

tree symbolizing life and growth; set stones, representing strength and perseverance; and dedicated a bench signifying permanence and settlement. This continues to be a place of consolation for us, but let us take something more from it.

I invite each of you to take a seat on this bench sometime and remember, for a moment, that there are men and women fighting to protect your safety and comfort. Admire the strength of this tree and know that those soldiers work to make America as strong and sturdy as she can be. These people are heroes, and today we recognize their fallen brothers and sisters, not in their memory, but with veneration to their spirit and courage, that their heroism may serve as inspiration to us all.

We meet annually outside this library, appraise these monuments and remember the people they memorialize and the messages they personify. We join together here, in a place of learning and enlightenment, challenging the ignorance expressed by hateful acts of terrorism.

And yet, here in the library lies an opportunity for still further lessons. This building holds virtually endless volumes, recording our history and chronicling the values of the world. It is a whisper, in brick and mortar, to learn from the past and advance confidently and optimistically into the future.

This year I ask that each and every one of us amplifies that whisper into a cry. Internalize the lessons of lost friends and family. Look not to the tragedies of their deaths, but to the successes of their lives. Live a year of meaning and growth that would make them proud.

We lost parents, brothers, sisters, spouses, sons, daughters and friends. We remember them and the full lives they led. We remember that they lived in our city, walked in our streets, relaxed in our parks, ate in our restaurants, shopped in our stores, voted in our elections. They were our neighbors. They were part of our community.

They should never be forgotten, but let them not only be remembered. Each of them stood for something; be it steadfast dedication, unwavering kindness or committed love, in the workplace and at home. We must infuse these qualities and others into our every day life and utilize the invaluable lessons of their lives to make our own lives greater and more meaningful.

I will now read the names of those lost on September 11th.

Paid for by Friends of Michael J. Wildes For Mayor, Assemblyman Arnold Brown, Treasurer

250 Allison Court, Englewood, NJ 07631