Today We Remember

In Basking Ridge, N.J., as elsewhere, it was a day that tore so many hearts apart, and yet also brought us together as a community.

As the back of the meeting room at the town hall, there is a photo of the candlelight vigil held shortly after Sept. 11, 2011, attended by so many of our neighbors, in which we stood silently trying to concentrate on the flicker of lights rather than our collective pain.

There also were so many acts of kindnesses that followed, both on an individual and communitywide basis.

With the help of friends, Eileen Hannaford of Basking Ridge started the Kevin J. Hannaford Sr. Foundation, dedicated to helping out children who had lost a parent to death, one way or another.

There is another plaque that hangs in our community, at St. James Roman Catholic Church that was dedicated last September as a place for those who will to reflect on 9/11 — and remember their loved ones — to enter at will and pray or just sit in a chair and be in a serene place.

At noon today, the Liberty Corner Fire Company will dedicate its firefighters' 9/11 memorial in a public ceremony at the firehouse at 95 Church Street in Basking Ridge. Mayor John Malay will be a keynote speaker.

The memorial, created mostly by firefighters with assistance of some professionals who discounted and donated services and materials, was more than a year in the planning, using a piece of metal from the Twin Towers site was distributed to fire companies who promised to use the material for a memorial.

Liberty Corner's First Assistant Chief, Marc Friedman, said this would be the only firefighters 9/11 memorial in nearby towns, as far as he knows.

Then, at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, the entire community is invited to an Evening Service of Reflection and Hope, with the participation of clergy and houses of worship from around the township, to be held at the Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge on West Oak Street in Basking Ridge Center.

Those who attend will hear public speaking about the experiences of that day, and the changes wrought on individual lives.

In addition, students will share their vision for the future, in the hope that the community gathered will move from somber reflection and feelings of sorrow to a stance of hope and civic engagement.

Or, you can stop by Bonnie Brae School's , where students earlier placed a small American flag in memory of each of those reported as perished on 9/11.