Westchester Remembers Local Residents lost on 9-11
Community pays tribute at unveiling of 9-11 Memorial at Kensico

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Westchester County officials, residents and families of 9/11 victims gathered Sunday, September 11, 2005 at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla to dedicate the “Circle of Remembrance” portion of The Rising, Westchester’s September 11th memorial.

The dedication ceremony included performances of music specially written about 9-11, a reading of the names of victims by some of the children of those lost, and the traditional Tolling of the Fire Bell. The ceremony featured 11-year-old Taylor Rasmussen singing Beside Me to Guide Me in memory of her father who died on 9/11. Taylor, who was born in Westchester County and now lives in Hinsdale, Illinois, was just seven years old when she wrote the song for her father, who was in New York for a business meeting at the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks.

During the dedication, County Executive Andy Spano recalled the horror of September 11: “None of us will soon forget the day when the world as we knew it changed forever, how we felt – the overwhelming sense of loss, the grief, the sadness.”

He told family members that the dedication offered an opportunity to pay tribute to their loved ones. When completed next spring, The Rising will stand 80 feet high and have more than 100 steel rods, each representing one of the 111 Westchester County residents who lost their lives.

“The memorial will stand as a permanent tribute to all of those who perished as well as a testimony to the amazing strength and resilience of those they left behind,” said Spano. “It will be a community memorial – a place where all of us can remember, reflect and find hope for the future.”

The day’s events also featured the works of talented composers. Race for the Sky by Richard Pearson Thomas, featuring soloist Lisa Radakovich Holsberg and violinist Katie Kresek, was performed by a special ensemble of Westchester Philharmonic musicians accompanied by high school students from the community, led by Paul Lustig Dunkel, music director and conductor. Parting, a three-minute piece for handbells, was written by Barbara Werner, a former New Jersey resident whose father was killed in Tower One of the World Trade Center. Parting was played by the Katonah Celebration Ringers, under the direction of Eileen Laurence.

Spano said the dedication and commitment of many people were behind The Rising. He introduced Frederic Schwartz, the architect who designed The Rising, noting that he and his staff had donated countless hours to this project.

He thanked James Houlihan, who acted as master of ceremony, for heading up the fundraising committee and other support. He also acknowledged the county Board of Legislators; Friends of Westchester County Parks, who are accepting the donations for the memorial; the Louis R. Cappelli Foundation; The George A. Fuller Company; Joseph Anello, who served as project manager; and all the donors and supporters.
 
The ceremony ended with a viewing of the Circle of Remembrance, the portion of the memorial that bears the names of the residents killed in the tragedies and inscriptions about them provided by their families. To make a contribution toward the memorial.