By Mary Malloy
The 9/11 ceremony was beautiful, according to many residents, with a dedication of the new memorial, a candlelight service, spiritual leaders speaking to the crowd of over 700. World Trade Center survivor Michael Hawxhurst, spoke about his experience, about how he escape the tower he was in jsut moments before he turned to see it collapse.
"It was a nicely done evening," Lynbrook Mayor Eugene Scarpato said. "The DPW did a wonderful job, and the committee met their deadline for the evening. It was just beautiful."
Two days after the event Laura received a phone call from the mayor's secretary MaryAnne Hughes, on behalf of Trustee David Penso. "He was questioning five of the 17 names that were on the memorial," she said. "We did not know if it was just him, or the entire board that was asking these questions. We were very hurt and confused that this was even happening, especially after the ceremony."
Ryder's committee of nine people is made up of residents who care. Five of them lost immediate family members in the tragedy - two lost husbands, two lost sons, and one, a brother. One member is on the Beautification Committee and was in charge of the garden around the memorial.
"We were not given carte blanche by the board regarding the names," Ryder said. "We had guidelines and we followed them, and we made a presentation beforehand. This took one year to do. We all had an interest and took such time in making sure everything was within those guidelines. We were very careful. To have this questioned after the fact went to the root of our hearts."
Ryder said she and her committee were given a list by the board almost a year ago, with names from the previous year. "We could add to this list, based on the criteria we were given." That criteria was threefold: that the victim lived in Lynbrook at the time of their death; or, that he or she grew up in Lynbrook, or lastly, that they went through the Lynbrook school system. "We looked in yearbooks, checked phone books, we were very thorough." Over the course of the last year, while the committee was working on the memorial, members from three different families reached out to Ryder and her committee, wanting to add their relative's name to the memorial. "When I spoke with them, I said we would be honored, and asked the proper questions, according to the criteria given to us."
Ryder said Penso questioned five names, two of which were on the original list given to her by the board. He also asked for the name of an 18th victim whose family had decided not to have their loved one on the memorial. "That is their choice, and I was giving them their privacy."
Ryder did not respond to Penso directly, as she and her committee were going to thank the board at the next meeting, and there she wanted to put the issue to rest. "That was our intention," she said. "If they had any questions or concerns, we could all be there to answer them."
At the meeting, the board congratulated Ryder and her committee for the job they did preparing the memorial. She brought up the
phone call, and said how upsetting it was to her and the committee.
be questioned after the event. "No one ever reached out to us, even at the several board meetings where we made reports," said Ryder. "No one on the board ever brought up the eligibility requirements." Penso replied that a return phone call would have been in order.
"The committee did a phenomenal job bring this project to fruition," said Penso. "When I came on the board, I asked why, after three-and-a-half years, why we don't have a memorial. The mayor appointed the committee. The question I asked of MaryAnne Hughes was of names that I have never seen before. It was to identify who these people were." Ryder said that when her committee was appointed, their job was twofold: to come up with a location for the memorial, and to come up with a design. "Updating, changing, or checking the list was never our job,Ryder said. "We added names when we were approached by those families, after checking out the criteria."
On December 5, the committee gave their final presentation to the board. "It was to be set up like a garden," she said. "It also would allow other names to be added later on, if need be. The decision was tabled then, Ryder said, at the request of Trustee Penso, but unanimously voted on at the January, 2006 meeting. "Theirs was the final word," said Ryder, referring to the village board.
"It was upsetting that anyone would question this," said Mayor Eugene Scarpato. "He was the only one on the board who questioned this committee." Scarpato said there was a strong effort on the part of the board to make this a nonpolitical committee. "It is a sacred committee," Scarpato said. "With our approval, they had some beautiful visions for the memorial." The 9/11 committee members chose two sites for the memorial, and two designs for the board to chose from.
"The purpose of talking about this publicly was that so we could answer any questions or concerns anyone may have, and to put the issue to rest," said Ryder. It was a committee decision, she said, to do it this way.
To their surprise, she said, it was only one person on the board. who had concerns. "I needed answers to questions that others posed to me. I know I don't have all the answers, and that is why I asked."
Giving this issue rest and peace for the families is all Ryder wants. But two weeks after Sept. 11, Ryder said she received anothe email on behalf of Penso. Now there were only four names in question, she said.
GET A MEMORY BRICK
The Village of Lynbrook 9/11 Memorial Garden is finished, and it's a beautiful place to go to sit and reflect. You can be still be a part of this lasting tribute by purchasing a donor brick for $50.
The brick can be in honor of someone you know, in memory of a family member or friend; it can be from you, from your family, from your school or organization; it can be simple, or poetic, or inspirational. It is a lasting few words from you.
The bricks are 4 inch x 8 inch concrete paver, engraved in Arial Bold Print, with up to 3 lines of custom engraving, with up to 20 upper and lowercase characters and/or spaces per line or up to 16 all uppercase characters per line.
Order forms are available at the Lynbrook Village Hall, the Lynbrook Library and the Greis Park Recreation Center. Please send order form with check payable to: 9/11 Memorial Fund, to Laura Ryder,
35 Pearsall Avenue, Lynbrook New York, 11563. For more information, you can check the village Web site at www.lynbrookvillage.com or call Laura Ryder at (516) 887-2171 or Maryanne C. Hoesel at (516) 599-6461.
Comments about this story? MMalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
