By John C. O'Connell and Nicole Falco
The sign was unveiled at the site during ceremonies on Tuesday, Sept. 9, attended by local elected and community leaders as well as family members of a man killed in the terrorist attacks.
Police are investigating the crime.
"People have every right in the world to voice their opinion in writing or speech in an appropriate way," said Allan Kroningold, chairman of the WTC Remembrance Plaza committee. "But to deface someone else's property dealing with the Sept. 11 tragedy -- and to do it on Sept. 11 -- is as heinous and despicable as what Osama bin Laden perpetrated on the American people. If people have something to say, there's a time and a place to say it. The committee has met with one person, a neighbor [of the site] who had a problem with it, and we said we would work to resolve those concerns. It's not like we're not trying. We sent a notice to everyone around there and one person showed up [at the last meeting]."
Ray Grawin, a Peninsula Boulevard resident who retired after 21 years with the New York City fire department, was shocked to see that someone had defaced the sign. "I lost a lot of good friends on Sept. 11," said Grawin, a 30-year volunteer with the Woodmere Fire Department, "and I was surprised that anyone would do something like this. I mean, I would think anyone would be proud to have a memorial here. If someone has a problem with it then bring it up at a meeting, but to do it like graffiti, it bothers me."
Woodmere resident Asher J. Matathias, president of the B'nai B'rith lodge and Remembrance Committee member, called the defacing "atrocious and disheartening."
It is atrocious, Matathias said, "because the sentiment betrays the memory of the nearly 3,000 souls who perished that day." And it's disheartening "for the disservice that is rendered to the tens of public-spirited people of communities surrounding the [land]."
Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) condemned the act. "Vandalizing a sign of this nature on Sept. 11 is among the most disgusting things I've seen," Toback said this week, "and it's indicative of the kind of person this criminal must be. I look forward to working with the committee and the community to design an appropriate memorial, and certainly with the input of the community because it is a community project. Hopefully this will be the last act of this type."
While some neighbors would prefer that the memorial be built somewhere else, all the neighbors interviewed by the Herald agreed that defacing the sign was a "horrible" act and the wrong way to voice an opinion.
"I don't think that was very nice," said Aggie Spinelli. "If they get caught, they should be punished for it. God forbid -- how would they like it if it were someone in their family [killed on 9/11]?"
The WTC Remembrance Plaza committee hasn't made its final decision as to what will be built on the triangle or when construction will begin. In the meantime, residents' feelings are mixed. A handful of neighbors said they are concerned about extra traffic the memorial might create at an already busy intersection, the number of accidents that occur at the corner and about parking for visitors to the memorial. They've expressed fears that the triangle might become a hangout, and have said they don't want a constant reminder of the tragedy nearby. But those neighbors were not willing to allow their names to be used for fear of being accused of being against a Sept. 11 memorial.
Alan Clarke, who has owned his home on Peninsula Boulevard in Valley Stream for 27 years, said he also has concerns about additional traffic the proposed memorial might cause, but he said, "I'm more in favor of it than I am against it."
Harry and Aggie Spinelli also own a home on Peninsula Boulevard, and the couple thinks a memorial is a good idea, as does Gibson Boulevard resident Santo Carullo. "It's fine with me," Carullo said.
However, Carullo, who has lived in Valley Stream 53 years next month, said he can understand why people who live closer to the site might have a problem with the location.
One neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said he would sell his house if a memorial is built.
All of the neighbors interviewed by the Herald live within a block or two of the triangle. Only one of the neighbors said he received a letter about the memorial or the meeting on the memorial.
The defaced sign was replaced earlier this week.
