By Nick Buglione
As the dusk of Monday, Sept. 9 slowly gave way to night, the throng lined the sloped grass near the East Meadow venue that has played host to so many joyous events in the past.
Yet, that evening, they came not to celebrate. They came, rather, to mourn the thousands who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- particularly the 281 Nassau County residents with whom they once lived side by side.
Joined by Gov. George Pataki, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi and dozens of elected officials and religious leaders, the county led a candlelight vigil observing the one-year anniversary of the tragedy and unveiled plans to erect a permanent Sept. 11 memorial in the park.
It was a night of somber reflection. Except for the polite applause that followed each speaker, the crowd remained eerily silent. Many wept. Others solemnly held up signs with the names of lost loved ones scrawled across.
"As we got closer to the anniversary, I got more emotional, and I wanted to share that with other people," said Denise Wall, of Levittown.
People in attendance were clearly moved by the ceremony. "I think it's wonderful that people are showing that they still remember all that's happened in the last year," said Eleanor Halama, of Bellmore. "That's why we're here."
Neil Diamond, a Merrick native, concurred. "I thought it was very nice. There's more friendship in the community than there was before. You have more people that are helping than before. Petty fights mean nothing."
Setting a mood of patriotism, a 40-by-26-foot American Flag quilt fanned out to the immediate right of the Lakeside Theatre. Started as a project by Cub Scouts Pack 233 in Westbury, along with East Meadow librarians, the quilt comprises 3,300 patches, each representing a Sept. 11 victim.
Following a presentation of the colors and an invocation by Bishop William Murphy, the county executive took the microphone before the hushed crowd.
"Tonight, we gather as a community to share the grief of the over 200 families whose lives have been changed forever," Suozzi said.
"Each photo we see in the newspapers' special sections represents so much more. They represent a family that misses the love of a spouse, the kiss of a child, the laughter of a loved one."
Although Suozzi underscored the lingering pain still evident one year after the tragedy, he also stressed the importance of moving on.
"Let us move forward. Let us realize this is a special time in our nation," he said. "Sept. 11 will be the day that we begin our journey to a better community, to a better nation. On Sept. 11, we begin our journey to a better world."
By the time Pataki stood to speak, the flames of the hundreds of candles distributed that evening lit up the crowd and danced in the slight breeze.
"It seems unbelievable that Sept. 11 occurred almost a year ago," the governor said. "The images of a beautiful September morning destroyed by [viciousness] are so clear in our minds, it could have happened yesterday."
Praising the police, firefighters and workers inside the World Trade Center for their heroism, Pataki tried to spotlight the positives that came out of that unfathomable tragedy.
"We were tested on Sept. 11, and we passed that test with flying colors. Tens of thousands of people were saved," he said. "Everyone who was lost is a hero. On Sept. 11, New York produced 2,800 heroes, and it's important that we remember each and every one of them."
Wantagh resident and event organizer Janet Wexler-Magee, whose husband Charlie died during the attacks, offered poignant but brief comments on behalf of the families that lost loved ones in the World Trade Center.
"Getting through this past year has been difficult at best," she said. "I just wish I had time to tell Charlie one more time how much I loved him."
Capping the event, which included a rousing rendition of "God Bless America" by the Calvary Tabernacle Choir of Hempstead, the county unveiled plans to erect a memorial on the north side of Salisbury Lake in Eisenhower Park.
The centerpiece of the memorial will include two roughly six-foot-tall, five-inch-wide steel beams taken from the World Trade Center wreckage, which will be placed on the memorial site.
Design of the site, however, is entirely up to the community, as the county will be accepting submissions of design proposals on Sept. 30. Funding will be provided exclusively through outside donations.
"I'm sure we'll be able to raise the money," Suozzi said. Between Jan. 31 and March 1, 2003, a memorial project committee will review the submissions and announce its final selection on March 15.
County officials hope the memorial will be completed in time for a Sept. 7, 2003 unveiling and dedication.
As the multitudes packed up their chairs and blankets, some stopped to embrace, while others wiped their tears and prayed before filing out.
The Sept. 9 service was over. But for many the pain of Sept. 11 remained.
"These feelings will never go away. I think now there's a more forgiving nature," said Ann Chiappisi, of Lynbrook. "I think there's a calmer perspective on it, but we'll never forget."
County seeking memorial proposals
Nassau County is now accepting proposals from the public for the Sept. 11 memorial to be erected in Eisenhower Park. All submissions will be accepted and considered provided they meet the following criteria:
* The design must incorporate, either in the design or on the site, two steel girders recovered from ground zero. Because the girders are as they fell at ground zero, they must stay as true to the original form as presented.
* It must include the names of Nassau County victims who perished, which will be provided for the chosen design and number in the mid-200s.
* It must be able to be illuminated at night.
*It must incorporate water, either within or as a feature.
* It must include the use of three flagpoles (the American flag, New York State flag and Nassau County flag).
* All designs must include space for a garden.
* All designs submitted must include itemized, speculative costs.
Send submissions to: Nassau County 9/11 Memorial Project, Design Submissions, Nassau County Department of Parks and Recreation, Administration Building, Eisenhower Park, Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554.
