By Marley Seaman
"Don't wait for another tragedy to show compassion and love," said Susan Carroll, whose son, Kevin Colbert, was killed in the attacks. She urged the audience to show "a glimpse of the person you were on that day."
The fourth annual ceremony included remarks from local politicians and several clergymen and a candlelight walk to a new memorial garden. The garden, prepared and maintained by the West Hempstead Kiwanis, was officially dedicated after the walk. It surrounds the area where a clock, dedicated on Sept. 11, 2002, now stands.
"When I learned about the [attacks], my heart bled in a way that it has not before or since," said the Rev. Thomas Turner of St. Matthew's AME Zion Church. "We are all connected ... in such a way that when something happens in this country, it affects us all."
Almost 500 locals turned out for the hour-long event. They gathered at the gazebo, where they were joined by police, members of the Lakeview and West Hempstead fire departments, Cathedral Post 1087 of the American Legion, and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Members of the Greater Nassau Chorus of Sweet Adelines performed patriotic and religious selections, including "It Is Well with My Soul" and "God Bless the USA."
Michele Rothkin, a close friend of Colbert's, carried a large poster with his photograph at the ceremony. She said she does not always go to memorial events, but was touched by the turnout. "It's nice to know that people aren¹t forgotten," Rothkin said. "You've got to keep the memories alive by doing things like this."
Rothkin added that she and Carroll have picnics at Colbert's grave every year on his birthday, Aug. 26. He would have been 30 this year. There is also a Kevin Colbert Memorial Scholarship at West Hempstead High School.
Many of the night¹s speakers stressed that as time passes, it is important to keep the memories of the dead alive through good works. "The day of the incident was probably America's worst day," said county Legislator Vincent Muscarella. "The days that followed were perhaps America's best days." After he spoke, a group of 12 children with votive candles began circulating through the crowd, lighting white candles held by audience members. When that task was completed, the group made its way along the edge of the pond to the garden. A color guard led the way, and the procession stretched across most of the length of Hall's Pond.
When the crowd gathered at the garden, a bell rang 12 times, and the names of the 12 West Hempstead residents who died at the World Trade Center were read. A stained glass work by artist Joel Thaw was also unveiled. Thaw's work is a reproduction of the famous photo of a group of New York firefighters raising an American flag in the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
The evening concluded with words from Carroll and Monsignor James Lisante of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Lisante encouraged his listeners to turn to one another and share a "sign of healing" in the form of a kiss or hug. A murmur went through the crowd as hundreds of people shared friendly words. Minutes later, the ceremony was complete, and the candles were extinguished.
"Bones can be broken," Carroll said, "but spirits can never be dimmed."
Contributions to the Kevin Colbert Memorial Scholarship Fund can be sent to Susan Carroll at 3544 Milburn Avenue, Baldwin Harbor, NY 11510.
Comments about this story? MSeaman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
