KVFD Set For 9/11 Ceremony

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department will hold a ceremony at 11 a.m. Sunday Sept. 11 to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Chief Mark Lewandowski, who was instrumental in getting the steel from the World Trade Centers to be delivered to Berlin, will address the crowd. Local dignitaries will also be present at the short ceremony.

The two I-beams and the twisted piece of metal are not ready to be put in place yet but they have been placed in the parking lot in a design similar to the one which will eventually be erected.

"With all the rain, we wanted to move the steel," Lewandowski said. "It is set up in a way that people will have a chance to see what it will roughly look like when it is put up."

Lewandowski will speak on behalf of the firefighters and the Berlin High School chorus will provide music. 

"You can see in all the media outlets right now the deluge of 9/11 memorials and remembrances," Lewandowski said. "There are still some raw wounds and we recognize that. That is why this will be brief, no more than 30 minutes I would guess. 

"We will also promote Lori Odishoo's project to have a red, white and blue candle placed at the end of everyone's driveways at dusk. We think that will be a great memorial to those who didn't make it."

Lewandowski said his reasons for acquiring the metal was to make sure the firemen and civilians never forget.

"Whether it's the 10th anniversary or the 13th anniversary, we should stop on this date and remember those who lost their life trying to help others," he said. "I read an article where a fireman said he didn't want to remember he wanted to forget. Some people might not agree that we need this memorial but that's what makes the United States the best country in the world. There are people who fight for our freedom every day and one of those freedoms is to express your own opinion."