Borough's 9/11 Memorial Will Feature Steel Beam from WTC

Plans for the borough’s 9/11 memorial in honor of the approaching 10^th anniversary continue to progress now that the borough has entered into an agreement with the Port Authority to receive a steel beam from the World Trade Center which will become part of the memorial.

Mayor Rose Heck explained Tuesday during the council meeting that the Port Authority approved the borough’s request for a piece of steel memorabilia from the World Trade Center for its memorial. The borough will receive two 8-foot pieces of steel which will be planted in concrete to memorialize the twin towers. The borough also plans to add a plaque in honor of the 10^th anniversary.

In addition, a community-wide fundraising effort is being launched to help offset some of the costs towards upgrades to the where the 9/11 memorial will be housed. The borough has received a Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund grant in the amount of $18,000 towards improvements to the park. The borough is trying to match that amount with an additional $2,000 to be used for any additional unplanned costs, Mike Kronyak borough administrator and chief financial officer explained to the audience.

The mayor explained that the 9/11 Committee has received some small financial contributions from organizations in town towards the borough’s costs for the upgrades.  Also members of the community will be able to purchase red, white or blue bands which will commemorate the 9/11 anniversary from stores like Heights Florist and other organizations in town as proceeds will also go towards offsetting the cost to taxypayers.  

Upgrades to the park include irrigation and installation of electricity so that a permanent light can be shone on the flagpole and used for ceremonies. The sidewalk from Springfield to Passaic avenues will also be redone as part of this project, something which Kronyak said has been talked about for about 18 years. Landscaping to the park and the addition of another bench are also included in the plans.