Middletown Pleased NYC Reconsidered And Will Host 9/11 Lights

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — After stepping up and offering to host the Sept. 11 memorial lights when the 9/11 Museum initially refused (due to COVID fears), Middletown is now pleased the museum has reconsidered and will be hosting the lights after all.

"We feel there is no better place for that tribute than Ground Zero. Our intentions were never to compete with New York City, but to make sure the tribute was held either there or here," Middletown Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore told Patch on Monday.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum quietly announced last week it would not be shooting the iconic twin light beams into the sky on Sept. 11 this year, due to fears about COVID-19 spreading among the 40+ electricians and laborers who work for multiple weeks assembling it.

However, after immense public outcry and pressure, the museum reconsidered; Gov. Cuomo stepped in and said he would be providing additional support to make sure the lights still shine from Ground Zero at Lower Manhattan.

"Middletown Township was fully prepared to create a tribute in lights," said Fiore. "We are pleased that New York has reconsidered their position and will once again pay tribute to those who were lost as originally planned."

This year is also unique because Middletown will be reading the names of the 37 residents who died in the attacks.

"During our ceremony we don’t read the names (usually on the five-year anniversaries we do), but this year we will be reading names because New York City is not," said Fiore.

Next year, 2021 will be the twentieth anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 — the worst terror attack on U.S. soil — and Middletown will commemorate that anniversary with artifacts obtained from the fallen twin towers.

"While we planned on announcing this initiative on Sept. 1, we are moving forward with the announcement today. For anyone who has called, texted or sent a contribution for the Tribute in Lights we hope you will consider allowing us to put it towards this lasting memorial instead. If not, we will contact you to return your donation for the lights," he said.

Midldetown said it is aiming to make its WTC Memorial "the best memorial outside of Ground Zero."

Donations can be made to:
Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens
C/O Mayors Office
1 Kings Highway
Middletown, NJ 07748

One of 37

Middletown will obtain the WTC artifacts by working with the local Tietjen family.

Ken Tietjen was just one of the 37 Middletown residents who died in the terrorist attack. Ken was a Port Authority police officer who commandeered a taxi cab and raced to get to the World Trade Center when the planes hit.

He and his partner went into the north tower as it burned and helped pull people down the stairs to safety. Then they turned, ready to head into the south tower. The air was already filled with dust, ash and smoke and there was only one respirator tank left.

In a moment that now stands out as the stuff of Middletown local legend, Tietjen grabbed the respirator. "Seniority rules," he said with a smile, his partner would later recount. He ran into the south tower, and it crumbled to the ground just moments later, at 9:58 a.m.

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