Middletown: We'll Host The 9/11 Lights If New York City Won't

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — If New York City won't do it, then Middletown will step up to the plate.

Many in the New York/New Jersey metro area were deeply dismayed Thursday when the National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced it would not be shooting the iconic twin light beams into the sky on Sept. 11, due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19.

The museum hosts the lights — not New York City or New York state. A museum spokesman told the New York Times it was too worried about health risks to the 40 or so electricians who are required to work for more than a week to assemble the beams, which can be seen for 60 miles around.

The decision prompted Middletown Mayor Tony Perry to say Middletown will host the lights. Per capita, Middletown lost more residents in the terror attacks than any other town in New Jersey, second only to New York.

On Friday morning, Perry sent an emergency letter to Alice Greenwald, the president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum:

"I am writing to express my deep disappointment and outrage in your decision to cancel the 9/11 tribute lights," wrote Perry. "Middletown was the second hardest hit area after New York City, with 37 members of our community perishing in the attack of the World Trade Center ... I think it's a disgrace the (museum) has canceled the largest visible tribute to those who made the greatest sacrifice for our country."

"If you do not want to host the 9/11 tribute lights in New York City, I will proudly, and safely, host them in Middletown," vowed Perry.

Details about where the lights would be located in Middletown, and how much electric power is needed — not to mention light bulbs — still need to be figured out, he said. Middletown is also plagued by power outages.

"We will figure it out," Perry vowed to Patch on Friday. "Whether we do this at Leonardo Beach, or even at the Middletown 9/11 memorial. Middletown lost more people than any other town outside of New York City. We made a commitment to never forget those people. I just felt it was imperative to stand up and make sure that 'never forget' slogan continues today. Especially to us in this area, 19 years later. I won't forget, and neither will the 70,000 residents of Middletown."

"I hope she responds," Perry continued, of the museum director, Greenwald. "I hope she responds so Middletown can host these lights. People are able to spend two hours in line at the DMV; they are able to go into a Walmart, but we cannot come up with a way to remember one of the greatest atrocities that occurred on American soil?"

He gave a more direct barb to More Monmouth Musings: "We’ll have beams that she and DiBlasio will see on 9/11."

"No pandemic, executive order, hurricane, or nuclear blast will keep Middletown from paying tribute to those we lost so long as I have any say about it," Middletown Deputy Mayor Tony Fiore said Thursday night in a public Facebook post.

Fiore is already raising money to have the light beams in Middletown: Donors can make tax deductible contributions to Middletown WTC Memorial Gardens, c/o Mayor’s Office, 1 Kings Highway, Middletown, NJ 07748

And Middletown is facing some competition from Union Beach, which similarly vowed Friday the tiny Raritan Bay-front town will also try to host the lights.

"We have two four-beam skytrackers coming out. They put out 4,000 watts," Union Beach Councilman Al Lewandowski told Patch Friday morning. "I’m a fireman and also sit on our town Council. After New York City backed out, I was thinking, 'Why not our skyline, our waterfront?'

Lewandowski said he is working with fellow Union Beach Councilman Charles Cocuzza and Recreation Director Al Evans to get their lights up.

New York City's lights reach an incredible four miles high into the sky, and can be seen from as far as 60 miles away.

Here is the letter Perry sent the 9/11 Museum Friday:

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