Remembering 2001: a re-post

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

Never, ever forget

Yesterday I visited a high school where students and teachers had created a flag display in front of the building to mark Sept. 11. I was assigned to write a brief story on the tribute. What I wrote was added to an article about local Sept. 11 commemorations, of which there were apparently just a few. I posted about it here yesterday, and my friend, Duchess Linda, asked me to share the link to the story.
Since it's short, I just copied and pasted it:
"Social studies teacher Jim Marrone organized an effort to create a flag display in front of Emmett O’Brien Technical High School in Ansonia.

"We thought about putting flags up because we wanted to have something simple, but meaningful," he said. A group planted mums in a memorial garden, and heating, ventilation and cooling department students fashioned two metal structures to symbolize the World Trade Center towers. The towers stand in the center of the garden. A larger American flag stands between the two towers and smaller flags are placed among the flowers. Marrone said they used 220 flags for the entire display.The school has held a remembrance each year since the terror attacks. "Every year we will do something, as long as I’m here," said Marrone, who was assisted by administration and colleagues. Art teacher Julie Criscuolo painted a picture of the towers with the Statue of Liberty on one side and a dove flying overhead. It reads: "Remembering those who died on Sept. 11, 2001." The painting is placed against a tree among the flags. "It came out really nice for the amount of time and money we put into it," said sophomore Jeff Glick, 15, of Naugatuck. Teachers and students donated money to purchase the flags, he said. Sophomore Megan Graft, 15, of Ansonia was in awe of the display. "It’s just unbelievable," she said as she gazed out over the rows of flags. Megan was in the third grade when the attacks occurred, but wasn’t told about it that day. "When I got home from school, my mom explained to me what happened," she remembered. "The students wanted to know what we were doing for 9/11," Marrone said. "I’m very proud of these kids."

* This school is holding a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims at 5 p.m. today that I am going to cover. Unfortunately it is pouring out now, so it looks like the ceremony will be moved indoors. The students and staff have once again placed flags outside the school in remembrance.