WTC Steel Comes to Borough's 9/11 Monument

There was much pomp and circumstance as a two-and-a half-foot rusted steel I-beam with nine-bolts was delivered to the Franklin Lakes Fire House on Bender Court Tuesday. The remnant of the World Trade Center made its way to the borough from lower Manhattan by way of a Staten Island landfill to become the focal point of Memorial Pond in time for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.

The Franklin Lakes Memorial Pond was built to honor the extraordinary heroism,commitment and sacrifice of those lost on 9/11, rescuers and their families, and paying special tribute to the Franklin Lakes residents who lost their lives to terrorism: Thomas J. Cahill, Frank Deming and Steven Schlag, who were killed in the World Trade Centers and Alexia Tsairis, who lost her life in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

“The Franklin Lakes Community is honored to have such a meaningful centerpiece to our Memorial as our families and friends remember our loved ones who lost their lives to acts of terror," Mayor Frank Bivona said.

The borough's 9/11 10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony will be held Saturday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. Plans for the commemoration have long been under way, including enhancements to Memorial Pond, made possible thanks to many generous donations from local residents and businesses.

The final phase will incorporate a waterfall to aerate the pond, has been designed with the vision and guidance of Blue Meadow and Boswell Engineering. 

“So many organizations and wonderful volunteers have supported the efforts of the Franklin Lakes Memorial Pond over the years and we would like to extend an invitation to the entire community to come out and attend this day of remembrance,” resident JoAnn Romano told Patch. Romano serves on The Franklin Lakes Memorial Pond Committee and the borough's new Public Events Committee (PEC).

To help raise funds for the completion of Memorial Pond and its future upkeep, the borough is hosting its first Music Under the Stars event on Aug. 3, at 8 p.m.. The concert on the Municipal Field behind Borough Hall will feature the band Jersey Rollers.  

The organization welcomes volunteers, support and donations. If you would like to help in any way, or for more information, contact Jo Ann Romano.To make a donation, send a check payable to The Franklin Lakes Memorial Pond Fund, P.O. Box 217, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 

Meanwhile, the remnant of the World Trade Center will remain at the Firehouse, under the supervision of the Franklin Lakes Fire Department and Chief Denny Knubel until construction of the waterfall at Memorial Pond is complete. 

The artifact is not the only piece of the World Trade Center to remain in Franklin Lakes. Another piece of steel from the Twin Towers is also housed at the Fire House, in the Fire Department's trophy case. The department was given the remnant from Ground Zero for its help with the rescue efforts in the days after the towers fell.