Archive for March, 2006
WTC MEMORIAL NO DOLLARS BECAUSE NO SENSE
Thursday, March 30th, 2006The fundraising for the current WTC Memorial is currently moving at a snail’s pace. Government contributions and one or two corporate donations make up most of the total collected so far. The bottom line is that people are not donating to this memorial because it has become obvious it is not what the people want. If this was a safe above ground memorial where people could easily find their loved ones names the money would be flowing in. People, especially family members, are not contributing because they see this as the LMDC’s Memorial and the actions of the LMDC have yet to prove them wrong.Â
They couldn’t get the plan approved under the NYC codes as an indoor structure so instead of making the necessary changes they get it classified as an outdoor structure where requirements for capacity and location are less restrictive. The LMDC thinks that they have unlimited financial resources to get this built. Estimates have now reached as high as $1.2 billion for the “Memorial Experience” and can be expected to grow.Â
Let me give you an example There are these waterfalls that come crashing down from street level. Well I guess the planners did not realize that we have winter in New York and in the winter the mist from these waterfalls would turn into a frozen spray. The LMDC’s first solution was to say that the waterfalls would be turned off in the winter but that would leave them with just two voids in the ground. Well the common sense solution would be to put up some type of Plexiglas to protect the visitors from the frozen spray. Oh but then this underground cavern would definitely have to be classified as an indoor stucture. We know you can’t go there because we would then have to build to code. So what was their solution. They will install a heating mechanism at a cost of $300,000 to make sure the mist doesn’t freeze. This will also increase the yearly operating cost by over $750,000 because of energy costs. No problem we will just charge visitors to the museum to make up the difference.Â
It is thinking like this that makes this memorial all wrong. People are not stupid but it seems that the LMDC thinks they are. Can you believe that Stefan Pryor stated at the Council meeting that the reason for the change from four ramps to two was that their experts determined that four ramps would confuse visitors. Please give us a little credit.Â
There is an old saying “Fool me once shame on you” “Fool me twice shame on me” Well we were already fooled once when we were told to our faces that nothing was going to be built on the footprints when plans for the transit hub were already in place to do just that.Â
The LMDC continues to state that this was an open and democratic process and that we should believe that they will do what is right. They have yet to do anything to make me believe and I am not alone as there are nearly 11,000 that have signed our petition that feel the same way.Â
Below find a comment from signer # 10,373
| Philomena Tunnock | This country should show more pride and respect for those who lost their lives, as they have shown in previous times for American Heroes. The world is watching how the U.S. will preserve the courage shown by the Americans on 9/11. |
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COVERAGE OF CITY COUNCIL HEARING
Thursday, March 30th, 2006Paying the Price for 9/11 - Again (New York Post)
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/61686.htm
Museum Fee Furor (New York Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/404334p-342276c.html
Safety Concerns Over Ground Zero Memorial (ABC News)
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=4036696
Order of Victims’ Names on Memorial Turns Out to Be Not Quite Settled (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/nyregion/30memorial.html
Critics Raise Concerns Over 9/11 Memorial Exits (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/29/nyregion/29exit.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Some 9/11 Families Call On LMDC To Delay Work On Memorial (NY1NEWS)
http://www.ny1news.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=203&aid=58212 Â
CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON WTC MEMORIAL
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006The City Council Hearing on the WTC Memorial began at 10:30 AM and did not end until 6:00 PM. I don’t know if I was the only one put I had a flash back to Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant when Stefan Pryor’s testimony went on and on with his power point presentation. The problem was that he did nothing to further the LMDC case that the current memorial should move forward. He avoided any real questions put forward by the Council by stating that he did not want to speak for the architect or that he could not speak for the Port Authority. He did make some interesting points
He stated that the reason that they changed the design and reduced the number of ramps from four to two was because his experts thought that visitors would be confused by the additional ramps.
He also stated that there will always be people who will not like any memorial at first but will learn to love it as they did with others. He used the Holocaust Memorial as an example. I guess he was not aware that the original Holocaust Memorial design was discarded two years after it was selected and replaced with a new design. I think he could learn from this.
In typical LMDC fashion he tried to deflect the major family complaints about safety, the location of the memorial underground and the random placement of names by talking about the other buildings and the trees surrounding the two voids. Absent from his presentation was the folowing animation showing the dark and bleak experience that visitors traveling underground will have to endure.
http://www.renewnyc.com/images_WMS/memorial_final/multimedia/movie2.asf
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He again and again stressed that this was an open process in which all parties had a say. This was contradicted when the uniform union representatives stated in no uncertain terms that their unions were never consulted about the memorial.
He kept going back to the assets of the museum obviously because he was trying to avoid the issues that we have with the memorial itself. For example even though the meorial will be in a confined space reaching 70 feet into the ground it has been technically classified an outdoor structure, akin to a stadium. Its galleries will be open to the air, shielded only by the curtain of water provided by the waterfalls around the memorial voids. Exit requirements for outdoor structures are less restrictive, in location and capacity, than requirements for indoor assembly places like museums.
The LMDC brought out the same three family members that it always does to support their contention that this memorial is what all the families want. One only had to look around the room to all of the family members present who opposed it to know the truth. Their testimony seemed pretty insignificant when the fact was made known to the Council that we had over 10,000 signatures in opposition to the current plan. They were also presented with the comments that were pulled from the petition site.
Rosaleen and Sally were great as usual and had to wait until almost 5:00 PM to speak but again they raised the true issues about safety and how the trust of the public had been betrayed by allowing the Port Authority to continue to build while not being subject to the legal jurisdiction of the NYC Building and Fire Codes.
The bombshell came when the LMDCÂ finally admitted that they were going to charge and have time limits on the viewing of the memorial. Rosaleen was quick to point out the reason for this was that the fundraising for this memorial has been progressing at a snail’s pace. People are not contributing because they do not want this underground unsafe memorial.
Overall it was a good meeting. The Council members did not seem to be fooled by the LMDC double talk. One was quite vocal in his displeasure that the LMDC seemed more concerned about offending the architect then it was about offending the families.
You should all take heart in the fact that the LMDC is concerned about our campaign. If they weren’t they would not have brought out the big guns and had such a lavishly scripted presentation.
I think we have converted some of the Council members but I don’t know if they will come out publicly against the LMDC and the Port Authority. We must continue to push until they do.
It wouldn’t hurt to sent them a letter asking for their support. In the meantime keep spreading the petition and make people aware of our site
DennisÂ
MEMORIAL MISSION STATEMENT AND PROGRAM ITEMS IGNORED
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006There are many items that appear in the Memorial Mission Statement that appear to have been ignored. It would be very interesting to see how the current design could have been selected with this obvious ommissions.
Memorial Mission Statement
Recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassionof all those who supported us in our darkest hours.
Issue
The current Memorial makes no mention of survivors, first responders or recovery workers. (Please note that the museum was not part of the memorial design its contents should not have been included in the selection of the Memorial design)
Mission Statement
May the lives remembered, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons
Issue
No beacons only two abysses or voids reaching 30 to 70 feet underground
Mission Statement
Acknowledge all those who aided in rescue recovery and healing
Issue
Again not part of the current Memorial design
Mission Statement
An area for quiet visitation and contemplation
Issue
Pounding waterfalls into 176 foot voids on one side with the PATH train on the other side of the wall does not make for quiet visitation and contemplation
Mission Statement
Include appropriate transitions or approaches to or within the Memorial
Issue
The selected design had 4 ramps. The current plan has been cut back to 2. One in One out not nearly enough to handle the projected 25,000 visitors a day let alone the handicapped and the elderly.
Mission Statement
Surviving original elements
Issue
The selected plan does not incluse any artifacts from the WTC ( sphere, facades etc)Â To make matters worse this location which was to reflect the “Cradle of Democracy” does not even include an American flag
With all of these ommissions it really puts into question how this design was selected or why the process is being allowed to move forward
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PUT IT ABOVE GROUND PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006www.putitaboveground.org                  Comments for Press Conference  Â
March 29, 2006
Dr. Rosaleen Tallon  914-714-5515  914-237-8115
Sally Regenhard       646-266-1987
Jim McCaffrey           914-776-5737
Dennis McKeon        718-619-2371
ALL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO SIGN OFF ON THE UNDERGROUND MEMORIAL FOR GROUND ZERO WILL HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS IF EVEN ONE PRECIOUS LIFE IS LOST NEEDLESSLY UNDER STREET LEVEL IN THE EVENT OF A THIRD TERRORIST ATTACK OR OTHER EMERGENCY
* Can you believe we are NOW talking about safety for a memorial the world will be coming to see that is supposedly already under construction? Shouldn’t safety have been first? If safety was the priority, the memorial would never have been planned for under street level. This must now be seriously examined by the public. * How can we trust an agency that betrayed the public trust twice in the past? The people of this city and country must not allow the Port Authority to create a needlessly unsafe memorial under street level.* The world deserves better than an underground memorial where there is even a doubt about safety and evacuation.   The only way to feel safe at the GZ Memorial is to have it aboveground for the quickest safest evacuation possible.
* Once you have to even question the logistics of safety at this terrorist attraction, it makes you realize that an underground memorial is all wrong! Above-ground at this site is the only way to go.
*Â There is a primal instinct of wanting to being able to run as fast as you can from this site, like the people from the Twin Towers ran up Broadway on 9-11-01.
* We invite the press to go down 30-70 ft below street level at the Path Train and see how they would feel lingering and memorializing the dead down there.* We will trust that our elected officials, our politicians, do not strong-arm or control the advice that safety personnel on NYC payroll are going to present to the public just to push this underground memorial through to construction.This is dé·jà vu. Safety experts came out in support of the Twin Towers in 1970. Did those safety experts just happen to miss out on safety back then? Where were the Port Authority safety experts when warned about a truck bomb before 1993? There is no room for error here at this site a third time. Put it above ground. It only makes common sense.
www.putitaboveground.org
The World Trade Center Site as Final Burial Site
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006The World Trade Center Site
 As Final Burial Site
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Some Traditional Jewish
Voices and Concerns
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Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, LCSW
March 2006
A core tenet of the Jewish tradition is that every human being is an Image of God. Across the globe, throughout history, this deeply held belief has led the Jewish community to place great value on respect for dead bodies and human remains, on dignified burial, and on the proper maintenance of cemeteries and memorials.
For so many 9/11 family members, the remains of their loved ones have never been identified and never will be. Thus, their journey of grieving and healing has proceeded without the comfort and benefits of a burial site. Many have, of course, memorialized loved ones through significant deeds of compassion and social consciousness, e.g., by philanthropically supporting programs that help those in need. Still others have dedicated gardens, park benches, and other public memorials of those who died on 9/11.Â
But the fact remains that the World Trade Center site is the emotional, psychological, and spiritual – if not also the actual and technical – burial site for a host of 9/11 families. While Jewish tradition is deeply concerned with honoring the corpse and with the sacredness of human remains, it is no less committed to the needs of the bereaved. It therefore accords utmost importance to enabling survivors to gather, to remember, to see and speak the name of the deceased, and to grieve, both alone and communally, over time. It is with great sensitivity that Jewish legal responsa have established that, when Jews and non-Jews perish jointly in a disaster, one need not be concerned about the usual tradition of distinguishing Jewish and non-Jewish burial sites.
In keeping with these commitments and values, we must express two abiding concerns:
1. Above-Ground Marker with Names
An ancient, and universal, Jewish requirement is that burial sites be labeled with a marker of some sort (from a simple plaque to more imposing monuments), above ground, that indicates who lies beneath. This requirement has several reasons, including the assurance that the sacredness of the site will not be ignored or trampled upon, and that survivors and others have a clearly-delineated place to bring their feelings, memories, and prayers. Jewish tradition tends to discourage ostentation or undue expense, but one must be able to see and know that “Here is buried X.� At the World Trade Center site, it is essential that there be an above-ground wall with the names of those who perished.
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2.Interment of Human Remains
Leaving the pedantic or legal issues aside, there is no question that among the material brought to Staten Island were ashes that include much of the cremated “remains� of people. It may be difficult at this point to sift out what is ‘human’ and what is other matter and to bring everything back for burial at the WTC site. Nonetheless, a transfer of remains from Staten Island and dignified burial at the WTC site is absolutely essential for the dignity of those who have not been identified and for their family members’ grieving process, peace of mind, and ongoing healing.
Members of the Jewish community are deeply concerned that if these religious and spiritual requirements are not addressed, spiritual, religious, and emotional difficulties will ensue. All are, however, preventable with proper design and sensitive planning:
* Mourners will experience a willful devaluation of sacred ground and a permanent desecration of their loved ones’ final remains. In place of an affirmation of each individual life and a clear visual reminder of every name, there will be a plaza that not only whitewashes the tragedy but buries and obscures it beneath commercial interests.
* Jews gather, rain or shine, at their loved one’s final resting place, at several possible junctures during the year. These are most commonly on the yearly anniversary (yahrtzeit) of the death and before the High Holidays. Part of the comfort and solace that Jews seek is to pray “under the wings of the Sh’khinah, the Divine Presence,� i.e., under the heavens, not underground, and not in confined, man-made spaces. The current design precludes these traditional practices of grieving and healing.
* Some Jewish memorial prayers may be said by individuals, privately and quietly. Others, however, must be said in community, out loud, often in the powerful, piercing tones of Cantors or other ritual leaders, with eyes and hearts turned heavenward. The most well-known example of the latter type of prayer is the El Maleh Rahamim (“God, Full of Compassion….�). In recent years, on the anniversary of 9/11, groups of Jews have come to the site for such communal observance and recitation, and they fully hope and expect to be able to similarly mark the tragedy and remember those who died in the future.
* Jews, as well as Muslims, face East during both individual and communal devotion. The prayer leader in Jewish services traditionally stands at the head of the group, at the Eastern exposure. In the current underground memorial plan, there may be elements on the Eastern side (for example, reflective surfaces, images of people, doorways, etc.), that will make this difficult or impossible. The best solution to this problem is to have the natural prayer site be above ground.
We urge the authorities to take the spiritual and religious concerns of all faiths into account, and not simply assume that “those with issues� will manage, somehow, under unacceptable conditions. Following 9/11/01, the imperative to bring humanity together in peace, justice, and understanding must be the top priority for this memorial site.
STOP THE ILLUSION OF INCLUSION
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006Â
“Stop the illusion of inclusion. They (LMDC)Â keep saying that family members were included in the decision when they really were not” Jim McCaffrey A-9/11 Advocates
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BUILD IT SAFE AND WE WILL BE THE FIRST TO RAISE MONEY
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006Â
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“We want to move ahead. After five years, we should have a beautiful and respectful memorial, and when we have the memorial above the ground – built under the legal jurisdiction of New York City building and fire codes – then the family members will be the first to go out there and raise money,” Sally Regenhard of the Skyscraper Safety Campaign.
NYDIS/LMCC Support JBFCS WTC Memorial Concerns
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006NYDIS/LMCC Support JBFCS WTC Memorial Concerns
NYDIS and the Lower Manhattan Clergy Council is joining with the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services 9/11 Support Group to advocate for the burial concerns of 9/11 family members from the Jewish community. The primary concerns are:
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Above Ground Marker with Names: An ancient and universal Jewish requirement is that burial sites be labeled with a marker of some sort (and it ranges from a simple plaque to more imposing monuments), above ground, that indicates who lies beneath. This assures that the sacredness of the site will not be ignored or trampled and that survivors and others have a clearly-delineated place to bring their memories, prayers, and feelings. For the WTC site, some above-ground wall with the names of those who perished clearly indicated, is essential.
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Interment of Jewish Remains: Among the material brought to Staten Island were ashes that included the cremated remains of people. NYDIS and the LMCC support the dignified incorporation of some of those remains at the WTC site.
For more information, please contact:
Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Jewish Healing Center
212.399.2320 x215