Put It Above Ground

Dear Friend,

In 2001 we made a commitment to assist 9/11 families in any way we could.

For eight years we have tried to keep that commitment and have worked hard to keep you informed and help you through a very difficult time.

We have also listened to your concerns and believe that we have come up with a plan that will honor the memory of your loved ones by celebrating their lives through our Hearts and Hands Memorial.

By creating a permanent home for the United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt along with a Corridor of Memories and a 21,000 square foot Memorial Garden we hope to create a peaceful and serene location where visitors will be able to quietly remember their loved ones.

Our recording studio will enable you to add personal stories about your loved ones or listen to stories others have recorded.

Our educational programs will take a positive and proactive approach to instill a sense of goodness and decency in our youth while documenting all the events related to 9/11.

Our Corridor of Memories will be filled with photos supplied by you with the names of your loved ones displayed as requested by you. It will also honor all of those who have died as a result of 9/11

While we are receiving some governmental support we need your help in making this a reality.

Our goal is to have this completed in time for the 10th anniversary.

To that end we are hoping that you will become a benefactor by committing to support this effort over the next two years.

At this time we are asking for a small tax deductible contribution of whatever you can afford.

We are developing giving programs to get people involved at all levels in 2010 but for now we need to know we have your support.

We are working on plans to have the quilt displayed at Ground Zero over the weekend of September 11th and hope that you will take a few moments to experience the love that went into this 16,000 square foot memorial.

Most importantly we hope that you will spread the word about the Hearts and Hands Memorial to all your family and friends.

If you would like a copy of our brochure please respond to this e-mail with your mailing address.

For more information visit our website at www.where-to-turn.org

Thank you in advance for your support.

Dennis McKeon

Where to Turn

150-l Greaves Lane # 312

Staten Island, NY 10308

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, July 30, 2009

NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM NAMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
9/11 Victim Family Member Virginia Bauer and JP Morgan Chase
CAO Frank Bisignano Join Board of Directors

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum today announced that two individuals, Virginia Bauer and Frank Bisignano, were elected to the Board of Directors during a quarterly Board meeting. Virginia Bauer, who lost her husband on September 11, 2001, is a Senior Vice President of Development for Covenant House and a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Frank Bisignano is Chief Administrative Officer for JP Morgan Chase and following 9/11, led operations recovery and restoration for thousands of employees at Citigroup where he was formerly employed. The Board now has 48 members, including public officials, victims’ family members, a 9/11 survivor, as well as corporate, cultural and community leaders.

“I am pleased to welcome these distinguished individuals to the Board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum,” Memorial & Museum Chairman Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. “Both Virginia and Frank are committed to the rebuilding effort and have considerable experience with non-profit board leadership. I look forward to working with them on the development of this historic institution.”

“We are honored to have Virginia and Frank join the Board of the 9/11 Memorial,” Memorial & Museum President Joe Daniels said. “Having lost her husband on September 11, 2001, Virginia will bring her personal ties to 9/11 and years of advocacy on behalf of 9/11 family members to the Board. We are grateful to have her insight and her extensive professional experience in fundraising and economic development on this project.

“Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, Frank helped relocate thousands of Citigroup employees and restore bank operations,” Memorial & Museum President Joe Daniels said. “Now, as the Chief Administrative Officer for JP Morgan Chase, Frank continues to work towards the redevelopment of lower Manhattan. His experience in financial management will be a tremendous asset,” Daniels said.

Virginia S. Bauer

Virginia S. Bauer is the Senior Vice President of Development for Covenant House International, the largest privately funded agency in the Americas providing shelter and other services to homeless and runaway youth. In this role, Ms. Bauer leads all development from major gifts, corporations, and grants.

On September 11, 2001, Ms. Bauer lost her husband, David Bauer, the head of global sales for Cantor Fitzgerald, in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. She became a key activist on behalf of the families of the 9/11 victims, working closely with Congressional leaders and the White House toward the successful enactment of 9/11 victim legislation in 2002. She initiated efforts to enact federal tax relief legislation for surviving family members and assisted in the creation of the redevelopment plan for the World Trade Center site.

Virginia Bauer said, “I am proud to be a part of the effort to build the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We have an obligation to honor the memory of the thousands of innocent people lost on 9/11 and to teach future generations about the impact of the attacks on families and communities here and around the world.”

In 2007, Ms. Bauer was appointed by New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Board of Commissioners establishes the policies of the Port Authority for the bi-state agency, overseeing the management and infrastructure of the bridges, tunnels, airports, and ports of New York and New Jersey as well as the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site.

In addition, from July 2006 through December 2008, as Vice Chairperson of the Fort Monmouth Economic Redevelopment Authority, she was the lead representative in the development of a specific plan to achieve revitalization of this 1,600-acre military facility.

From 2004 until 2007, Ms. Bauer served as Commerce Secretary for the State of New Jersey. In this capacity, she was the state’s lead advocate for business—from strengthening New Jersey’s business attraction and retention programs to managing the Urban Enterprise Zone Program and maintaining the Garden State’s standing in the global marketplace to promoting the state as a premier vacation destination. She worked with fellow Cabinet officers to resolve businesses regulatory disputes, identify appropriate job creation incentives, and obtain financing for businesses in the State.

In August 2003, Ms. Bauer was appointed by former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey as Director of the New Jersey Lottery. Under her leadership, the agency achieved a $2.2 billion sales year in Fiscal 2004, the Lottery’s best sales year ever. It was also during her tenure that the world’s first Internet lottery game, Cyber Slingo, was created and implemented. In addition, the first lottery retailer at Newark International Airport was established and a revamped Jersey Cash 5 produced an 85 percent growth in sales.

Ms. Bauer is a former financial planning and account management executive with Merrill Lynch. She was twice rated top sales producer in the county contributing to the Company’s profitable growth.

Ms. Bauer serves on the Board of the New York Chapter of the Boys Club of America, the Foundation Board of Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, New Jersey, the Board of the Business School of Rutgers University and the Board of the YMCA. She also is a member of the Economic Club of New York.

Ms. Bauer graduated from Rosemont College, Pennsylvania and is listed in “Who’s Who Among Executives for 2002.” She has received numerous awards including NJBiz’s 2004 Women of Influence Award. She has three children and resides in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Frank Bisignano

Frank Bisignano is the Chief Administrative Officer for JPMorgan Chase & Co. and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee and Executive Committee. Prior to joining JPMorgan, Mr. Bisignano was the Chief Executive Officer for Citigroup’s Global Transaction Services business.

Citigroup had 3,800 employees in World Trade Center 7 on September 11, 2001, and thousands more in the vicinity. Adding to the difficulty, the bank lost 1.3 million square feet of real estate that day. As co-head of operations and technology at the time, Mr. Bisignano was called to action to lead all recovery efforts for the bank, so employees had a place to work and the bank could continue to serve its clients and keep markets functioning. Minutes after the disaster and throughout the days following it, he began working around the clock to restore the bank’s operations.

Frank Bisignano said, “I am honored to join the Board of Directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Since that day, I have focused my energy on the critical task of getting lower Manhattan back up and running. Building the Memorial and Museum is an important part of the revitalization of the area. It will pay tribute to the victims and will demonstrate our country’s strength and resolve.”

Mr. Bisignano’s responsibilities at JPMorgan Chase include overseeing Technology, Operations, Real Estate, Procurement, Human Resources, and General Services across all of JPMorgan’s businesses in over 50 countries.

Mr. Bisignano’s business at Citigroup generated revenue of $6 billion and after tax profit of $1.4 billion. He was also a member of Citigroup’s Management Committee and Operating Committee. Before being named CEO of GTS in 2002, Mr. Bisignano was the Chief Administrative Officer of Citigroup’s Global Corporate and Investment Banking Group (GCIB), while also serving as Deputy Head of Operations and Technology for all of Citigroup from 2000 to 2003.

Prior to joining Smith Barney in 1994, Mr. Bisignano was Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Lending Officer at First Fidelity Bancorporation. He was a Senior Vice President at Shearson Lehman Brothers from 1986 to 1990.

Mr. Bisignano serves on the boards of the non-profit organizations NPower New York, PENCIL, Alliance for Downtown New York and as a Trustee for The Battery Conservancy. He was previously Vice Chairman of the Options Clearing Corporation and a board member for the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is the not-for-profit corporation created to oversee the design, raise the funds, and program and operate the Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site. The Memorial & Museum will be located on eight of the 16 acres of the site.

The Memorial will remember and honor the nearly three thousand people who died in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993, and September 11, 2001. The design, created by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, consists of two pools that reside in the footprints of the original Twin Towers, surrounded by a plaza of oak trees. The Arad/Walker design was selected from a design competition that included more than 5,000 entrants from 63 nations.

The Museum will display monumental artifacts associated with the events of September 11, while presenting intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery that are central to telling the story of September 11 and its aftermath. It will communicate key messages that embrace both the specificity and the universal implications of the events of 9/11; document the impact of those events on individual lives, as well as on local, national, and international communities; and explore the continuing significance of these events for our global community.

Donations can be made through and more information can be found at the Memorial & Museum’s website, http://www.national911memorial.org/, or by calling 1-877-WTC-GIVE.

# # #

Contact:
National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Lynn Rasic/Michelle Breslauer, 212-312-8800

Click here to download this release

One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10006 ║p (212) 312-8800 ║f (212) 227-7931
http://www.national911memorial.org/

To All,

Over the last eight years I do realize that many of you have moved.

Since we have always communicated via e-mail that has not been a problem.

I will be sending out an important mailing regarding the 9/11 Hearts and Hands Memorial.

If you would like to receive it please e-mail me back at dennis.mckeon@where-to-turn.org with your current address.

Thanks

Dennis

Bill Doyle, Coleen Rowley Endorse NYC CAN Ballot Referendum

On Wednesday, July15, Bill Doyle, father of Joseph Doyle, released a statement in support of the NYC Coalition for Accountability Now (NYC CAN) and its effort to place a referendum on the November ballot for an independent NYC commission to investigate the events of September 11, 2001.

Doyle is joined by many others who have recently endorsed the establishment of an independent NYC 9/11 Commission, including FBI Whistleblower and TIME Person of the Year 2002, Coleen Rowley, as well as Christine O’Neill, widow of former FBI Agent John P. O’Neill, Monica Gabrielle of the September 11th Advocates and the Skyscraper Safety Campaign, and Lorie Van Auken, who is slated to be one of the commissioners on NYC’s independent commission.

All family members, first responders and survivors of September 11 are invited to join the 70,000 New Yorkers who have signed the petition and add their voice to the call for an independent, impartial investigation by signing the statement of support on NYCCAN.org.

*Doyle and Rowley statements below.

Bill Doyle, Father of Joseph Doyle, July 15, 2009:

For eight years I have lobbied and supported investigations and litigation in an effort to learn the whole truth behind the death of my son Joseph and the murder of so many others. I’ve always been hopeful we’d get the answers we deserve and that we’d see

accountability exacted within the halls of Congress, the White House, DoD, CIA, FBI, State and Justice Departments.

However, there are still too few answers to too many questions even as promotions and medals are handed out rather than pink slips or prosecutions. Excessive secrecy and redactions still cover-up the truth and leave us in the dark about: terrorist financing from still unnamed foreign nations, suspicious pre-9/11 stock market activity, pre-9/11 warnings to the President, the Attorney General and others, the infamous 28 pages of the Joint Inquiry Report, The Holy Land Trial, Riggs Bank wire transfers, faulty NYFD radios that didn’t work in ‘93, Ground zero toxins breathed by thousands, a 9/11 narrative derived from torture induced testimony, etc., etc. I could go on and on.

No American who believes in his country should settle for being in the dark about all this over seven years after the event. I won’t and I can’t for the sake of my son and for the country. For this reason I feel compelled to support a new investigation in NYC led by family members and others who will produce an accounting we can be proud of.

Three thousand dead civilians. A President who refused to testify before the 9/11 Commission. And now, how many dead soldiers? How many first responders dying of diseases without help from their government? What a sham. What a tragedy .

Please join our effort and support NYC CAN and the 9/11 ballot referendum now.

Bill Doyle -Father of Joseph

WTC tower 101st fl.– Cantor-Fitzgerald

http://www.JoeyDoyle.com

Coleen Rowley, FBI Whistleblower, July15, 2009:

‘Why I Support a New 9/11 Investigation’

In the absence of my being there in New York City to stand with the 9/11 families, first responders and survivors, I offer the following statement in support of your goal of a new investigation into the attacks of September 11th and the NYC CAN campaign to place it on the ballot for November.

At the time of 9-11, I had been an FBI agent for over 20 years. My main responsibilities by then were teaching criminal procedure to FBI agents and other law enforcement officers, mostly about 4th Amendment search and seizure, 5th and 6th Amendment law of interrogation, right to attorney and constitutional protection of rights to “free speech”, due process, habeas corpus, and against cruel and unusual punishment. A week before 9-11, I and the rest of the FBI’s ethics instructors were mandated (as a result of an earlier public FBI scandal) to give a one hour PowerPoint presentation, a form of remedial training on “law enforcement ethics” which I accomplished in a fairly perfunctory way, just reading the slides.

After 9-11, with the knowledge I had of the bitter internal dispute inside the FBI that was being hushed up but had kept some of our better agents from possibly uncovering more of the 9-11 plot before it happened, I couldn’t forget two of the slides in that Law Enforcement ethics curriculum: “DO NOT: Puff, Shade, Tailor, Firm up, Stretch, Massage, or Tidy up statements of fact.” And “Misplaced Loyalties: As employees of the FBI, we must be aware that our highest loyalty is to the United States Constitution. We should never sacrifice the truth in order to obtain a desired result (e.g. conviction of a defendant) or to avoid personal or institutional embarrassment.”

The official dissembling and excuse-making about the true causes and prior mistakes that gave rise to and allowed the terrorist attacks to happen, almost immediately ushered in the Bush-Cheney Administration’s egregious and lawless, post 9-11 “war on terror” agenda which bore no connection to the original causes and no connection to the goal of reducing terrorism and making the world safer. When I got a chance, about 8 ½ months after 9-11 to tell what I knew, I did so and my disclosures led to further investigation by the Department of Justice Inspector General and figured in the 9-11 Commission Report.

But it was way too late for this emerging bit of truth that has continued to leak out in dribs and drabs to have any impact. The laws themselves, especially the criminal procedure ones rooted in the Constitution that I had spent my career teaching to law enforcement, have largely gone up in smoke. Having seen the cost of remaining silent, I publicly warned, a few months after my first memo, against launching the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq. But false agendas had already filled the vacuum created by lack of truth. And we are still dealing with the disastrous consequences of these unjustified, pre-emptive wars.

Let me therefore simply repeat the request I made to the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2002: “Foremost, we owe it to the public, especially the victims of terrorism, to be completely honest. I can only imagine what these crime and terrorism victims continue to go through. They deserve nothing but the complete, unfettered truth.”

Therefore, I fully support the 9/11 families, first responders, survivors and over 60,000 other New Yorkers who have endorsed a new 9/11 investigation in New York City as advanced by ballot referendum this coming November election.

Coleen Rowley is a former FBI staff attorney who turned whistle-blower after witnessing repeated failures within the bureau to properly investigate alleged 9/11 co-conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. She was one of three Time Magazine Persons of the Year in 2002.

Ro passed away early this afternoon. It was peaceful with her family at her bedside.

The funeral arrangements are

Viewing

Saturday; 7:00-9:30pm

Sunday: 2:00-4:30pm

7:00-930pm

Aievoli Funeral Parlor 1275 65th Street., Brooklyn

Funeral Mass:

Monday: 10:00am

St. Anselms Roman Catholic Church

Fourth Avenue and 82nd Street

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

WTC site to be open to victims families on 9/11 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5im-VCKJQmTkJdV0Jc4RIyT0cObZgD99EHE6G3

Below is the July 2009 monthly progress report on the abatement and deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street. This report includes updates on the progress of work in the building and future milestones in the abatement and deconstruction process.   130 Liberty Street Progress and Milestones as of July 15, 2009 Abatement Status 

• Abatement is complete on all floors through and including the 1^st floor. Certain areas of the basement remain to be cleaned and should be complete by the end of July.

• Work on removing the building façade has begun on the 3^rd floor.

• The remaining façade will be removed entirely by the end of this month.

 Deconstruction Status  

• Deconstruction will resume by the end of this month.

• Bovis, the contractor for this job has estimated that deconstruction will take 6 months to complete.

• The Implementation Plan for deconstruction and the Environment, Health and Safety Plan and Emergency Action Plan have been approved by the regulatory team.  The plans, public comments, and responses to public comments can be reviewed on the LMDC website (www.renewnyc.com ).

World Trade Center Operational Statistics dated June 30

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=48572

Responses to WTC Potential Human Remains Reconciliation

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=48573

 Dear 9/11 Family Members:

I understand that the Department of Defense has invited another group of 9/11 victim families to Guantanamo for next week to observe some war court proceedings. If anyone is aware of the invitation and is willing to talk about what they expect to happen and in whose memory they will be attending, I would appreciate an e-mail or telephone call. Your assistance is appreciated,

Carol Rosenberg , 

The Miami Herald

crosenberg@miamiherald.com

www.miamiherald.com/guantanamo

(305) 376-3179 work
(305) 376-5287 fax
(305) 742-8590 mobile

There is still much discussion going on as to how the names should be listed on the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero.

Although there will never be a solution that will please everyone it appears that we have once again excluded common sense from the process.

This memorial is meant to honor the people who died on 9/11.

People are more than just names.

Many people spend years becoming who they are and in many cases they become more than just the name they were given at birth.

I don’t ever remember calling my Doctor by his first name.

I even had a friend called Junior and to this day I still don’t know his real name because I never knew his father’s first name.

I grew up watching Captain Jack McCarthy and Officer Joe Bolton on TV.

I was taught by Sister Sean Patrick, married by Father Murphy and I have even attended services with Rabbi Sussman.

I grew up learning about Sergeant York and General George S. Patton.

I will say it again, people are more than what appears on their driver’s license or social security card.

And they deserve to be remembered for who they are.

This is particularly true with people in our military, and our police and fire departments.

These people who put their lives on the line every day deserve the respect for the rank they have obtained.

And those who died on 9/11 deserve the same such respect.

So whether it be Father Mychal Judge, or Captain Timothy Stackpole or Sergeant Rodney Gillis, let’s honor and remember the individuals and who they were and not just their names.

They deserve nothing less.