Residents of Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties will have local options when it comes to remembering the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.
Starting the week of Aug. 29, 30 “New York Remembers” exhibitions will be on display around the state. Residents from the Lower Hudson Valley will have the choice of forgoing a trip to Ground Zero and instead visiting either the Mahopac Public Library, the or the State University of New York at Rockland Community College to commemorate the attacks.
Patrons will view objects — including photographs, glass from the buildings, airplane scraps and much more — that, in many cases, have never been seen by the public before, according to officials.
“These exhibitions will give New Yorkers in towns, villages and cities all across the state a gathering place to once again stand as a community to make sure we never forget those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and to embrace the spirit of unity that brought us together on that day of devastating tragedy,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release.
Cuomo, along with the New York State Museum, and the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum, announced the plans in the release earlier this month, calling for items to be “moved and installed with existing state resources.” Several branches of the state's government, from the Department of Education to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, are slated to contribute.
Last week, Mahopac Library Director Pat Kaufman said her staff took photos and measurements of possible exhibitions locations within the building, but that to her knowledge, “state people will do the actual installation.”
“Staff and trustees see this as a great honor,” she said. “ … I expect people from the surrounding areas to visit — northern Westchester and southern Dutchess.”
Southeast Town Clerk Ruth Mazzei is confident that folks will head over to Mahopac to pay tribute to the thousands of lives lost in the attacks.
“Even though, luckily, we [Southeast] lost nobody from our town, I think we were just as saddened by the event as any other municipality,” she said.
In Westchester, where the attacks claimed 109 lives, community leaders are preparing for a poignant display.
“We’re very honored to have been chosen,” White Plains Public Library Director Sandra Miranda said. “It’s a very humbling experience, we’re assuming it’s going to be very emotional.”
The same can be expected at the Rockland location, as of the county’s natives died in the attacks.
The exhibitions are slated to run through the end of September. Hours vary depending on the venue. For a list of other locations, click here.
White Plains Local Editor Dina Sciortino contributed to this report.
