September 11 Trail Alliance Coming Through!

Blogger's Note: I rarely get a news release without feeling the need to edit it in some way. But I am sharing this county news release in its entirety. I am blown away by this 1,300 mile bicycle trip that simultaneously honors those who died on September 11 and draws attention to NorCo's growing trail system. I have cycled over portions of this trail myself, and imagine many of you have done so, too.

Lamont McClure is pleased to welcome the dedicated cyclists of the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance to Northampton County on their inaugural ride.

A group of cyclists will pass through the Lehigh Valley this month, raising awareness of the September 11th National Memorial Trail. They will begin their journey on April 11th at the Pentagon, peddle to the site of the United Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, PA, pass through Northampton County on their way to New York City, then return to Washington D.C. on May 3rd – a journey of twenty-three days and 1,300 miles in honor of all those who lost their lives during the 2001 terrorist attack.

This inaugural ride, the first-ever to connect the three 9-11 memorial locations, will be undertaken by a small group of board members of the September 11th Trail Alliance. The bikers plan to be in Easton, PA on the 22nd, and Andover, NJ on the 23rd. The multi-day ride is closed to outside riders for logistical reasons, but local cyclists will be able to join when the group passes through their communities.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance was formed in 2004 to establish a triangular path to link the three sites of the terrorist attacks. When completed, people should be able to hike, bike or drive the entire route. In Pennsylvania, planners are constructing the track by using existing trails and greenways. Northampton County’s Open Space Coordinator, Bryan Cope, is also a board member of the September 11th National Memorial Trail. “We looking forward to this event which showcases our extensive trail network already in place in Northampton County.”

Northampton County is becoming a hub for trail systems on the East Coast. Six major trails connect in the county, offering over 4,500 miles of land and water routes. For the September 11th Trail Alliance, the county is utilizing the D and L, Two Rivers, Liberty Water Gap, and the Northern Tier Trail. The Northern Tier Trail is currently being developed as a thirty-mile corridor which passes through the northern municipalities of the county to connect Delaware River to the Lehigh River. The Open Space committee estimates that work on that section will be completed by spring 2018. In 2017, the County of Northampton committed $5,000 to the memorial trail for signage.

Tim Brown, a member of the 911 Trail Board and a retired FDNY firefighter says, “After September 11th, in every firehouse around NYC, the words “Never Forget” became the mantra. These words have special meaning to us, but in particular they mean Never Forget the individual lives that were lost that day. Never Forget who they were. Never Forget their parents, their spouses, their children, their legacy. So when you ride or walk this trail, keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. Never Forget.”

Schedule for those Biking the Trail
Ride Schedule (w/overnights)
Day 1 (4/11): 10am Arlington VA, Pentagon, 11am CandO Canal Mile 0, (Lock House 28, mp 49)
Day 2 (4/12): Brunswick breakfast, Harper’s Ferry w/Canal Towns Partnership (10am), Williamsport lunch,
Four Locks (Lock House 49, mp 109) CandO Canal Trust (6pm)
Day 3 (4/13): Hancock breakfast (Park-n-Dine), Cumberland dinner, 6:30pm (Attiani’s), Inn on Decatur
Day 4 (4/14): Meyersdale lunch, Berlin, PA
Day 5 (4/15): 10am Flt. 93 Memorial, lunch 12:30pm (Lincoln Cafe), Johnstown (Holiday Inn)
Day 6 (4/16): Hollidaysburg
Day 7 (4/17): Canal Basin Park (9:30am), Huntingdon
Day 8 (4/18): breakfast (Top’s Diner, Mill Creek), Mifflintown
Day 9 (4/19): 3:30pm DCNR, Harrisburg
Day 10(4/20): Reading
Day 11(4/21): 9:30am, Schuylkill River trail clean-up, Weissport (Canal Edge Guest House),
Day 12(4/22): 10am Weissport event, Easton
Day 13(4/23): Andover, NJ (NJ Forest Fire Service HQ),
Day 14:(4/24): Andover Diner breakfast, lunch Chester Field House, Morristown (Best Western)
Day 15:(4/25): 9:30am Eagle Rock Reservation, Liberty State Park, ferry, 3pm NYC memorial
Day 16(4/26): Princeton Junction
Day 17(4/27): Trenton, Doylestown, PA
Day 18(4/28): Valley Forge, Wayne
Day 19(4/29): 12pm Conshohocken Brewery, Philadelphia
Day 20(4/30): 10am Schuylkill River Dev. Corp., Newark DE
Day 21(5/1): 2pm Perryville MD, MARC station, 6:30pm dinner, R House (301 W. 29th St.) Baltimore, MD
Day 22(5/2): breakfast (Handlebar Cafe), 9:30am 9-11 memorial, 3pm State House, Annapolis,
Day 23(5/3): 10:30am WBandA trail (Panera MLK Hwy), 12:30pm lunch (REI), 2pm Pentagon

Remember 9/11

Today is the 16th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, when nearly 3,000 people died in terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and in several hijacked planes.

In Kansas City, firefighters honored their brothers by climbing 110 stories in full gear, the same amount that New York firefighters climbed on 9/11. In Bethlehem, firefighters will play a game of softball against police officers to show that life goes on.

Hanover Honors 9/11 Victims With Flag Retirement Ceremony

As it has done for the last eleven years, Hanover Township remembered. September 11 was a busy weekday. But as the sun fell away, and evening joggers steamed in and out of the Recreation Center, about seventy people paused to reflect on the day that changed America forever.

Following remarks from Alfredo Guzman, a Fallen Towers survivor, area scouts participated in an annual flag retirement ceremony. Hundreds of old flags were burned in two barrels that eerily reminded everyone of the Twin Towers.

Participating scouts included Richard Attieh, Connor Mille, Joseph Barlow, Micahel Prendeville, Luke Heffelfinger, Luke Mille, Graham Phillips, William Gavlik, Nate Beisel, Adam Wenrich, Zach Rodgers, Jacob Kuder, Nicholas Fritz, Frank Mille, Ilia Khallouf, Andre Negron and Victor Koury.

In addition, Recreation Director Rob Cepin's arranged 2,977 white flags in honor of each of the lives lost at 9/11, in the shape of the Twin Towers.

A Day To Remember

9-11-01: Nearly three thousand people died, almost all of them civilians, and many more were injured. We lost our sense of security that day, despite two vast oceans that separate us from our enemies. The nation's two largest skyscrapers collapsed before our eyes. It's had a lasting impact. It's why we take our shoes off at airports. It's why we see metal detectors everywhere.

The photo at right, published in The Guardian, is an accurate depiction of how most of us reacted that day. "We are the ones whose lives went on, touched yet untouched, separated from the heart of the tragedy by the blue water of time, which has got ever wider and more impossible to cross."

9/11 Memorial Flag Coming to Easton

Peter Cochran, a regular reader here, will be part of the honor guard welcoming the 9/11 Memorial Flag at Easton's Sigal Museum today. According to an Express Times story, this large flag will be presented about 2:30 PM.

Hanover Township Remembers 9/11

Dr. Alfred Khallouf

As it has done for the last eleven years, Hanover Township remembered. Though September 11 was a busy weekday, Supervisors Boy Scout Troop 352 and about fifty residents paused to reflect on what Supervisor Glenn Walbert called his generation's Pearl Harbor. Following a brief ceremony, scouts retired hundreds of used American flags under the supervision of Scoutmaster Michael Caffrey.

Doctor Alfred Khallouf, a Township resident who spent nine years in the Air Force as a dentist, was in his first week of active duty the Twin Towers were hit. When his parents moved here from Syria, they had nothing. "This country gave us the opportunity to turn nothing into something," he said.

Although Dr. Khallouf participated in no firefights, "I was saving the world, one tooth at a time."

LTC Tim Brooks, who served both in Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently with the Allentown National Guard, watched as flag after flag was fed into twin pyres that provided a brief reminder of the conflagration at the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

LTC Tim Brooks, an American hero.

Slideshow:

Charlie Dent on 11th Anniversary of 9/11

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (PA-15) issued the following statement from his Washington Office on the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States:

“Today, we remember those who perished 11 years ago in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. While the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, forever changed our nation, they could not weaken the American will or diminish our spirit. Please take a moment today to honor the many innocent Americans who lost their lives on 9/11, thank members of our Armed Forces and first responders for keeping us safe, remind family and friends how important they are to you, and consider volunteering some of your time to improve your community.”

Hanover Township Remembers 9/11

A large and diverse crowd of nearly 200 people attended Hanover Township's Patriot Day Remembrance and Flag Retirement Ceremony at the Community Center on September 11, 2011. From 'Canes slugger Sammy Kraihanzel, age 12, to Walt Whitman Lane resident Irene Recor, age 85, they remembered.

Instead of speaking, politicians like State Rep. Marcia Hahn listened as Port Authority worker Michael Mayurnik described what it was like to be on the 69th floor of the World Trade Center when its 97th floor was hit by an airliner. After looking out a window and seeing paper and other debris flying everywhere, one of his co-workers said, "Let's get the Hell out."

And so they did. As they and other lucky ones were leaving, New York firefighters were making their way in, some to never return.

After this remembrance, the crowd shuffled outside the Community Center for a moving flag retirement ceremony performed by Notre Dame Boy Scout Troop 352, assisted by Scoutmaster Michael Caffrey. The Stars and Stripes was presented to scouts by Bethlehem's Mounted Police Unit, which had slowly winded its way through the Township park in what seemed like a funereal procession.

During this ceremony, the colors were separated as Liberty High School bagpipers Victor Neumann and Krysden Schantz played "Going Home." One scout held the blue field with 50 stars, as others cut away each of the thirteeen red and white stripes of Old Glory. Master of Ceremonies Joshua Soares called our American flag, "the silent sentinel of freedom." Then that flag, and about fifty others, were placed into two barrels.

As flames and billowing smoke climbed climbed from these twin pyres into the evening sky, it was yet another reminder of the conflagration at the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Patriot Day Remembrance in Hanover Township on Sunday

September 11 Remembrance

Remembering 9/11

BETHLEHEM, PA – U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (PA-15), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement regarding the 9th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States:

“This weekend, countless Americans across the country will gather to recognize the 9th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. With heavy hearts, our attention will turn to New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where thousands of lives were taken by radical terrorists determined to end the American way of life, and the families in communities throughout the United States who lost loved ones.

"While the horrific acts that unfolded on a quiet morning nine years ago illustrated the most disturbing and vile aspects of humanity, it is important that we remember the hatred of those who perpetrated and supported these attacks will forever be overshadowed by the compassion and solidarity exhibited by the American people in their aftermath.

"As we appropriately memorialize the many lives lost on September 11th, 2001, let us also pay tribute to the selfless and heroic acts of the first responders and civilians who risked their own safety to help those in danger.”

Dent: We Don't Need No Steenkin' Terrorist Trials

Now that New York is out as a venue for a 9/11 terrorist trials, Attorney General Eric Holder is considering western Pennsylvania. Not so fast, says LV Congressman Charlie Dent.

Dent, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, raised the issue with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano yesterday during a Homeland Security budget hearing, particularly in light of a request for $200 million to provide security for the trials.

According to a news release, Dent told her, “Madam Secretary, I cannot support, and in fact I will vehemently oppose any attempt by the Administration to relocate Guantanamo terror detainees to Pennsylvania, whether for detention or prosecution.”

His opposition to civilian terrorist trials on American soil is based on security risks and associated costs. He also believes it is insensitive to the families of victims killed on 9/11. Dent prefers that enemy combatants be tried in military tribunals, at the Guantanamo Bay facility where they are currently housed.

“The fact that the Attorney General didn’t even consult with Homeland Security before opting for a trial venue in New York is especially troubling,” Congressman Dent said. “Coordinating our security efforts here at home was a significant reason we created a Department of Homeland Security in the first place. If DHS isn’t being consulted in such a major security matter, I must wonder what other decisions are being made without careful consideration of homeland security impact.

“The plan to try KSM and the other terrorists in New York is not well considered, and the increasing opposition by lawmakers from both parties underscores that fact. I’m even more concerned that Plan B appears to be a trial in Western Pennsylvania, just miles away from the site of the Flight 93 crash on 9/11. Pennsylvanians have suffered enough and need not relive this terrible tragedy and play host to its mastermind.”

Dent has cosponsored several pieces of legislation to prevent terrorist trials within the United States. He also joined several members of the Pennsylvania delegation in a bipartisan letter to President Obama, opposing terrorist trials in Pennsylvania.

In the meantime, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan is practicing hard for a stint as a celebrity bartender next week at Louie's Restaurant.

9/11: Obama Honors Fallen While Allentown has Bike Race

Today, on the eighth anniversary of 9/11, Allentown is having a bike race. Jumbotron and everything!

Whoopee!

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, President Barack Obama has just issued a Proclamation to commemorate that horrible day with a moment of silence, a day of community service and a recommendation to fly flags at half staff. But what the hell does he know?

Through the twisted steel of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the scarred walls of the Pentagon, and the smoky wreckage in a field in southwest Pennsylvania, the patriotism and resiliency of the American people shone brightly on September 11, 2001. We stood as one people, united in our common humanity and shared sorrow. We grieved for those who perished and remembered what brought us together as Americans.

Today, we honor the lives we lost 8 years ago. On a bright September day, innocent men, women, and children boarded planes and set off for work as they had so many times before. Unthinkable acts of terrorism brought tragedy, destruction, pain, and loss for people across our Nation and the world.

As we pay tribute to loved ones, friends, fellow citizens, and all who died, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideas and ideals that united Americans in the aftermath of the attacks. We must apprehend all those who perpetrated these heinous crimes, seek justice for those who were killed, and defend against all threats to our national security. We must also recommit ourselves to our founding principles. September 11 reminds us that our fate as individuals is tied to that of our Nation. Our democracy is strengthened when we uphold the freedoms upon which our Nation was built: equality, justice, liberty, and democracy. These values exemplify the patriotism and sacrifice we commemorate today.

In that same spirit of patriotism, I call upon all Americans to join in service and honor the lives we lost, the heroes who responded in our hour of need, and the brave men and women in uniform who continue to protect our country at home and abroad. In April, I was proud to sign the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which recognizes September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Originated by the family members of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance is an opportunity to salute the heroes of 9/11, recapture the spirit of unity and compassion that inspired our Nation following the attacks, and rededicate ourselves to sustained service to our communities.

Throughout the summer, people of all ages and backgrounds came together to lend a helping hand in their communities through United We Serve. As this summer of service draws to an end, we renew the call to engage in meaningful service activities and stay engaged with those projects throughout the year. Working together, we can usher in a new era in which volunteering and more service is a way of life for all Americans. Deriving strength from tragedy, we can write the next great chapter in our Nation's history and ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the promise of America.

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as Patriot Day, and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2009, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.

I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with other ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. eastern daylight time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

Allentown Gets a Little Tacky

The deepest, darkest day in my lifetime is 9/11/. Nearly three thousand people died, almost all of them civilians, and many more were injured. We lost our sense of security that day, despite two vast oceans that separate us from our enemies. The nation's two largest skyscrapers collapsed before our eyes. It's had a lasting impact. It's why we take our shoes off at airports.

On the fifth anniversary of that somber occasion, the Guv' and politicos like former exec Glenn Reibman celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Bethlehem's Riverport project. That baby was seeded with county and state money, and everyone was slapping each other on the back. Mayor John Callahan joined in the fun, too.

Now it's Allentown's turn to be tacky. According to a breathless report from DCED Director Joyce Marin at puff blog Allentown Good News, Allentown will mark the death of three thousand people just nine years ago with a bicycle race. She's instructing everyone to take time off and even goes so far as to tell them to eat at a King Edwin-favored restaurant. She does mention NYC, but only to note how the people there support the marathon runners.

Bennett Camp Snarks Giuliani's 9/11 Leadership

2,603 lives were lost at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Some lived here in the Lehigh Valley.

Just two blocks away from the South Tower, NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani had just lost some close friends. Yet he walked two miles until he could find a phone that worked and called the media to urge calm. In the days that followed, he was an oasis of trust in a desert of uncertainty. On 9/12, there was garbage pickup. On 9/13, city paychecks were issued. In a little over a week, the stock market was back in action.

He reassured us. He also consoled us, attending as many as five funerals in a single day.

This is the man who came to the LV on Friday to urge support for Charlie Dent and John McCain. While he was here, talking about the importance of this area and Pennsylvania, the Bennett campaign issued a mean-spirited news release that slams Giuliani's 9/11 leadership and the significance of that sad day.

ALLENTOWN – Months after Republican incumbent Charles Dent backed one of the most embarrassing campaigns in Presidential primary history, he has called on former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to bring his political acumen to the 15th District.

“While Republican Congressman Dent is in Washington playing political catch up on a rescue plan, Giuliani’s law firm is advising corporate clients on how to profit from it,” says Gary Ritterstein, Bennett Communications Director. “It’s pretty telling that the biggest draw that Dent could get is a former Republican candidate that couldn’t even win one primary in all 50 states. The Lehigh Valley voters want more than just ‘a noun, a verb, and 9-11.’”

During the 2008 Republican Convention, the only concern Giuliani mentioned about Democrats was that they didn’t mention the September 11th attacks enough. Since that point, his law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, formed a corporate task force to help “financial institutions, private investment funds, and institutional investors” take advantage of new legislation.

Ritterstein must not know this, but 9/11 was a terrible day here in the Lehigh Valley. Many of us were directly affected. The Bennett camp's needless snark at this tragedy is in very poor taste. I complained, but Ritterstein refuses to speak to me on the record.

Actually, I'm not looking for a comment from him. I'm looking for one from Sam Bennett, condemning his divisive remarks.