9/11 Remembrance 2024: Village of Valley Stream gathers to remember World Trade Center calamity
Amid a day of mourning and remembrance on Sept. 11, a crowd descended on Arthur J. Hendrickson Park, gathering around the village’s 9/11 memorial monument. This patch of public park transformed into a solemn gathering place as residents and officials came together to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when two airline jets barreled into the World Trade Center buildings.
The ceremony commenced with the presentation of colors by the American Legion Post 854, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1700. Nassau County Court Judge Robert G. Bogle served as master of ceremonies. The National Anthem was sung by the “Perfect Fourths” music group, a quartet consisting of Deniz Arian, Victoria Brodsky, Yvette Borohov, and Samantha Wright. Mayor Ed Fare, a reliable fixture of this event, was conspicuously absent. In his place was Deputy Mayor John Tufarelli who delivered the remembrance remarks.
“At the time (of the tragic day), I was a local business owner in Valley Stream,” said Tufarelli. “Among the people lost that day were many I was fortunate enough to call friends, two of whom I saw that morning before they headed into the city, FDNY firefighter Ray York and Cantor Fitzgerald Broker, Joe Zaccoll.
“The night before, I had my last laugh with my friend Chief Orio Palma over his lunch order. All true heroes who I will always remember,” he continued.
