Manorhaven memorializes 18th anniversary of 9/11

Jessica Parks
Members of the Port Washington Fire Department lined up on Manorhaven Boulevard for Manorhaven's 9/11 ceremony. (Photo by Jessica Parks)

The Village of Manorhaven held a memorial ceremony honoring the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Wednesday morning. 

Manorhaven has been hosting a 9/11 service in the village since 2012, typically shortly after the Town of North Hempstead concludes its service. 

Jim Avena, the mayor of Manorhaven, began the ceremony with his memory of that fateful day 18 years ago. He was the former president of Cantor Fitzgerald, which had offices in the World Trade Center, and many of his former employees fell victim to the terrorist attacks.

Nine Port Washington residents were lost on Sept. 11, and Manorhaven village Clerk Sharon Abramski read their names as a member of the Port Washington Fire Department rang a bell in their honor. 

The name of the nine Port Washington victims are David Scott Agnes, Antonio Jose Carrusca Rodrigues, Neil James Cudmore, Timothy C. Kelly, Frederic Kuo, Justin McCarthy, Bart Joseph Ruggieri, Keiichiro Takahashi and Dinah Webster. 

Avena said that due to inclement weather at last year’s ceremony, the village was unable to unveil the new mounting and location of a 9/11 piece of steel from the World Trade Center. The steel was acquired by the village seven years ago, he said.

It was installed at the village’s 9/11 Memorial Garden, which is situated in front of Village Hall.

Retired Port Washington Fire Chief Don DeBari spoke about his memory of 9/11, a day he arrived at the Fire Department to be immediately called to Ground Zero. 

“I will never forget the emotions witnessed: grown men crying, personal belongings in the rubble, a severed hand,” he said. “The memories are as vivid today as they were 18 years ago.” 

The current Port Washington fire chief, Thomas Golden, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening of the ceremony and Sister Kathy Somerville of Our Lady of Fatima read the invocation. 

Members of the Port Washington’s Veteran of Foreign Wars No. 1819 performed a rifle salute and John Sabatino played taps on the trumpet. 

Rabbi Alyssa Mendelson Graf of Port Jewish Center recited a closing prayer.

Many local officials attended and spoke at the ceremony, including North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, state Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso (D-Port Washington), state Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck), Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio, North Hempstead Town Clerk Wayne Wink, Baxter Estates Mayor Nora Haagenson, Sands Point Mayor Edward Adler and Port Washington Police Commissioner Angela Lawlor Mullins. 

Share this Article