On Veterans Day, the rain lifted briefly in the afternoon. The family members of the six Great Neck residents who died on September 11, 2001 and many Great Neck residents and dignitaries gathered on Grace Avenue for the dedication of a plaque and lovely garden setting in honor of those lost and a reassurance to the families that we will never forget them. One family member remarked, "It is very touching that the community has done this. It is so hard to attend these memorials, but it means a lot to us."

The tribute was the result of a collaboration between the Village of Great Neck Plaza and the Chamber of Commerce's "We Care Committee." Mayor Jean Celender presided over the ceremony that was held inside Citibank. The tone was set with a presentation from the color guard of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a moment of silence in honor of our country's veterans and the victims of 9/11.

Mayor Celender said that it was important to all those who planned the quiet spot for remembering, that it be a living memorial. She said, "Harry Perlman, our former commissioner of public services, designed this memorial and selected the species of tree. Harry explained to me that when these dwarf Japanese maples mature, their tortured branches will envelope each other, a symbol of the way in which life was taken away for too many on that day. In the spring of each year when they bloom, their leaves will look like 'red feathers' making for a soft, beautiful canopy."

She also thanked the many people who had come together to make the idea materialize. Ron Samanowitz, who chaired the We Care Committee; Jeffrey Philips for the benefit luncheons at Café Rustica; Cablevision for a donation; Citibank for the use of its property; the Plaza's Department of Public Works for planting the trees; ASV Construction for their skillful brick and bench work; Sara Center staff and residents for their design of the veiling cloth; Celebrity Florist for a remembrance wreath and roses for the victims' family members; Blimbie's for donating coffee and cookies; to the talented musicians Nikki Blonsky, Keith Fishenfeld and Denise Eisner; and to Rabbi Menahem Meier and Monsignor Riordan for their remarks and prayers.

But the thoughts of the afternoon focused on those lives that were cut short on that day and on the loved ones whose grief was palpable. We watched in sorrow as one young woman kissed her finger and touched it to one of the names on the plaque. It reads:

Presented on behalf of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Great Neck Plaza, in loving memory of those who tragically lost their lives on 9/11/01. Peter Christopher Frank, Jonathan Lee Ielpi, Frederick Kuo, Jr., Richard Y.C. Lee, Andrew Stergiopoulos, Joshua S. Vitale.