Mil-Max Mfg. joined millions of other New Yorkers as they remembered the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11, 2001. Following the request of New York State Governor George Pataki to have a moment of silence to commemorate the events, employees were invited to attend a concert of bagpipe music performed by Ed McKenna from the Irish American Society of Mineola. He is a bagpipe instructor for the New York Police Department.

He played for about a half-hour in their front parking lot as employees stood quietly, listening.

"It was a really nice thing to have," said Ellen Tylenda, human resources manager. "At first, we were just going to have a moment of silence but it didn't seem enough. There were several suggestions from employees which resulted in the concert.

"Shari Caso, a customer service representative made the arrangements. She is the wife of Bayville fireman David Caso. He arranged for the three firemen to be there. He couldn't make it that morning because he was going to be an honor guard at sunset at Centre Island Beach around 7 p.m., September 11."

This was not the first time the Bayville Fire Department worked with Mil-Max Mfg. "Employees collected supplies that the fire department took to Ground Zero for the volunteers. They got large packages of water bottles at Stop & Shop and sandwich materials - all kinds of foodstuff. We filled up a couple of vans with food. Shari Caso was the one that connected us to the Bayville Fire Department, that was why it was nice to have them here today," said Ms. Tylenda.

The community responded in great numbers to a service of Remembrance and Hope to commemorate the events of September 11. It was held at St. Dominic R.C. Church the night of Wednesday, Sept. 11.

The interreligious service of Remembrance and Hope was the project of the several pastors in Oyster Bay. The Rev. Kenneth Nelson, president of the Interreligious and Human Needs Council of North Oyster Bay said the service wasn't a project of the IHNC. Instead it was the clergy themselves who got together several weeks ago and talked about doing something to commemorate September 11. "We met in the Book Mark Café and followed up with a meeting at the First Presbyterian Church and then went to St. Dominic's to map out the evening on how and what we wanted to do," said Rev. Nelson.

The group of religious leaders doesn't meet on a regular basis but rather meets when the need arises. "Several of us hold other jobs and can't meet on a regular basis but when there is a community need, we do. We are getting more and more involved with the Interreligious Council. We have all new ministers in town.

I've been here 21 going on 22 years this year and the one here longest after me is Rev. Jeff Prey. The new people are more set toward working together," Rev. Nelson said.

"Rev. Jeff Prey was very involved in organizing the event," he added.

"Actually, Malcolm Burns and I are tied at six years," said the Rev. Jeffrey Prey, "so we really have a new body of religious leaders with a lot of new clergy. I think it's a wonderful thing. I was just really pleased at how things worked out so smoothly in arranging the September 11 service. We were never once all there together. It was done by phone calls, but things really came together nicely at the service," said Rev. Prey.

The musical program at the service consisted of selections by the choirs of St. Dominic's and Christ Church, an ensemble from the North Shore Community Church and Rev. Ken Nelson singing If I Can Help Somebody to the almost full church.

"I think it wasn't a service of sorrow but of hope and looking forward to the future," said Rev. Nelson.

Monsignor Beckmann gave the sermon. "It was touching and well delivered and to the point," said Eve Bernstein, of the IHNC.

Rev. Nelson said, "It was uplifting."

Religious leaders attending included: Monsignor John Alesandro; Monsignor Donald Beckmann and Father Malcolm Burns of St. Dominic's; Rev. Jeffrey Prey of the First Presbyterian Church; Rev. Ken Nelson of Hood A.M.E. Zion Church; Rabbi Marvin Demant of the Oyster Bay Jewish Center; Rev. Joel Pelsue of the North Shore Community Church; Christ Church Interim Pastor Ralph A. Peterson; Rev. Dr. Louise Stowe-Johns of the Community United Methodist Church of East Norwich; the Rev. Ken Edmondston of Mt. Olive Baptist Church and representatives of the B'Hai Faith and the New People's Church, Korean Church that meets at the East Norwich Methodist Church.