Some 500 residents, including members of the West Hempstead Kiwanis Club, the West Hempstead Civic Association, loved ones of those who perished and concerned citizens gathered on Sunday, Sept. 15 in the memorial garden at Halls Pond Park to witness the dedication of a clock tower to those 12 West Hempstead residents who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Despite the rainy conditions, local residents and surviving family members participated in a candlelight vigil, held hands and sang America the Beautiful and God Bless America to commemorate the lives of those lost in last year's terrorist attacks.

West Hempstead will forever remember Bruce D. Boehm, Winston A. Grant,Robert J. DeAngelis, Jr., Mark Schwartz, Robert Linnane, Ralph M. Licciardi, William V. Steckman, John J. (Jack) Fanning, Jason Cefalu, Kevin Colbert, Scott Bart and Jeffrey Dingle.

Pastor Fred McElderry of Saint Andrew's Parish explained to residents the significance of the dedicated clock tower. "Time stopped on September 11. In a real sense it hasn't really started going again," said McElderry.

The pastor recalled that clocks seemed to stop at exactly 8:46 a.m. last September 11, the time the North Tower was hit. "We remember and we will never forget that day, the peoplewe lost and the call we all received to pitch in," he said.

Another memory of September 11, the pastor said, is the picture of a sign that said "No More Volunteers Needed." The sign, he said, is "the reminder to us of what we were capable of doing when the clocks started going again."

Director of the dedication ceremony, Andy Thaw agreed, saying that after September 11, "what has developed is an unprecedented outpouring of the best of human spirits and the best that mankind can offer. On September 12, we started to show the world that we are indeed the greatest country on Earth."

Thaw added that members of the community flocked to local blood banks and donation facilities to donate blood, volunteer and help in any way they could. "We are a community of many neighbors and friends whotruly have the compassion and a caring nature that makes life so rich," he said.

Monsignor Lisante of St. Thomas The Apostle Church said, "We come together as a community of so many faiths showing that what happened that day was actually a perversion of religion and a perversion of faith."

Andy Thaw, thanked all those in attendance, including members of thearmed forces, local Boy and Girl Scouts, police, firemen, emergency personnel, volunteers, family members and devoted citizens. "I would like to present to you our beautiful clock tower that will be standing here in memory and in honor of those of our neighbors in our community who have fallen."

Thaw added that the second half of the memorial project will take place in the spring when benches will be installed and the entire area surrounding the clock tower at Halls Pond Park would be considered the memorial garden.

As residents gathered around the clock tower, an ex-chief of the West Hempstead Fire Department said, "We are assembled to respect in prayer all our department firefighters and to express our heartfelt sympathy to their families who lost loved ones at 9/11 [and] to those victims who fell to the terrorist attacks outside the fire department at 9/11."

President of the West Hempstead Kiwanis Club George Silkes told residents, "The Kiwanis Club of West Hempstead hopes that this clock and the garden and the benches that will be put here will serve as a fitting reminder of those who perished in that awful act of terror."

McElderry added upon the ceremony's conclusion, to remember all those around the world who suffer at the hands of terrorists. "We are mindful of our Jewish brothers and sisters on this the holiest week of their year. We join with them and stand with them in silence as we too pause and stop the clock and remember," he said.

Silkes offered thanks on behalf of the Kiwanis Club to the many people involved in the event's production, including local police and firemen, Nassau County Legislator Vinny Muscarella, Deputy Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Recreation, Parks and Museums James Caracciolo and the event's coordinators Andy and Nikki Thaw. Of those who died September 11, Silkes said, "We will never let them be forgotten."