Letter to the Editor: What Happened to Port's Sept. 11 Ceremony?

Letters to the Editor can be submitted by e-mailing Lyssa.Beyer@patch.com.

The term community is often defined as "a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location."  According to this definition, the people of Port Washington are a community.

Focusing on the term, "common values," most people would agree that Port Washington values its families, children, senior citizens, police workers, fire workers, all first responders and those who are and have served in the military. Then, why is it that Port Washington, other than in separate schools and churches, did not come together as a community to honor those who were affected by Sept. 11.  Most specifically, why were there no public ceremonies where the Port Washington community could say, "thank you" to those who protect us by being first responders or serving in the military? 

Could not church bells have tolled at 7:46, 8:03, 8:37, and 9:03 representing the American airlines crash into the World Trade Center, the United Airlines crash into the South Towers, the American airlines crash into the Pentagon, and the crash of the United Airlines plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania?  With our beautiful St. Mary’s bells, this by itself could have served as a profound memory.  

As a new citizen of Port Washington, I contacted Mark Grams, city administrator in Port Washington, on Sept. 1 regarding the activities planned for 9/11 in Port Washington.  He replied, "The Village of Saukville annually, hosts a county-wide remembrance of the 9/11 event. All of the fire departments in the county participate in the memorial ceremony.” Reported in the Ozaukee Press on September 8 regarding 9/11, printed was detailed information about the ceremony in Saukville which included, “first responders, Scouts, veterans and military personnel from throughout Ozaukee County.” Yet as seen in the Sept. 10 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, many other cities in other local counties were planning their own city events so that their individual communities may say "thank you" to their first responders and military personnel.

This sadly leaves me to believe that although Port Washington could have organized a simple ceremony to honor our heroes of 9/11, we chose not to.  Are we in Port Washington led to believe that Port Washington is truly not a community?

Pat Morrissey
Port Washington resident