New Jersey Communities Commemorate 9/11 Anniversary With Ceremonies, Services
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Communities throughout New Jersey are remembering the 14th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with words and deeds.
Gov. Chris Christie attended the remembrance ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial site in New York, honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror strike.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno attended three ceremonies -- two in New Jersey and one held by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey in Manhattan.
"Although so many years have passed, our grief for what was taken from us and our resolve in the face of adversity have not lessened," Guadagno said in a statement. "We saw many examples of heroism and sacrifice on that day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all those who were lost, and I assure them that we will never forget."
9/11 Anniversary: Full Coverage | Iconic Images | Places To Commemorate
In Bergen County, the names of the 147 residents who died in the towers were read during a ceremony Friday.
"This was about making sure that we continue to remember," said County Executive James Tedesco, who was joined on the steps of the county courthouse by Sen. Robert Menendez, other dignataries, veterans and first responders.
Menendez said the fight is now not only to never forget, but to never let a 9/11 happen again, WCBS 880's Levon Putney reported.
Bergen County Honors Residents Killed On 9/11
Emergency responders in Jersey City are also holding a blood drive along the Hudson River, across from where the World Trade Center towers once stood.
Middletown paid tribute to the 37 residents killed in the attacks with a moment of silence and wreath-laying ceremony at the township's World Trade Center Memorial Gardens.
Medical equipment manufacturer Stryker Corp. in Mahwah is assembling care packages for troops deployed overseas.
Former state and national "Miss America'' pageant winners will perform during the Miss America Organization's "Miss America 9/11 Military Tribute Concert'' in Atlantic City.
Photos: Remembering 9/11 - 14 Years Later
Prayer services and memorial ceremonies are also planned Friday for Elizabeth, North Bergen, West Windsor, Perth Amboy, Hamilton Township, Willingboro, Hackensack, Englewood and Leonia.
A remembrance ceremony is planned for Saturday afternoon at the Empty Sky Memorial at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Ever since it was dedicated in 2010 family members have been coming there to mourn and remember, CBS2's Christine Sloan reported.
It's an emotional spot, the memorial's granite pathway points directly at Ground Zero.
"We just saw everything unfold. We could see the twin towers from our apartment. We saw one plane hit then went to the roof and saw the building fall down," one man said.
On the 14th anniversary monks from Fanwood, prayed for the victims.
Many visited the memorial early Friday morning, including a veterans group which is planning a 9/11 remembrance run.
"We're going to be running 11 miles, so we call it '11 on the 11,'" Misty Digangi of Team Red, White & Blue told Sloan.
"I think it's critically important for Americans to remember that day," said runner Julie Daigle.
The memorial is named after a Bruce Springsteen song, which describes how New Jersey residents felt as they looked across the Hudson River at the city on that fateful day.
It honors 749 New Jersey residents killed in the attacks. The victims' names are etched on the stainless steel walls and the granite path that directly points to ground zero.
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