Sandy-Damaged 9/11 Memorial Gets Needed Repairs

Members of the Chatham Borough Fire Department gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Sunday morning to put the monument's final repairs in place.

The memorial was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy when a tree branch fell on the in-ground lights, and two of the steel cables holding the doves in suspension above the ground snapped from the heavy winds.

Dan Smith of the fire department made seven new doves, one for each year between the terrorist attacks in 2001 and the year the memorial was erected in 2008. With the help of Doug Allen and Adndy Socadodo, Smith strung them between the two beams from the World Trade Center that serve as the centerpiece of the memorial.

After Chatham Patch published an article where the department asked for donations to repair the lights, John Giannone of Vision Electric in Madison stepped forward to cover the entire cost of the repairs.

"The memorial is a wonderful tribute to those we lost and their families. We feel honored and privileged to help with the repair of this memorial," Giannone said.

There was also wind damage to the façade and the landscape, all of which, from the memorial's design to the construction to the plants in the garden, was done and is still maintained by volunteers and donations. Most of this minor damage was repaired during the memorial's spring cleaning.

The volunteers also trimmed the plants and cleaned the stainless steel base of the memorial in preparation for the annual Remembrance Ceremony, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11, rain or shine. Those attending are asked to bring their own chairs.