In an Effort to Spur Blood Donations after the Summer Lull, the Event Encourages Public Safety Employees, Community Residents and Local Workers to Donate and Help Save Lives  

The City of Jersey City is once again partnering with the American Red Cross and Suburban Propane to host the 3^rd annual Jersey City Police and Fire 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive.  As part of the nationwide partnership with 911Day.org, an organization supporting the nationâ€s largest day of charitable engagement, everyone is invited and encouraged to partake in this special event.  The blood drive is a unique way to commemorate the solemn day while potentially saving a life.  Jersey City played a critical role in the response and recovery efforts on September 11^th, 2001 as the first point of refuge for hundreds of people who evacuated the World Trade Center and lower Manhattan.  The blood drive event places an emphasis on community preparedness and we believe volunteer blood donors will help this endeavor through this partnership.  The blood drive will be operating from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a ceremony at 11 a.m.

 Monday, September 11, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ceremony with Dignitaries at 11:00

Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson 

2 Exchange Place Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 

Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop

Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea

American Red Cross Representatives

Jersey City Police & Fire Department Members

Suburban Propane CEO Michael Stivala

Blood & Platelet Donors

911Day.org,

www.cityofjerseycity.com

The post Annual 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive Monday, September 11th, 2017 first appeared on River View Observer.

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, the Municipal Council, the Division of Cultural Affairs

On September 11, 2001, Jersey City lost 37 residents in the devastating terrorist attacks. After the towers fell across the Hudson River, the Jersey City waterfront became a staging ground for recovery and relief efforts. Today, the 9/11 monument stands directly across the river from where the World Trade Center towers once stood. The names of  the 37 residents of Jersey City are etched on the monument as a memorial

for future generations to remember with respect and honor.

“It was a tragic day in which the whole world stood still and offered prayers and condolences to the people of the United States of America,” said Mayor Healy. “Every year, Americans across the country stand united with remarkable spirit, compassion, and patriotism. September 11th is a day of reverent reflection in which we honor the victims and heroes of that day, as well as salute the many brave men and women who protect our liberties.”

The Mayor noted that contingents of Jersey City firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses and medical technicians were among the first responders to Ground Zero. A triage center was established in Liberty State Park and New York Waterway ferried thousands of injured people and workers from the devastated area in Lower Manhattan to safety in Jersey City. The Jersey City Medical Center, Greenville Hospital, Christ Hospital, and Saint Francis Hospital were the medical facilities where most of those brought to Jersey City were treated. Local funeral homes were called upon to offer assistance with the bodies of the victims.

Since 2002, the Jersey City 9/11 Memorial Committee has observed the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist atacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the forced crash of a commercial aircraft, Flight 93, in a Pennsylvania field which had been commandeered by terrorists.

The 9/11 ceremony will feature remarks by Mayor Healy and other officials. Prayers will be offered by clergy from various religious denominations. Special songs and inspirational music will also be part of the remembrance program. Continuing a spiritual custom started in 2002, there will be the recitation of the names of the residents of Jersey City killed in the attack. The chiming of a bell will accompany each name spoken.

The commemoration will include poetry readings and a performance by award winning musician Victoria, who on September 11, 2001, was at 63 One World Trade Center Tower and survived one of the Lockhart most disastrous and heartbreaking events in our country’s history.

Following the “Reflection” 9-11 Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m., the walkway at the foot of York Street, will be dedicated in honor of Jersey City’s two fallen heroes, Spc. Marlon P. Jackson and Spc. Rafael A., who were both killed in combat. The City of Jersey City will forever remember the sacrifices Nieves, Jr. of these two brave soldiers who gave their lives in support of America during Operation Iraqi Freedom and  Operation Enduring Freedom.

Also as a symbol of American solidarity, the City of Jersey City joins the efforts of U.S. Senator Frank Launtenberg, who submitted a Senate bill requesting that at 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on, to the maximum extent practicable, all work and activity shall cease and shall be marked in appropriate manner, including ringing bells, blowing whistles, or sounding sirens in observance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America by coming together as a one Nation.

“On this day, we shall join the rest of the nation in commemorating the values exemplified by the patriotism of the American people,” said Mayor Healy. “We shall honor the great sacrifices made by our first responders and our brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces who continue to protect our country at home and abroad.”

About Victoria Lockhart

Victoria Lockhart is an accomplished singer and songwriter who is said to have a voice of an angel. She completed an album, “In His Time,” which also gives an amazing recount of her 9-11 deliverance experience entitled “Testimony.”

Victoria has shared the gospel in many venues and cities across the U.S. Victoria’s music has received acclaim and recognition for her music from those in the industry. Among her many accomplishments are nominations for: “Best Female Vocalist” in the 1st Annual American Gospel Music Awards in March of 2003; on June 26, 2003 for “Outstanding Female Vocalist” by the D’Gospel Music Awards; and in November of 2004, her song “In His Time” was nominated by the 4th Annual Tiffany Gospel Awards for “Outstanding Gospel Artist Of The Year” and “Best Gospel Single Of The Year – The Wedding Anthem”. Victoria has appeared on TBN, Gospel & The Arts, BronxTalk, Good Day New York (Fox 5).

Army Spc. Marlon P. Jackson, 25, died on November 11, 2003 serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Assigned to A Company, 94th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), 130th Engineer Brigade, Vilseck, Germany, Army Spc. Marlon P. Jackson died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device exploded on a road in Tampa, Iraq.

Army Spc. Rafael A. Nieves Jr., 22, died on July 10, 2011 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky., Army Spc. Rafael A. Nieves Jr. died in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires.

U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and his colleagues from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia introduced a resolution that calls on Americans to come together as a nation for a Moment of Remembrance at 1 p.m. EDT on September 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, marked by a minute of reflection and ringing of bells and sounding of sirens across the country.

U.S. Senate approved legislation that asks all Americans to stop and remember during a national Moment of Remembrance on September 11 which will occur at the same time across the country: 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, noon Central Daylight Time, 11 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time and 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Local, state, and national institutions — including state and local governments, military and veterans’ organizations, the news media, houses of worship and sports teams — have been called upon to mark this minute with bells or sirens to honor the victims.

U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, on his blog said “This will be a striking symbol of American solidarity, gnaling to the world that we remain united against those who threaten our freedom. It will also be a powerful,

nationwide expression of America’s patriotic spirit — and our refusal to forget the thousands of innocent lives

we lost in the destruction of 9/11…Make no mistake: 9/11 changed our country forever, and a tragedy of this

magnitude requires every American to stop and remember — and show the world how strong we are when we

stand together.”

The post Jersey City to Observe the 10th Anniversary of the Attack on America first appeared on River View Observer.

On the morning of the 9/11 attack, Jersey City photographer Sandra Swieder grabbed her camera and notebook and headed to the waterfront where she captured the heroic rescue and recovery efforts of firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, EMTs and other volunteers. In the days and months that followed, Swieder continued to photograph and collect stories from survivors, witnesses and emergency responders this side of the Hudson.

 On Sept. 1 and running through Sept. 15, Art House Productions, a non-profit organization committed to the development and presentation of performing and visual arts in Jersey City presents “From Across the River,” a photography exhibition by Swieder that captures the events of September 11th from the New Jersey perspective.

 “With the tenth anniversary coming up, we thought it was a very important story to tell,” Arthouse Productions’ Executive Director Christine Goodman says. “Some people say ‘who wants to relive these images? But Sandra’s photographs have hope, too. What Sandra’s done is document the people and their stories and the real strength of the everyday individuals who rose up that day.”

On the morning of September 11, 2001, after the attacks on the World Trade Center, Hudson County’s waterfront became the hub for emergency personnel, volunteers and over 200,000 survivors who were ferried from lower Manhattan to the Jersey waterfront. When they arrived on the Jersey side – in Hoboken and Jersey City – thousands were decontaminated and triaged, some were hospitalized and given shelter.

That waterfront triage in Jersey City became a five-block radius of emergency personnel, volunteers and family members and the staging area at Exchange Place turned into a lifeline to “Ground Zero.” Swieder, with her camera and notebook, documented the events. She established relationships with key emergency personnel, collected their stories and created a historical record of images and personal accounts and put it all together in “From Across the River.” The exhibit consists of photography and interviews of First Responders, with approximately thirty images ranging from 11×14 to 6 ft. Images have been produced on a number of different mediums such as Plexiglas, canvas and photographic paper. The exhibition will also include a memorial sculpture of reclaimed steel from Ground Zero by artist Matt Johnson.

“It is extremely important to preserve the history of events that transpired on the Jersey side,” Swieder says. “This project illustrates what took place along the Hudson River and how New Jersey responded to the immediate needs of lower Manhattan that Tuesday morning and in the days, weeks and months following.”

Goodman says “From Across the River,” is a powerful exhibition but absolutely essential to our culture and history.

 “It’s preserving the history of what happened on the Hudson River that day and how our New Jersey community came together with New York,” Goodman says, “and how our emergency responders, our citizens, police officers, firefighters and everyday people rose up in this time of need. The work is powerful. It’s preserving our history and honoring these people. Sandra’s work is about healing and community.”

 Funding for “From Across the River” is by Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs & Heritage/Tourism Development.  The exhibit will be up for two weeks at Arthouse Productions and then moved to the Brennan Courthouse where it will be installed for the public to view in the Theodore Conrad Rotunda from Sept. 22 through Oct.14.

 .”It’s not only about us, it’s much bigger,” Swieder says. “My intentions are for it to travel. I think people really need to understand what happened that day. My energies are positive. I’m a single mom with a three year-old. How do I tell the future generations what happened that day? What images do they have of the firemen, the twisted metal and the dust-covered buildings? This is a different perspective. I tried to capture the beauty and the unity of the people that day. Maybe this can bring some closure, some healing. People can look at the worst day of American history in a different light.”

Now to Sept.15th

From Across the River

Art House Productions
One McWilliams Place
(Housed in the former St. Francis Hospital Building, SE corner of Hamilton Park)
Jersey City, NJ

For more info or to schedule a viewing appointment, call (201) 915-9911 or email info@arthouseproductions.org.
Opening reception: Thurs, Sept 1, 7-10 p.m. 

Gallery Open:  Sept. 9^th, 7-9 p.m.

Closing reception: Sept 15, 7-9 p.m.

Additional viewings by appointment; to schedule a visit call 201-915-911

 

Special Anniversary Gallery Openings
Sat. and Sun, Sept. 10 and 11, 12-6 p.m.

The post From Across the River: Images and Reflections of September 11th from the Jersey Side first appeared on River View Observer.