Local communities to commemorate 9/11; Our list of events

PHOTOGRAPHER: File Photo

Tempered By Memory, Saratoga Springs' 9/11 memorial sculpture, made from beams from the rubble of the World Trade Center, is seen in High Rock Park. The city will hold a remembrance ceremony at 8:15 a.m. Saturday.

Several communities throughout the Capital Region and Mohawk Valley are holding events Saturday to honor those who died during September 11th and the first responders who aided in rescue and recovery that day. This year marks the 20th anniversary of that horrible day.

Schenectady County:

A ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the Schenectady VFW Post 1895. The keynote speaker is John Kusisto, retired chief of the Coxsackie Rescue Squad, a first responder at ground zero.

Niskayuna will hold a remembrance ceremony from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. at the town’s Veteran’s Memorial at town hall. Firefighters will be present at the town’s farmer’s market afterward where they will demonstrate search and rescue tactics with trained dogs. The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, which supported efforts at Ground Zero will also be at the market.

The Waters Edge Lighthouse Restaurant in Glenville will have a remembrance event at 1 p.m. Several police and fire departments will be in attendance, along with military personnel from the 109th AirLift Wing and members of the U.S. Water Ski Show Team.

Union College will hold a brief ceremony with ROTC students and several speakers beginning around 8:30 a.m. at the flagpole behind Nott Memorial and Rugby Field. There will be a moment of silence and Memorial Chapel will ring in remembrance of each of the day’s events.

The Rotterdam Elks Lodge will hold a ceremony at noon at its Curry Road location.

Fulton/Montgomery counties:

The City of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing & Recreation Department will hold a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. at Riverlink Park. The organizations will ring bells, lay a wreath and raise a flag in honor of those who died.

At Fulton-Montgomery Community College in Fulton County a ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. at the college’s memorial site where the college has an artifact from the north tower. The Schenectady Pipe Band will perform at the memorial. Several officials will offer remarks.

In Broadalbin the Broadalbin-Kennyetto Fire Company will hold a ceremony at 7 p.m. at their station.

Saratoga County:

Saratoga Springs will hold a remembrance ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at High Rock Park at the Tempered by Memory Sculpture. People are asked to arrive by 8:15 a.m. Dottie Pepper of CBS Sports will be the master of cermeonies and Frank G. Hoare, who served in the army reserves will be the keynote speaker.

There will be a commemorative ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Mechanicville Central Fire Department’s 9/11 Monument.

The Saratoga-Wilton Elks Club will hold a Patriot Day Parade starting at noon on Broadway in Saratoga Spring to honor local heroes from 9/11.

Halfmoon will hold a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at Abele Memorial Park in front of the Halfmoon municipal center. Fire and emergency services personnel will be present, along with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other members of the public.

The village of Ballston Spa will hold a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. at the 9/11 Memorial Garden next to village hall. The Union Fire Company Band will play music, there will be a dramatic light display and art banners. Elected officials will give remarks and a candlelight ceremony will be held. The rain date is Sunday.

St. Mary’s Church in Ballston Spa will hold a “Blue Mass” to honor emergency services personnel at 9 a.m.

Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa will have a display through Sept. 18 of photos, art and artifacts from Ground Zero. Museum hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

At 10 a.m. there will be a memorial event at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville. The state’s Army National Guard Brigadier Gen. Isabel Smith will be one of two keynote speakers. Gerald Morigerato, a member of New York Response Team 1 will be the other keynote speaker. Two New York Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters based at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Latham will conduct a flyover salute.

The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library will have a poster exhibition titled September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World on display in the foyer until Sept. 20

Albany County:

The Irish American Heritage Museum will hold a short commemoration ceremony for 9/11 at noon. The event will include a piper, wreath-laying and moment of silence in the museum’s courtyard.

The Albany Stratton VA Medical Center will hold a ceremony at its All Faith Chapel. The event can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFqazz08gVQ. There will also be a story and pictorial collage on the organization’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VAAlbany.