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The World Trade Center, Part 2: Remembering the Past
In my last post I talked about all of the new buildings rising up from the ashes of the World Trade Center site. Of course, it is also the site of a terrible tragedy and everyone who works there is very aware of that. The 9/11 museum which is actually under the site of the two memorial pools is still under construction and we were privileged to be allowed to see that.
Here are the stairs down into the museum.
Beside them are the famous “tridents”, the exterior steel from the original towers which survived the attack and collapse. You can see the side of one here:
Other large artifacts have already been moved into the museum space, including a damaged fire engine, a police car, and this New York City taxi:
Also being preserved are structural parts of the old Twin Towers, such as this girder base:
I know the Twin Towers were considered by many to be architecturally undistinguished, but to me, they were beloved landmarks marking the tip of Manhattan. I am glad their memory is being kept alive.
Another part of the original towers is this staircase which somehow stayed intact. People walked down it and lived so it’s known as a “survivor staircase”. You can see all the foam and packing on top of it to protect it. Even more amazing is the fact that it’s been moved off the site and back onto the site. And this is several tons of concrete! As Steve Plate said, there’s a lot of extreme engineering going on at the new World Trade Center.
Of course, the most important memorial is to the people who died on that terrible day. The 9/11 Memorial opened on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy and occupies half of the 16-acre site. These twin memorial pools, set on the footprints of the North and South Towers are one of the most moving tributes I have ever seen.
The pools themselves, with the water dropping away out of sight, create a tremendous sense of absence. Their colossal size reminds the visitor of the scale of the tragedy.
Around each pool are the names of the people who died on that spot, grouped by their association with a company or a fire house or a precinct. My husband, a former Wall Streeter, knew many of these people well through his work. Francis Joseph Trombino was just one of the colleagues he lost.
My first cousin and seven people from my small New Jersey suburb also perished in the attack.
A pear tree which was growing in the plaza around the original Twin Towers was somehow still clinging to life among the wreckage. It was dug up and taken to a Bronx nursery where it was nursed back to health. In December of 2010, it was replanted at its former home, where it gives mute, yet eloquent testament to the persistence of life. It is known as the Survivor Tree, and visitors pay tribute to its courage by placing coins from all nations at the base of its trunk.
It was a very emotional visit, but I came away believing that the dead have been well-honored and the living will never forget.
The World Trade Center, Part 1: Rising Anew
We have our very own hometown hero here in Glen Ridge: Steve Plate, the Director of Construction for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It’s quite a title because he has quite a job: directing the construction of the entire World Trade Center site. Being a former mayor of our town, he invited the current mayor and town council (on which my husband sits) to tour the site. It was an amazing day.
Here’s Steve (on the right) with our current mayor Peter Hughes (on the left). We all had to wear those goofy hard hats and since it was a cold day we wore our own hats under them.
Like so many people who survived the tragedy of 9/11, Steve has his own story. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he was on his way out the door to catch his usual train to work when his oldest son guilted him into giving him a ride to school. Steve missed his train. If he hadn’t, he would have been in his office at the top of the World Trade Center and he would have died. So Steve isn’t just doing his job, he is building this project as a personal tribute to all of his colleagues who perished.
In fact, he says that many, many of the people working on the project are there because they want to pay tribute to those who were lost in the attacks. They see the rebuilding as something greater than just a construction project.
Now that I’m teary-eyed, on to some facts and figures. The site is 16 acres, of which half is devoted to the Memorial Pools (more on that later). There are multiple construction projects going on simultaneously: Tower 1, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, which is under Steve’s supervision; Towers 2, 3, and 4 which a private developer is building; the Memorial Pools, which opened on the 10-year anniversary of the attack; the transportation hub; the vehicle security center (no vehicles will have direct access to the towers without passing through this sophisticated scanning process); a performing arts center; and the 9/11 museum.
The scope of the project is mind-boggling. Steve cuts $200 million in checks a month! All the materials have to come in through the narrow streets of downtown New York City with a minimum of interruption to the city’s daily flow of traffic and commuters. Below is a small part of the construction site:
Here is just a sampling of the mass of materials:
But what’s amazing is that out of all this comes this beautiful tower, rising up from the ashes.
See that elevator going up the side of the building? We rode up in it to the 86th floor which was the top one under construction that day. Actually, it was the top one with a floor to walk on. Steve told us, “First comes steel, then concrete.”
Here’s the view, through the safety netting.
And here I am, rocking the construction helmet, in front of the New Jersey skyline.
Steve gave us special pens to write our names on the girders (like the one behind me in this photo) which will be covered with finishing materials. It is very moving to think that my name will always be part of 1 World Trade Center.
Next week I’ll show you how the past is being commemorated at the World Trade Center site.
Another trip to paradise: The Turks and Caicos
Handsome Husband and I like to go way, way south to get warm after Christmas. Being wanderers, we rarely go to the same Caribbean island twice. So this year we checked out the Turks and Caicos, staying on the island of Providenciales.
My father, who commanded a destroyer during World War II and spent time sailing in the Caribbean, was baffled by the fact that he had never heard of the Turks and Caicos. So we checked it out on a map. Much to his relief, it was located where no ships had a reason to venture and is surrounded by treacherous reefs and shoals.
I have included the map because I didn’t really know where it was either.
It also turns out that there wasn’t much going on there after about 1815. You see, the Turks and Caicos were the largest producer of salt in the world for 250 years or so before that. However, their principal market, the United States, fizzled out around then because the Turks were under British rule and and we were doing our darnedest not to be.
Then in the 1970s some smart person realized there were really gorgeous beaches there and started building lovely resort hotels. Here’s ours, the Seven Stars:
There’s still not a lot going on there, except vacations, and that makes it a very relaxing place. However, after our voyage to the Galapagos, Darling Daughter and I have become connoisseurs of rare lizards (among other creatures) so we were very excited to learn about the presence of the rock iguana, a critically endangered species endemic to the Turks and Caicos. So we signed up for an expedition to Little Water Cay where they are protected.
Here’s a handsome specimen strolling over the sand.
Can you see the dorsal fins down his back? Evidently, those are more pronounced in rock iguanas than in their brethren.
On that same expedition, we went diving for conch. Can you see the fellow’s eyes in this photo?
It made me feel a little guilty because later we ate him. Our guide made the most delicious fresh conch salad while we were out lizard-watching. Darling Daughter brought home his shell as a beautiful souvenir so nothing went to waste.
Honestly though, mostly we just lounged on the beach, drinking dacquiris.
And we admired the view.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
By the way, I brought back a gorgeous pair of earrings from our trip which I’m offering as a prize in my website contest. If you want to see them (and perhaps win them!), hop on over to www.NancyHerkness.com.
Christmas under glass
My friend Betsy and I decided we hadn’t been on an adventure in too long. So we jumped in her car and headed down south of Philadelphia to Longwood Gardens, the “small farm” Pierre S. DuPont transformed into a spectacular estate. At this time of year, the outdoor gardens are bare, but inside Pierre’s enormous “glass house”, everything is coming up poinsettias…and amaryllis…and winterberry holly. In short, Christmas is in bloom. Talk about spectacular. You enter to a vista of living Christmas trees, dancing fountains, and masses of red and white blossoms.
You progress through various “rooms” (including a ballroom with a 10,000 pipe organ!). There’s a wonderfully whimsical Children’s Garden where the statues are dressed for the season.
I’m partial to topiary so I liked this particular detail.
In the desert room, there was a wreath made of succulents.
In the tropical room the Christmas tree was made of bromeliads and such exotics.
The theme was gingerbread so they had trees made of it and decorated with it, and even a replica of the Glass House itself in gingerbread.
My personal favorite? The rose room with its pendant stars. Pure delight!
Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons and a wonderful 1012!
Wacky Gifts for Guys #5
Does your significant other like to sing in the shower? Well, now he has the lighting effects to make him feel like a star with the Rainbow Shower Head.
And it’s ecologically responsible: the water pressure powers the LED colors. No batteries necessary! It’s a disco inferno with a built-in sprinkler system. Burn, baby, burn! Now all he needs is microphone-shaped soap.
$34.98 (or $29.98 for two or more) at The Lighter Side.
You thought I was kidding about the soap but here it is, just in case you want to add it to his stocking.
It’s $5.95 from Soap on a Rope. com.
Wacky Gifts for Guys #4
Is your guy a true romantic? Or do you really wish he was? Here’s just the thing to fan the flames of romance: a couples hand-holding mitten set.
It comes with 2 individual mittens for your outside hands and one shared mitten that fits over your interlocked hands. All in a lovely, fashion-forward shade of bright orange. Add hot chocolate, a sled-for-two, and a snowball fight (although that might be hard with the conjoined hands), and you’ll be one cute couple.
$19.98 at The Lighter Side.
Wacky Gifts for Guys #3
Okay, this may be tacky, but I couldn’t resist it. And it’s very useful.
Yes, it’s Weener Kleener Soap. The name alone had me in stitches. It promises to make personal hygiene more stimulating and guarantees that “a few quick strokes will clean most appendages.” Make sure the recipient reads the “Caution” at the bottom of the packaging.
2 for $11 at Things You Never Knew Existed.
Wacky Gifts for Guys #2
You love your Snuggie, right? It’s warm and soft and hugs you without expecting anything in return. But the man in your life makes fun of you every time you use it. Here’s your revenge: the Superman Snuggie. It’s “super cozy”, of course.
Wrap this up with a card that says, “You’re my hero.” How can he not put it on after that? Now you can wrap yourself up in your own normal, solid-colored Snuggie, secure in the knowledge that he won’t dare make fun of you ever again.
Once more, it’s from Things You Never Knew Existed. Just $29.98.
Wacky Gifts for Guys #1
Let’s face it: it’s really hard to buy presents for the male of the species unless your holiday shopping budget runs to big screen TVs or yachts or Porsches. Since most of us have to struggle with a slightly lower price limit, I have scoured my catalogs to find perfect gifts for the man in your life. My first suggestion follows.
Billed as the “manliest bearded hat ever”, this “slips over your head to give you an instant burly look.”
I’m not sure “burly” is quite the right word for this fashion statement.
Note: the mustache is removable, thank goodness! So if your guy always wanted to grow a beard, you can give him a crocheted one for $27.98 at www.thingsyouneverknew.com.
Weird, wacky holiday gifts: it has begun!
After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this is exactly how I felt:
The good news is you can own this entertaining, if a little odd, wine bottle holder all for yourself. It’s only $38.00 and can be ordered here: http://www.femailcreations.com/products/sku-2117430.html.
Yes, it’s time for my annual selection of strange and wonderful holiday gifts. I comb the tons of catalogs that make my mailman hate me this time of year for the most head-scratching/laugh-inducing/recipient-insulting items to help you knock off your holiday shopping list.
Check back here to see what’s next…
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