By Alex Costello Long Island Herald
Sara Schroeder lit candles at the ceremony at the Village Green on Sunday in memory of those lost. Penny Frondelli/Herald
Rockville Centre residents gathered on Sunday to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
About 50 people assembled at the Village Green, under the bright lights of a village Fire Department truck, for a candlelight vigil. They were joined by village board trustees, Village Justice William Croutier, State Sen. Dean Skelos, Assemblyman Brian Curran and County Legislator Howard Kopel.
“Last month marked the 12th anniversary of September 11. That day left a void in our hearts,” Mayor Francis Murray told the gathering. “No community suffered more than Rockville Centre on that tragic, deplorable day.”
Afterward, people lit candles they had brought with them, lighting up the field with a warm glow.
“That’s what Rockville Centre is about,” said Skelos. “We share our pain and sadness, but we also share wonderful memories.”
“After all this time, there’s a comfort knowing I wasn’t alone,” said Liz Tighe, whose father, Stephen, died on 9/11, amid the candlelight. “Everyone in this community felt the loss on a personal level.”
The short ceremony ended with a reading of the names of the 45 Rockville Centre residents who lost their lives in the attacks. Robert Hidrich, of Boy Scout Troop 214, played taps on his bugle.
As the ceremony concluded and people started to make their way back home, many no doubt found new resolve in Tighe’s words. “They will never be gone,” she said, “because they’re not forgotten.”
