Dedication Ceremony Held To Honor 9/11 Gifts To NMS

By Eliza Hallabeck

“I’ve been watching the rebuilding of Ground Zero for a while now,” said Newtown High School eighth grade student Reed Bryant, standing near two models he has created, one of the Twin Towers and one of the new World Trade Center complex.

Reed created the model of the original World Trade Center towers last year, as a seventh grade student in one of Don Ramsey’s technology education classes.

 “I’m just so proud of our country that we are bringing this back,” said Reed, as the technology education classroom began to fill with people attending a Thursday, May 17, dedication ceremony “for the victims and for our country.”

Reed’s model of the new World Trade Center complex and a piece of steel retired New York Police Department Sergeant Leonard Campanale, now a custodian at NMS, found while working with relief efforts following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were dedicated to the middle school during the ceremony.

Later, when speaking to the gathered event attendees, Reed said when he visited the new World Trade Center memorial, he could feel the people around him.

“It changed my life forever,” said Reed.

Mr Campanale explained he found the piece of steel on the ground one day of the many he worked at the site following that fateful day.

“It was a sad time in my life,” said Mr Campanale, explaining he put the steel in his pocket and later stored it away in a drawer for sentimental reasons.

Recently, Mr Campanale said, he realized it was doing no good in his drawer, and he approached Mr Ramsey about donating the artifact to the NMS technology education room. Mr Ramsey decided it would be better displayed if given to the school, said Mr Ramsey.

Both the piece of steel, which has been given a wooden display created by Reed, and Reed’s model of the new World Trade Center complex will be put on display in the middle school’s main lobby.

Speaking during the dedication ceremony, First Selectman Pat Llodra said, “Our future will be better, brighter, and safer because of the youth we surround ourselves with today.” She also thanked both Mr Campanale and Reed.

Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson also had a chance to thank Mr Campanale and Reed during the ceremony.

Dr Robinson noted everyone in the room could probably remember where they were on September 11, 2001, “and we all have a story about it.”

“We are very fortunate to have you here,” said Dr Robinson to Mr Campanale.

Howard Lasher, who commissioned David Merrill to create the American flag tribute painted on six trees of his Dodgingtown property, in memory of those who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and in Pennsylvania, and Mr Merrill were also in attendance for the dedication ceremony at NMS.

As a tribute to Reed and Mr Campanale’s gifts to the school, Mr Lasher presented Mr Ramsey with a photograph of his 9/11 Memorial Trees taken by photographer Carol Gibson.

Mr Lasher said 2,900 people lost their lives that day, over ten years ago, and it would have been worse if not for the first responders.