Ceremonies in Port Townsend and Port Angeles today will mark the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon.
Undersheriff Andy Pernsteiner of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said the observances are planned this morning in East Jefferson County.
Fire stations across East Jefferson County will observe a minute of silence at 8:46 a.m. today. Personnel with East Jefferson Fire Rescue, Brinnon Fire, Discovery Bay Volunteer Fire & Rescue and Quilcene Fire Rescue will pull their fire apparatus out in front of their stations and observe silence to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. The public is invited to attend.
The public also is invited to meet by the Bell Tower at 319 Tyler St. in Port Townsend by 9:45 a.m. today for opening remarks to begin at 9:49 a.m. followed by the tolling of the bell at 9:59 a.m.
The tolling at the bell tower will follow a 3-4-3 ringing protocol, Pernsteiner said. It is used by many fire departments to honor the memory of firefighters and law enforcement who died in service and the 2,997 who perished that day, he added. This will be followed by a moment of silence.
A noon ceremony is planned at 9/11 Memorial Waterfront Park in Port Angeles.
Speakers, singers and bagpipers will celebrate the rededication of two monuments in the park at 400 N. Francis St., formerly known as Francis Street Park.
The first monument was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2002, and is a carved stone monument dedicated to local public safety officials. The second is a part of an I-beam recovered from Ground Zero in New York City. It was installed in 2011 and is dedicated to public safety officials who were killed in the attacks.
The event is organized by Alan Barnard, chair and founder of the Public Safety Tribute Citizens Committee and co-creator of the park’s monuments.
The ceremony will be brief, lasting less than 30 minutes.
“It’s not a long service, but it’s to the point,” Barnard said.
The combined color guard will include members of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, the Port Angeles Police Department and the Sequim Police Department.
Performances are planned by the Grand Olympic Chorus led by Connie Alward and bagpiper Rick McKenzie. Speakers will include Clallam County Sheriff Brian King, Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith and Port Angeles Fire Chief Derrell Sharp. An invocation will be given by a Chaplain Dave Byers from the sheriff’s office.
