Superstorm Sandy: 9/11 Memorial Suffers 'Extensive' Damage -- The Telegraph
Superstorm Sandy inflicted "extensive" damage on the National September 11 Memorial, built at the World Trade Center site in New York to honour those killed in the 2001 attacks, an official said on Wednesday.
The memorial's chief executive Joe Daniels said the site had suffered "extensive impacts" due to "serious flooding" at the foundation level of the World Trade Center, where a museum is currently under construction.
Flooding also hit the visitor centre and other facilities.
Read more .... WNU Editor: The 9/11 Memorial website is informing visitors that the memorial site is closed, and to return regularly for updates. The 9/11 memorial website is here.
Tourists 'Showing Disrespect At Ground Zero Memorial' Ahead Of 9/11 Anniversary -- The Telegraph
Tourists have been showing "disrespect" at the Ground Zero memorial in New York ahead of the 11th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, according to victims' relatives.
Visitors have been seen splashing themselves with water from the memorial's waterfalls, and sitting on the engraved names of the dead.
In a letter to memorial president Joe Daniels, first responder Marianne Pizzitola said she found people acting "like this was a park or playground".
She said: "People laughed and took pictures smiling, and so many people leaned on the tablets with all of my friends' names engraved in them, holding Starbucks cups, like it was a kitchen table."
A relative of one victim complained that a tourist spilt coffee over her son's name.
The Ground Zero memorial at the spot where more than 2,600 people died opened last year. Police and private security guards are present to ensure proper behaviour. Read more .... My Comment: I saw this atrocious behavior during a visit this summer. The 9/11 site has become a must see spot for tourists in New York City, but a better approach must be found on educating people the proper way to behave when visiting the site.
Vast: People visit the South Pool at today's public opening for the National September 11 Memorial. The waterfalls cascading down the four walls of each fountain are the largest such fountains in North America
'It Was A Huge Relief To See That It's Actually Beautiful': 9/11 Memorial Opens To First Members Of The Public -- Daily Mail
* Airport-style security and long queues greet visitors to $700m plaza * Donald Rumsfeld cancels NY Times subscription after 'repugnant' 9/11 piece
The plot of land known for a decade as Ground Zero today opened to the public for the first time since that terrible morning in 2001, transformed into a memorial consisting of two serene reflecting pools ringed by the chiselled-in-bronze names of the nearly 3,000 souls lost.
The 9/11 memorial plaza opened its gates at 10am under tight, airport-style security.
Visitors were allowed to walk among hundreds of white oak trees on the eight-acre site and gaze at the water on the exact spots where the World Trade Center's twin towers stood.
Architect's Vision Takes Shape In Sept. 11 Memorial -- L.A. Times
Michael Arad hopes 'Reflecting Absence' will become a vital part of New York despite the controversies that have surrounded its creation.
Reporting from New York — The burly construction workers ignore the lanky man as he dips beneath steel beams, plods through muddy puddles and inches his way past the spinning barrel of a cement mixer. In his neat jeans, button-down shirt and leather brogues, he clearly is not one of them.
(Click Image To Enlarge) Standing tall: A view from the top of One World Trade Center looking south as it rises 70 stories above Ground Zero. It will stand at 1,776ft as the city's tallest building
Redefining Manhattan's Skyline: Incredible New Pictures Of Ground Zero Show Substantial Progress Made On 9/11 Memorial -- The Daily Mail
Its erection has slowly redefined the city's skyline, and holds deep significance for many following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
For nearly ten years, New York residents have waited and watched as construction of One World Trade Center has gone underway.
These incredible new images show the progress being made on the $3billion facility, which will rise to a symbolic 1,776ft in 2013 - becoming the tallest building in Manhattan.
With Remarks On Mosque, Obama Enters Risky Debate -- New York Times
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Faced with withering Republican criticism of his defense of the right of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near ground zero, President Obama quickly recalibrated his remarks on Saturday, a sign that he has waded into even more treacherous political waters than the White House had at first realized.
In brief comments during a family trip to the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Obama said he was not endorsing the project, but simply trying to uphold the broader principle that government should “treat everybody equally,” regardless of religion. Read more .... My Comment: President Obama (and many in the political elite) are completely out of touch with the American people on this issue. Even in liberal New York City .... 60% do not want this mosque built 600 feet away from Ground zero. But instead of designating the area as a historical landmark site (which all the other building in the area are and/or are pending to become historical landmark sites) .... we now have this poisonous environment.
What is my take .... damn the promoters for this project who deliberately decided to locate their mosque near ground zero, damn Mayor Bloomberg's handpicked Landmarks Commission to approve this project, damn Mayor Bloomberg for calling critics of this project _____ , damn some of the critics of this project who are pushing their anti-Islamic agenda, and damn President Obama for using his office to push this agenda on the national/international stage .... and to then scramble away from what he said.
Obama Strongly Backs Islam Center Near 9/11 Site -- New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Obama delivered a strong defense on Friday night of a proposed Muslim community center and mosque near ground zero in Manhattan, using a White House dinner celebrating Ramadan to proclaim that “as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.”
After weeks of avoiding the high-profile battle over the center — his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said last week that the president did not want to “get involved in local decision-making” — Mr. Obama stepped squarely into the thorny debate.
