On Sunday, Parsippany residents joined together to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. People communed in houses of worship and group events and among themselves as family and friends. But many found a sense of unity at three events that took place: an early afternoon municipal Remembrance Ceremony, a mid-afternoon exhibit of residents' artistic versions of New York's World Trade Center towers and an evening tribute at the Morris County 9/11 Memorial in Parsippany. Here, we present visuals from those events. If you have photos you would like to include here, please feel free to …

A moving display honoring the fallen World Trade Center towers was on view at the main branch of the Parsippany Public Library on Halsey Road Sunday afternoon. The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, called on residents to create their artistic interpretation of twin towers, and if crowd reaction is a suitable gauge, those who made submissions did not disappoint. Judge for yourself via this photo gallery. And look around town: Organizers say the tower creations will be on display throughout the township this week. One of the artists was 15-year-old Claire Elko, a junior at …

Under gray, soggy skies, dozens assembled to remember the thousands who perished in the terrorist attacks of Sept.11, 2001. A ceremony of remembrance took place in front of the 9/11 memorial at Parsippany's Town Hall Sunday afternoon. The event began with a presentation of flags by the color guards of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10184 and American Legion Post 249. Michelle Musolino, accompanied by keyboardist Howard Reed, followed with a rendition of the national anthem that left the crowd visibly moved. Dr. Joseph Weisberg, former mayor of Parsippany, served as emcee. In his invocation, …

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, Sunday is a day of service and remembrance. By logging on to 911day.org, you can view the many “I will” statements written by people across the country.  All of the statements briefly describe a good deed, charitable activity or plan to honor those impacted by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Lake Parsippany's Karen Atkins took her personal “I will” statement to another level. In conjunction with the Lake Parsippany Property Owners Association, Atkins and her daughter, Jillian, organized their second Concert To Support Our Troops at Drewes …

Parsippany joins the rest of the nation and, likely, much of the world in remembering the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The township will hold its own remembrance Sunday at 12:45 p.m. at Town Hall, 1001 Parsippany Blvd. This event will include participation in the national Moment of Silence, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. At 2:30 p.m. the main branch of the Parsippany Public Library, 449 Halsey Rd., holds its own commemoration. The library observance will include artistic replicas of the World Trade Center towers made by area residents. After Sunday, according to organizing group …

On a day that means so much to so many, Mayor James Barberio reminds Parsippany that this town is protected, safe and prepared.

"This is the hour of lead Remembered if outlived, As freezing persons recollect the snow — First chill, then stupor, then the letting go."                       —Emily Dickinson   Colleen Meehan Barkow and her mother JoAnn Meehan spent the weekend before Sept. 11, 2001, happily shopping for towels and linens for the 26-year-old's new home in the Poconos. Colleen and her husband Daniel, married less than a year, were planning to move into the house at the end of October. It meant a long commute into New York, where Colleen worked as a facilities director for Cantor Fitzgerald, on the 103rd …

In view of the New York City skyline, two 208-foot long walls designed to resemble the Twin Towers lying on their sides create a space for reflection at Empty Sky, New Jersey's monument to those lost in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  On Saturday, families will gather to dedicate the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial in Jersey City’s Liberty State Park. After the 11 a.m. ceremony, which will be open strictly to family members of victims, the memorial will officially open to the public. James “Rick” Cahill, of West Caldwell, Chairman of the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial Commission, who lost his …

Ten years after the World Trade Center towers fell, Ron Dollard still misses his best friend.Martin Boryczewski was a 29-year-old Parsippany resident who worked for financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Like nearly 3,000 others, he went into the WTC complex on Sept. 11, 2001, never imagining that he wasn't going home.A decade later, Boryczewski's spirit lives on in his friends and family through a foundation that helps you. The group is called Friends of Marty. Dollard is its president."Marty was that guy, the one everyone wanted to be around," Dollard recalled. "He lived his life 110 percent. He…

The light was unmistakable. Not from the flames, dripping through the ceiling of an abandoned hallway, but from the sun, the actual sun. And there in the stairwell, at nearly 1,000 feet above the ground, a soft breeze carried the air – fresh air from the east – in through a gaping hole in the side of the skyscraper on a cloudless morning in New York City. Reflecting on that day nearly a decade ago, there’s a hint of regret in John Pyndus’ voice as he recalls seeing, with unparalleled clarity, the faces of those he knew who would never make it out alive. Perhaps it’s simply a realization, …

It was time for a change. After terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and slammed two into the World Trade Center buildings, one into the Pentagon, and another into a field in Pennsylvania, the way professionals approach security for mass transportation needed an overhaul. For NJ Transit, which operates 2,027 buses, 771 trains and 45 light rail vehicles over a service area of 5,325 square miles that meant a change in mindset. “In the past we only focused on crime and great service to customers, but now, here at NJ Transit, what we try to drive home to all our officers is that their main …

In a post-9/11 world, more planning makes us better prepared--and safer. Such is the philosophy of Eric Hubner, the coordinator of Parsippany's Office of Emergency Management. Whatever the situation--flooding, pandemics, oil spills, threats to local security--Hubner has a plan.  He says he spends most of the time planning and working to prevent incidents.  In a post-9/11 world, according to Hubner, more planning makes us better prepared.   “My job is make sure that everyone knows who is responsible ahead of time, who has the authority, and how we’re going to communicate before the emergency …

Editor's note: Many New Jersey residents saw firsthand the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Now, 10 years later, we've asked some of them how the event changed their lives. We'll be sharing their stories all this week.Hoboken resident Howard Turoff remembers thinking it was a clear and beautiful day as he walked to the local PATH station on his way to work on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. He had no idea he was about to step onto the last train into lower Manhattan, to the biggest terrorist attack ever in the United States. The cars of the train were full. People were standing …

Mayor James Barberio and several township officials say Parsippany is safe and well protected 10 years after 9/11.  They credit Parsippany’s emergency preparedness to improvements in planning, training, communication, equipment and the unwavering dedication of hundreds of volunteer emergency responders.  “We have 95 police officers, 250 volunteer fire fighters, 30 fire truck engines, 100 volunteer and paid EMS and rescue, 9 ambulances, a citizen’s emergency response team and the Public Works. In any type of emergency we will come together,” said Barberio.  “The volunteers in this town are …

Editor's note: Many New Jersey residents saw firsthand the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Now, 10 years later, we've asked some of them how the event changed their lives. We'll be sharing their stories all this week.Steve Napolitano, who was the General Manager of the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station on Sept. 11, 2001, remembers standing on the sidewalk the day after the terror attacks, staring at the American flag workers had just unfurled on the bridge "while car horns beeped as they drove beneath it." “It was really important that we do that; that we hang that flag…

"A Letter to Caitlyn" "You asked your mom why everyone is so sad around your birthday and you wonder why you never got to meet your Uncle Johnnie. I hope I can help you understand. "Before you were born, there were two really big buildings in New York City called the Twin Towers. Your Uncle Johnnie worked on the 104th floor of the building, almost at the very top! He worked with bankers and had lots of friends who worked with him. "A week before you were born, a group of men who did not like our country, did a very bad thing. They hijacked airplanes, which means they forced the pilots to let …

In honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Patch has been gathering photographs and stories from all over the country about people whose lives have been affected by the attacks on America. Many of these photos will be featured in a photo gallery on the Huffington Post later this week. Above is a contribution from Parsippany Patch.

During the summer, Patch began collecting readers' photos of the World Trade Center, a growing gallery in tribute to the Twin Towers. As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks draws near, we'll be remembering New Jersey residents who died that clear September morning. But we also wanted to pay tribute to the towers—iconic symbols of hope and prosperity—when they stood tall and proud, dominating the New York City skyline.  We asked and you delivered, sending in more than a hundred photos statewide that represent your favorite memories: the shimmering skyline at nightfall, the view …

A decade after men flew planes into them, changing the world and the way in which we view it, millions of us still remember New York City's World Trade Center towers. As part of Patch's coverage and commemoration of the 9/11 attacks, we want to share what will be a difficult time for many of us as a community. We're asking anyone willing to share their thoughts to do so, right here. Do you recall where you were when you heard the news? Were you in New York? Did you see the story unfold on television? Wherever you were that day, if you have stories or feelings about 9/11 and what it meant to …