By WILL KANGAS
September 18, 2011
MASON -- Mason Assistant Fire Chief Mark Howe said emotions were high on Sept. 11, as the city held a presentation of the piece of the twin towers that it acquired recently on the 10th anniversary of the tragic event.
"It was already an emotional day based on the date, but having a piece of one of the towers there gave an extra feeling right in your gut," Howe said. "Just knowing what that piece of metal represents was very intense for me."
Over 300 people came to the memorial, which was held near the fire station and was followed by another Sept. 11 tradition called "Mason Cares" in which community members wash and clean all of the Mason Fire Department vehicles and apparatus as a sign of support following the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
"We've done it every year and it still feels special," Howe said. Howe is also Vice President at Dart Bank, which sponsors the "Mason Cares" day.
Howe said what has amazed him even more than the turnout, is the amount of residents that have stopped by to see and touch the steel girder all week following the memorial.
"I see from six to a dozen people a day come up to it and either take pictures or just touch it and leave," Howe said. "The emotional impact is heavy."
Sue Chapman and her daughters, Kaylie, 10, and Emma, 7, came on Sept. 13 to see it.
"I just wanted my girls to see it so they can know what happened 10 years ago," she said. "They ask about it and heard about it in school. We were coming through and I felt like it was a good idea to stop and see it."
Howe said plans are underway to place the piece into a more decorative memorial. He said there is a chance it may be mounted along with a statue or surrounded by a fountain. He said a committee will work on the ideas and will bring them to the city council for approval.
"It was a memorable day," he said about Sept. 11, 2001.
"Everyone knows where they were that day and what they were doing before they ran to the nearest TV to see if what was happening was real."
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