County Commissioners to host 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners invites everyone to attend the Monmouth County Sept. 11 Memorial Ceremony at the Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook, 460 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Highlands, NJ, on Monday, Sept. 11, at 8:00 a.m.

“The County’s Sept. 11 Memorial Ceremony is a service of reflection as we remember and honor all those who lost their lives during and after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “We are inviting everyone to join us as we reflect upon the tragic day when 147 Monmouth County families lost loved ones. We will never forget our family, friends and neighbors who lost their lives.”

“Twenty-two years have passed since America was attacked and the County’s 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook is a tribute to the 147 men and women who lost their lives that day,” said Commissioner Ross F. Licitra, liaison to the Monmouth County Park System. “Sculptor Franco Minervini’s light stone sculpture of an eagle grasping a beam from the World Trade Center is a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives during the tragic events of Sept. 11.”

At 266 feet, Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatan peninsula, providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline. This 12-acre site is also home to Monmouth County’s 9/11 Memorial.

In 2002, the Monmouth County 9/11 Committee formed and began making plans for a fitting tribute to the victims, heroes and events of Sept. 11, 2001. The group’s first responsibility was to select a memorial to fit into Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook. The committee then embarked on a major fundraising campaign to finance the memorial. By midsummer 2005 the group had exceeded its goal by raising $296,000. Continued donations will support the upkeep and maintenance of the memorial.

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