The Town of Bethlehem Fire Officers Association and the town will be partnering to hold a candlelit vigil on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The vigil and prayer service will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem Firefighters and EMS Park, located next to the Slingerlands Fire Department at 1520 New Scotland Road. It’s the first time the association will hold a formal 9/11 ceremony, save for one held in 2011 in the days following the attack. “I figured it’s the 10-year anniversary coming up… I figured the fire officers and EMS people should mark the anniversary with an event,” said Heidi Cornell, who is captain of the Bethlehem Volunteer Ambulance Service and is organizing the memorial. Firefighters and EMS squads from around town are invited to the ceremony, which will be led by Pastor Mark Mueller of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The ceremony is expected to last about half an hour. `There will much going on around our State and nation on this 10 year remembrance day of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, that took so many people’s lives, and left families behind that will be forever heart broken. It is also important in local communities, and in our Town of Bethlehem that we show our respect and lasting remembrance by joining together to let those we have lost and their families know that we will never forget,” Bethlehem Supervisor Sam Messina said in a statement. A selection of other events:
–The Selkirk Fire District will hold a prayer service on the morning of Sept. 11 at Selkirk Company No. 2 in Glenmont, 301 Glenmont Road. The event will begin at 8:46 a.m., the time Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center, and conclude at 10:28 a.m., when the north tower collapsed. The names of 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives at the scene of the attacks will be read. Music will be provided by Carole Doody, a piper with the City of Albany Pipe Band. Members of the public as well as area fire companies are encouraged to attend and will be invited to assist with the reading of the names. “Each year Selkirk Fire District answers approximately 300 calls. At the sound of the tones, we don’t always know what to expect but we answer the call. On September 11, 2001, our brethren did not hesitate to respond and answered the call,” said Selkirk Fire District Chief Bill Asprion in a statement. –The Town of Clifton Park will be holding a remembrance ceremony at 3 p.m. on the Clifton Common stage. The event will include prayers by local clergy, a military color guard, bagpipers, a presentation by the Clifton Park Community Chorus and featured speaker Rev. Kenneth Paulli, chief of staff to the Siena College president. Residents are encouraged to bring a small American flag to be placed in front of the Clifton Common stage for the duration of the event. –The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Inter Church Council will hold an interfaith service at 4p.m. at Indian Meadows Park on Droms Road in Glenville. Attendees will be invited to place memorial ribbons with the names of loved ones lost on Sept. 11 on a living memory tree that will be planted at Indian Meadows or another local location.