Somber Ceremony For Tunnel To Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit’s Return To CT
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
A last minute cancellation in Missouri and a chance encounter made it possible for this outstanding tribute to the fallen who lost their lives on the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York's World Trade Center. The exhibit is located at 136 Westport Rd. Easton, only 15 minutes and less than 9 miles from downtown Westport. The exhibit was last in CT eight years ago.
This is a significant presentation which is a somber and moving event, between the items in the exhibit and the information provided by members of the Fire Department Of The City Of New York (FDNY) who knew many of the first responders who tragically lost their lives that horrific day.
Members of the Fire Department Of The City Of New York, the heroic FDNY were joined by local first responders from Fairfield County including local EMS, Firefighters and Police officers to commemorate the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks at the Tunnel to Towers Mobile Exhibit in Easton on Friday, August 8th.
A last-minute cancellation in Missouri unexpectedly paved the way for an extraordinary tribute to honor the fallen heroes of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York's World Trade Center. This significant presentation, held in at the Congregational Church of Easton, was a somber and moving event, featuring an exhibit filled with personal items recovered from the site and powerful stories by those who were there. Attendees were deeply affected by firsthand accounts from members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), many of whom personally knew the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice that day. The combination of the tangible artifacts and heartfelt remembrances provided a profound reflection on the bravery and loss experienced during that tragic moment in history.
Above left, newly appointed Easton Police Chief Foti Koskinas (yes, THAT Foti Koskinas, former Westport PD chief) shares a moment before the ceremony with one of the volunteers. FDNY firfighters await the start of the ceremony. Opening remarks wer given by a number of speakers including FDNY members who were on scene in September 2001. At right, Chief Koskinas joins first responders during the singing of the National Anthem.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
An NYPD firefighter leads the group of first responders and the American flag into the Congregational Church. Scouts lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the singing of the National Anthem, then remarks by Pastor Emeritus George Coca St. Demetrius Church in Easton offering remarks.
Fairfield and Easton firefighters join an NYPD firefighter to listen to the presentation by speakers during the very somber remarks which recall and speak about the efforts of all first responders and volunteers as the describe the horror of the attack nearly a quarter of a century earlier. One of the FDNY firefighters attending was Lt. David Russell, a nearly 30 year veteran who joined the FDNY in 1985 after retiring from military service. He was working on his house when his wife called with the first report that a small plane had crashed into the WTC Tower. After seeing what had actually happened he know it was not a small plane. He and another FDNY Lt. commandeered a bus in the Bronx and drove downtown to assist in the rescue operation. They arrived just after the second tower fell. Lt. Russell told WestportLocalPress that he personally knew 105 members of the FDNY who were lost that day and the impact of that loss and that day was clear in our conversation.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above left, Redding Police Officer Vadas was in attendance. He lost a brother who was working in one of the towers on the day of the attack.
At left, a bagpiper from the NY Dept. of Sanitation played as the flag was brought into the ceremony and as the audience left the church. Next, father Coca stands with U.S. Army Aviator Ed Soderberg who rose rapidly in the ranks to become Captain in six years. Soderbergh received multiple decorations, flying both rotary and fixed wing aircraft for the Army. Multiple sponsors made the event possible by covering costs. At right, a photo provided by Chief Koskinas from 2001 shows Westport PD Officer Richard Failla (left), Officer Phil Restieri (center) and Officer Manny Sylvia (right) who went to the site to assist in recovery efforts.
If It's August, This Must Be A Full Sturgeon Moon
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
The first full moon in August 2025 is called the Sturgeon Moon. This name is traditionally given to the full moon that occurs in August, particularly in North America, due to the abundance of sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes during this time.
According to the Farmers' Almanac, there are more than two dozen species of sturgeon worldwide, but August’s “Sturgeon Moon” is specifically associated with the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), a North American freshwater fish that played a vital role as a food source for many Native American tribes and early settlers. The full Moon in August 2025, known as the “Sturgeon Moon,” reflects a time of abundant fishing, especially for lake sturgeon, in late summer. This Moon is also recognized by various other names across different cultures, each highlighting the season’s richness and the natural bounty it brings.
Full moons, including 2025’s Sturgeon Moon, occur when the moon sits opposite the sun, fully illuminated and rising close to sunset. This alignment bathes the night in a beautiful light, sharpening shadows creating ethereal landscapes. Throughout history, cultures have woven stories about how the full moon influences animals, tides, and even humans under its ghostly glow. From Chinese moon viewing festivals to American lakeside gatherings and farmers’ celebrations, these events capture the enduring pleasure of observing the moon’s familiar face shining brightly in the night sky.
Compo Playground is Swingin' Again!
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
As we reported yesterday, the swings at the new playground at Compo Beach were closed due to issues found in an inspection. The good news is that they are open once again.
Parks & Recreation's Nicholas Quantrano told Westport Local, "Play By Design has been very helpful with offering solutions to the findings in the report. New hardware has to be ordered for some of the swings that remain closed, but we were able to open the remaining swings after tightening up any hardware that was found to be a potential hazard during our third party inspection. P&R also had to temporarily remove two pull up bars due to concrete footings that were found to be too shallow. Play By Design has admitted to overlooking those hazards during their inspection, and will be scheduled to reinstall them properly as soon as possible."
Meanwhile Westport kids can keep swinging'.
The Compo Playground Won't Be "Swinging" For A While
The swings at the newly renovated Compo Playground have been sidelined due to some issues found during an inspection.
Photo By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
The new and very well-received Compo Beach Playground which was built with the collaboration of construction firm Play By Design and hundreds of volunteers, organized by The 2025 Compo Beach Playground Project group and supported by the Westport Rotary and Westport Young Women's League.
The official opening was on Saturday, May 24 (see Westport Local Press Playground Opening Day) and on Tuesday, July 22 the playground was closed for the day for inspection, part of a 3rd party compliance audit. The result of that inspection determined that there were issues with the swings.
WestportLocalPress reached out to Parks & Rec for an update on the situation. Their Nicholas Quatrano gave us this statement: "I chose to hire a third party to perform a safety inspection of the entire playground after receiving a report of a hardware failure on a swing seat. The failure, caused by an improperly tightened bolt, gave reason to perform an independent inspection of the entire playground out of an abundance of caution. The results of the inspection revealed some issues with the remaining hardware on the swings. The report recommends the swings be closed until the findings are rectified. Parks and Rec closed the swings immediately upon receiving the report on July 25th.”
Quatrano added, “Parks and Recreation is working with the firm that oversaw the renovation (Play By Design) to resolve the safety issues. Until then, the swings will remain closed."
We know we all hope repairs will be completed soon and Compo kids can swing again.