Town gathers to remember 9/11 victims

The Town of Sharon marked the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Monday with its annual “Remember to Remember” program at the Public Safety Building.

The day began at 8:45 a.m. as the names of 9/11 victims were heard in a recording played at the Sharon Fire Station.

Among those names is Michael Rothberg, who was born and raised in Sharon and died at the World Trade Center.

Following the reading of the names, a short ceremony was held near the town’s 9/11 Memorial.

At the center of the memorial is a Callery pear tree. The tree grew from a seedling from the “Survivor Tree” found in the rubble of the World Trade Center. Each year, the 9/11 Memorial gives seedlings from the "Survivor Tree" to three communities which have endured tragedy in recent years.

“We were very fortunate to get one of those trees,” Fire Chief Michael Madden said.

Madden called the tree the “focal point” of Sharon’s 9/11 Memorial. He described how the disease struck the tree about two years ago. It is now scarred, but thriving, he said.

“We are all scarred from 9/11,” he said. “We are no different from the tree. This is a true living memorial. It found a true home in the town of Sharon.”

Madden said the memorial with its benches carved with words like "hope," "courage," "recovery" and "strength" is a place for anyone to come and sit and reflect.

Madden also described how the first responders lost on 9/11 were just trying to do their jobs to save lives.

“They were able to save thousands of lives by evacuating (people),” he said.

The ceremony was attended by firefighters and police officers, state and local officials and residents.