Advocates Call for Improved Maintenance at Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial in Jersey City
Advocates are expressing strong concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Empty Sky memorial in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, as the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks approaches. The memorial, which honors the 749 New Jersey residents killed on 9/11, is described as being in poor condition and unfinished. Kathe Conlon, who assisted in the search for victims at Ground Zero, and Mike Donatos, who lost his brother-in-law on 9/11 and was part of the original committee for the memorial, are among those calling for immediate improvements. Donatos states that the memorial is missing names of identified victims and design elements such as cherry trees, specialty lighting, and a stainless-steel wall. Currently, caution tape surrounds parts of the memorial, and signs indicate that the interior is closed for maintenance until August 29. Despite these efforts, only one of dozens of lights lining the memorial is reportedly working. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection...