"Hope is the pillar that holds up the world." - Pliny the Elder

Thursday, May 9, 2024  

Older Website Updates

May 30th, 2003
Over 13,000 people registered to submit proposals for a WTC memorial making it the biggest design contest ever.

February 27th, 2003
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has selected the winning design for the World Trade Center site. The design will include the tallest building in the world.

February 21st, 2003
A reminder that the American Red Cross still has health services available to those injured at the WTC, Penagon and PA crash site. More information is available at their site. (PDF Format)

February 4th, 2003
The two finalists for the redesign of the World Trade Center site have been announced. Details of the two plans are available on their site.

January 3rd, 2003
A medical screening program has been set up for WTC workers and volunteers. If you worked for a total of 24 hours within the first 4 days of Sept 11th, or worked 80 hours or more during September, October or November 2001, you may be eligible to participate.

December 18th, 2002
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has unveiled new plans for the World Trade Center site. Complete plans will be available at their website today at 1pm EDT.

November 26th, 2002
Here are the recent updates made and some news items:

• Updated Company Contacts - I've added all the company information I've received via email to the Company Contacts listings on this site.
• Counseling - Counseling services are still available at 1-800-LIFENET 24 hours a day. More information is available from the NYC Dept of Health site.
• Subway Service - 1/9 service to the South Ferry has been restored. The 1/9 Cortlandt St station remains closed. The N/R Cortlandt St station has reopened. Most express buses in downtown Manhattan have been restored. The MTA has setup a page devoted to Getting Around Downtown.
• FEMA Deadline - The deadline for submitting a claim for Air conditioners, air filters and HEPA vacuums with FEMA is approaching. Details are available on their site.

November 20th, 2002
Plans for a new 52-story tower at the site of the former 7 World Trade Center have been released. Details are available on the Lower Manhattan Info site.

September 16th, 2002
A viewing wall at the WTC site bearing the names of the 2,800 victims of the attack has been constructed on the west side of Church St. It will be lit each night.

September 15th, 2002
Subway service to Cortlandt St N/R station on the downtown side has resumed. The 1/9 is again running to the South Ferry station. The 1/9 Cortlandt St station was destroyed in the WTC collapse and remains closed. The MTA site has the full map online.

September 11th, 2002
There are many approaches to handling today. Some will go about their business. Others will spend time with family. Others may stay inside alone in sorrow. No matter what you do today, try to spend time with and contact the ones you love. It will brighten your day and theirs. I've created an extensive compilation of the week's events here in New York City, so you can spend your week doing whatever helps get you through this time. There are poetry readings, films, discussions, vigils, official events, readings of names, and much more happening through Sunday... and even beyond. Please view the schedule, now. I wish you and your loved ones the best during this difficult week.

REMEMBER to take care of yourself... eat right, sleep well, talk to others about how you feel. If you need to talk to someone, you can call 1-800-LIFENET 24 hours a day. More information is available from the NYC Dept of Health site.

September 10th, 2002
Early tomorrow morning, a bagpipe processional from each borough begins a march to the World Trade Center site. At 8:46am, a city-wide moment of silence will be observed, followed by a reading of the names of the World Trade Center victims at the World Trade Center Site. At 10:29am, a city-wide tolling of bells will occur. From 7:15pm to 9pm, candlelight vigils and commerorative ceremonies will take place around town. Details are on the NYC.gov site. A complete listing of cultural events is also available.

September 9th, 2002
Candlelight vigils are being planned in New York City and elsewhere around the country and world on September 10th and 11th.

September 8th, 2002
Came across a rather extensive guide to the programs being shown on TV on Sept 11th, 2002.

September 7th, 2002
FEMA still has a grant program in place to provide grants for air purifiers, filters, HEPA vacuums and air conditioner repair for NYC residents affected by 9/11. Details are on their website. Please do not abuse this program.

September 6th, 2002
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation still has available its Listening to the City website. You can view the results of the July 20th and 22nd events and the online dialogue on plans for what to build on the WTC site. For the most part, participants weren't happy with any of the 6 concept plans.

July 20th, 2002 - Noon
An explosion and fire at the power plant on 13th St caused alarm and sent thick black smoke through the Manhattan sky. ConEd has confirmed that a transformer exploded. View image

July 20th, 2002
About 5000 New Yorkers gathered to discuss then 6 preliminary plans for redevelopment of the WTC site.

July 18th, 2002
Six concept plans for the redevelopment of the WTC site have been unveiled by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. The plans call for between 4 and 6 towers ranging in height from 32 to 85 stories.

July 15th, 2002
A ceremony marked the end of the Sept 11th recovery efforts at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. To date, approximately 1200 victims have been identified. Officials have estimated that as many as 2000 may eventually be identified through DNA testing.

May 30th, 2002
A wordless ceremony which began at 10:29am (the moment the North tower collapsed) has brought to a close the cleanup and recovery efforts at the site of the World Trade Center today. Another ceremony will be held Sunday for family members that were unable to attend today's. The identification of victims will continue at the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island as only 1,102 of the 2,823 killed have been identified.

May 8th, 2002
The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that they will be leading an effort to clean and test apartments south of Canal Street in lower Manhattan. A phone number to get more information will be provided soon.

Apr 28th, 2002 @ 11:47am
A NOVA special entitled Why The Towers Fell will be airing on Tuesday, April 30th on PBS. It includes information on why the towers survived the initial impact and what ultimately brought them down.

April 13th, 2002
The Tribute In Light memorial ended today. I have added a higher-quality picture to the Tribute In Light Memorial Page.

Mar 11th, 2002 @ 7:50pm
The images for the new memorial have been added. They can be viewed on the Tribute In Light Memorial Page.

Mar 11th, 2002 @ 7:25pm
A short while ago, at dusk, the Tribute In Light memorial was lit for the first time. The view from the live webcam is a bit hard to see. I've added an image on the Tribute In Light Memorial Page that is a bit clearer and will be taking a digital still picture soon.

Mar 10th, 2002 @ 7:20pm
Tomorrow, at dusk, the temporary memorial Tribute In Light (formerly known as Towers Of Light) will be lit for the first time. The 2 giant light beams will shine from dusk until 11pm until April 13th. Pictures will be shown on this website on the live webcam (updated every 5 minutes). Additional pictures will be added tomorrow night.

Mar 10th, 2002 @ 7:00pm
Tonight at 9pm, CBS is airing 9/11, a documentary shot by two filmmakers who had been shooting a documentary about a rookie fire-fighter on the morning of September 11th. This documentary will only be aired twice. Though not grisly, some sections of the documentary are quite chaotic and may be too much for friends and family who lost loved ones in the attack. The documentary will air commercial-free due to a corporate sponsor and the proceeds received by the filmmakers are being donated to the Uniformed Firefighter's Association Scholarship Fund.

Feb 21st, 2002 @ 4:36pm
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Some of the charities have set a deadline of February 22nd (tomorrow) for submitting claims for assistance. Most have moved this deadline to March 8th. (For most charities, this does not apply to those who lost family members... only those who lost a job or business. Check with the charity for details.) The basic guidelines are for anyone who worked south of Canal st, lost a significant portion of income, and has been unemployed anytime between Sept 11 and Dec 31 (or Jan 11). Contact the 9/11 United Services Group at 866-689-4357 to setup an appointment. The family assistance center has moved uptown to 575 Lexington Ave at 51st St. A reminder, The office of the Chief Medical Examiner still needs DNS samples of victims to aid in the identification process. A jobs database has been setup for those directly or indirectly affected by the terrorist attacks at twintowersjobs.org.

Jan 16th, 2002
The September 11th Fund has requested that individuals no longer contribute to the fund and instead donate to local charitable organizations, many of which have seen their donations drop and their causes worsen since the terrorist attack.

Dec 19th, 2001 @ 5:45pm
USA Today has run what appears to be the most comprehensive article on the events of September 11th. It includes information on who got out and why, where the impacts were, how people escaped and alot more. The article was published today at USAToday.com.

Dec 9th, 2001 @ 12:37pm
The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help run its WTC Toy Shop. Complete information is available on the Volunteer Page.

Dec 4th, 2001 @ 1:46pm
Two more organizations have put out calls for volunteers. There is a need for people to distribute food, do clerical work, man phones, do data processing, help organize donations and more. Check out the Volunteer Page for complete information.

Nov 21st, 2001 @ 1:05am
Bouley Bakery needs volunteers to help prepare food to send down to ground zero. Details are available on the Volunteer Page.

Nov 14th, 2001 @ 11:55pm
Just a reminder that Twin Towers Job Expo III at the Madison Square Garden Expo Center on Thursday (tomorrow), Nov 15 from 10am to 4pm.

Nov 12th, 2001 @ 11:25am
American Airlines Flight 587 has crashed soon after takeoff from JFK airport in Queens. 254 people were on board. 4 to 12 buildings (mostly homes) on the ground were affected by the crash. It appears that a catastrophic engine failure on takeoff may have occured, but terrorism has not been ruled out. Initial FBI reports say an explosion occured on the airplane before the crash but no indication was given whether it was caused by mechanical failure or sabotage. More information at CNN, CBS, MSNBC and ABC. Families of passengers can call American Airlines at 800-245-0999 for more information.

Nov 4th, 2001 @ 3:09pm
Mayor Giuliani has renewed his request for DNA samples from families to help identify victims. Information on applying for death certificates is now available online. There are now residential services for those displaced from their homes. For those looking for jobs, employment information is also available online. Remember to be alert for email hoaxes and rumors.

Oct 19th, 2001 @ 11:21pm
Another Twin Towers Job Expo at Madison Square Garden is planned for Thursday the 25th from 10am to 4pm due to the tremendous response to the 1st one. More employment information is also available.

Oct 16th, 2001 @ 6:19pm
Tomorrow (Wednesday Oct 17) is the Twin Towers Job Expo at Madison Square Garden from 10am to 4pm. This and other Employment Information (link fixed) is available on the NYC.gov site. More company contacts have been added. Remember, several email hoaxes and rumors are still cirulating. If you receive one, point everyone in the distribution list to the link at snopes.com above.

Oct 11th, 2001 @ 1:39pm
Many restaurants throughout the United States are donating a portion (at least 10%) of this evening's sales today to help families of the victims of the WTC tragedy who worked in the food service industry. A list of participating restaurants is at www.windowsofhope.org.

Oct 11th, 2001 @ 1:12am
Please be aware that several email hoaxes and rumors are currently cirulating. The link there is to the Scopes.com Urban Legend resource site that explains which rumors are true and which are hoaxes. More company contacts have been added. Work on the police and fire memorial is coming along, I'll post information here when it is completed.

Oct 8th, 2001 @ 11:47pm
Added more company contacts. I'm back in the city now after an overdue break with friends and family. I hope everyone else has managed to find time to spend with those closest to them. More updates will come tomorrow.

Oct 5th, 2001 @ 2:47pm
Updated the tenant lists. Added more company contacts. I will be out of town for the next few days for the 1st time since the 11th. No updates will be done or email read until Monday night. Also, I'm working on a memorial site to the fireman and policeman killed in the collapse. More details to come on that next week. Hope you are all well.

Oct 3rd, 2001 @ 5:38pm
Added detailed tenant lists for the whole WTC complex and some surrounding buildings. These are listed by floor.

Sept 29th, 2001 @ 5:30pm
Updated and added about 2 dozen company contacts.

Sept 28th, 2001 @ 2:30am
Updated and added more company contacts. More updates later today.

Sept 26th, 2001 @ 1:00am
Well, I volunteered with the Red Cross. I was down near ground zero on the food boat doing all kinds of work for most of the day. Rewarding but tiring. They still have more than enough volunteers but if anything opens up, I will announce it here. More updates tomorrow.

Sept 25th, 2001 @ 12:41am
Go to the movies to help victims. AMC Theatres is donating all receipts for movies and consessions TODAY (Tuesday the 25th). You can find a theatre online here: US Locations or International Locations. I will be volunteering from 7am to 4pm today (the 25th), so no updates will be made and no email read until tonight. Remember, if you've lost someone, please consider getting some counseling and speaking with others affected. You can find strength in talking about it with others and strength in numbers.

Sept 24th, 2001 @ 3:00am
Added more company contacts. More information will be added later today.

Sept 22nd, 2001 @ 12:11am
About 6 hours ago, Bloomberg published a compiled list of victims (both confirmed dead and missing) of the Sept 11th attacks. This is the most complete list we've seen so far. It's linked to in the Who's Okay section.

Sept 21st, 2001 @ 11:15pm
The nationwide telethon ended a bit after 11pm. Hopefully they've raised alot for the victims. You can still donate to the September 11th fund at their website: www.september11fund.org.

Sept 21st, 2001 @ 9:00pm
The telethon for the September 11th fund is now on all major networks throughout the United States. Please watch and contribute. More information, pledge and online telecast at www.tributetoheroes.org.

Sept 21st, 2001 @ 3:45am
Several more company contacts updated. I've caught up on company information request emails. I'll be updating the expressions tomorrow or this weekend. Good night.

Sept 19th, 2001 @ 11:45pm
Added a new charity. Updated a few more Company Contacts. Even managed to find a few hidden ones. I'll do another batch tomorrow.

Sept 19th, 2001 @ 6:25am
Information in the Help Out section has been updated and confirmed. Several Company Contacts have been updated based on some research.

Sept 19th, 2001 @ 3:17am
A big update in the company emergency contact section. The complete tenant lists from the World Trade Center (all buildings) and some of the World Financial Center have been added. Many still need contact information, so please feel free to look some up and drop me a note. I'm a bit behind in responding to email, but don't worry, I'll get to it all soon.

Sept 18th, 2001 @ 5:56am
I've been working hard on another major update to include alot more information on company contacts, counseling services, charities and more. With any luck, I'll be finishing it later today. After I get some sleep, that is. Also, don't forget to cheer on the police, fireman and workers.

Sept 17th, 2001 @ 2:15pm
A DNA registry has been set up to help identify the dead. Information is on the contacts page. Personal Note: I cheered on rescue workers from 2am to 6am. Good experience.

Sept 16th, 2001 @ 11:23pm
I'm heading over to Christopher Street and the West Side Highway to cheer on the rescue workers for a few hours. Perhaps, you can join me. I shall return later.

Sept 16th, 2001 @ 12:38pm
Added CNN's photo gallery of missing people to this site's Who's Okay? section.

Sept 16th, 2001 @ 5:28am
Several more companies' contact information pages were updated. More updates will occur after I get some sleep. Please help me find information for companies that don't yet have any listed. On a personal note, one of the recent missing persons is a friend.

Sept 15th, 2001 @ 5:14pm
WARNING: Several fraudulent 'charities' have been popping up since Tuesday. They are using phone solicitations, spam mail and bogus websites. Please stick with charities you know and trust. There is a list on this site here.

Sept 15th, 2001 @ 3:06pm
Several more companies' contact information pages were updated. Again, please contact me if you have any additional information on any of the companies listed. I needed to finally get a little sleep today. This week is taking its toll. Best wishes to everyone in finding your loved ones.

Sept 15th, 2001 @ 4:49am
Several companies' contact information pages were updated. Please keep writing in when additional information is known about any companies' staffs. Remember to re-check the patient information database and register your loved one as missing.

Sept 14th, 2001 @ 4:34pm
We are no longer recommending that people use the unofficial, uncofirmed Who's Ok lists. There are reports that people may be just entering missing person information into them to attempt to trick families.

Sept 14th, 2001 @ 10:07am
You can now post photos and descriptions of missing persons online. Links are available in our Who's Ok? section.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 11:18pm
There is now a Patient Locator System online that allows you to find patients who were taken to area hospitals. We mention it in our Who's Ok? section. You can also go there directly. We are crossreferencing all available information on companies and emergency contact numbers. We now have the most complete list available. We need your help completing it. View the Companies A to Z list and drop us a note with any information we don't already have.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 10:38pm
We are crossreferencing all available information on companies and emergency contact numbers. We now have the most complete list available. We need your help completing it. View the Companies A to Z list and drop us a note with any information we don't already have.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 4:24pm
Current demand for blood in New York City has been met, thanks to the efforts of all Americans! Anyone wishing to donate should make an appointment next week.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 3:13pm
Register to volunteer at the Javitz Convention center from 9am to 9pm!.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 2:30pm
We have gotten more information on contacts for some businesses.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 10:00am
The webcam was taking in too much light, fixed. Found some more counseling services. We have also added another I'm Ok List.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 5:30am
There is now a phone number for general volunteering listed on the volunteer page.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 5:00am
We've found some counseling services provided by St Vincent's that are available. We also added a contact number for Pitney Bowes.

Sept 13th, 2001 @ 4am
We have gotten more information on contacts for some businesses and families of firefighters as well as more information on volunteering and offering vehicles and equipment and emergency supplies.

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