It took Council President George Borek two years of going through his contacts and making lots of phone calls, but he has been able to capture a sentimental piece of history that has special meaning not only to him, but for at least a handful of township residents directly affected by the events of September 11, 2001.
Now, a seven-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center will be incorporated into the township’s memorial at the Ron Rogers Arboretum at the corner Clarksville and Princeton-Hightstown Roads.
Borek, a firefighter in Jersey City, was involved in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero from the time the terrorist attacks happened through weeks after. After a few years, Borek felt that since six West Windsor residents died in the attacks, he wanted to get a piece of the World Trade Center to bring to the township.
He began calling some of his contacts in New York, but came up short. He continued making inquiries until he finally found out that Jersey City had already received pieces of the steel from the towers.
“Jersey City was given a lot of steel from New York City, not only because of its close proximity, but it had done a lot for them,” he said.
Eventually, he was able to take half of a 14-foot-long, 16,000-pound beam, which he and his colleagues torched to cut in half so that he could transport it to West Windsor. Once it was cut, the West Windsor Department of Public Works supplied a heavy duty trailer to take to Jersey City. Crews hoisted the beam using heavy machinery into the trailer, and transported it back to West Windsor for placement at the Arboretum.
The 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pond at the Ron Rogers Arboretum features twin reflecting ponds connected by a series of waterfalls and a stream. The pool, surrounded by trees and benches, is lined with boulders and river stone. Flagpoles were donated by the American Legion and West Windsor Lions Club. The monument project was coordinated by the township and Friends of West Windsor Open Space. It was dedicated in April, 2002.
Borek said he lost a lot of friends on the New York City Fire Department on 9/11. This memorial helps “brings back memories of them, good memories we shared.”
He added: “I just thought it would be a nice addition to the 9-11 reflecting pond we had, so everyone can share in our having a piece of 9-11.”
So what’s next? Borek says he would like to contact the people involved in the original planning of the existing memorial as well as the loved ones of the West Windsor residents who had died in the attacks to bring them to the table for ideas regarding incorporating the beam into the memorial.
“It’s not about politics; it’s not about anything else,” said Borek. “It’s something near and dear to me, and it’s been on my mind for a very long time. It will be a place I can go and always remember my friends and remember the people I lost. Having something close here for us makes it easy for us to reflect on what happened on that day.”
