Construction Begins on 9-11 Tribute

Community members, including Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, the Redondo Beach City Council, and representatives from the Redondo Beach Fire Department, joined the Leadership Redondo Class of 2007 at the Redondo Beach Civic Center on Tuesday, July 1, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the 9-11 Tribute.

9-11 Tribute designer and Leadership Redondo class member Deborah Richie-Bray spoke at the event giving a brief description of the design. "The memorial will feature a bronze armillary sphere, with the artifact from the World Trade Center as part of the base. Below the piece of steel beam, which was a gift to the City of Redondo Beach from the Fire Department of New York, are five black granite panels. The black granite represents the black shiny windows of the twin World Trade Center Towers. There will be five sides to the granite base, representing the Pentagon. The ground beneath the 9-11 Tribute will be made of multicolored limestone representing the natural materials of our land. It will be designed in the shape of a multi-pointed sunburst. The plants that will surround the monument will be tall red grasses, representing the burning fields of Pennsylvania. The armillary sphere will be engraved with the times of events of 9-11. There will be bronze plaques on each of the five sides of the monument describing the events of September 11, 2001, highlighting the acts of bravery and resilience of our fellow Americans. Also engraved will be 'Time continues on. The sun rises and sets each day. We will never forget September 11, 2001.'"

The completed 9-11 Tribute will be unveiled on September 11, 2008. The Class is still in need of donations to meet their fundraising goal. To make a donation, please download a sponsorship form from http://www.9-11tribute.org/.