Residents, officials, and emergency services personnel gathered Thursday morning at Borough Hall for a solemn ceremony to mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, with the relocation of a piece of World Trade Center steel now serving as a memorial in Hopewell Borough for the year.
The ceremony began with a procession down Broad Street, as emergency service members escorted the artifact from the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library, where it had been displayed for the past year, to its new home on the second floor of Borough Hall. The artifact rotates annually among sites in the Hopewell Valley; for the next year, it will remain at Borough Hall, where it can be viewed whenever the building is open.
Michael Chipowsky, chairman of the Hopewell Valley 9/11 and Emergency Services Memorial Committee and retired chief, opened the ceremony by recounting the timeline of the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives. “Most of us of a certain age know where we were and what we were doing when these events occurred,” he said. “As the rubble was cleared and the World Trade Center site was rebuilt over several years, we were gifted this artifact from the ruins. It stands today as a reminder that we must never forget the tragedy, but the will of the American people to rebuild and recover. Today, we place this sacred artifact into your care with the hope that all who pass will stop, remember, and never forget.”
Hopewell Borough Mayor Ryan Kennedy thanked the community and those who helped coordinate the dedication. “I really want to thank the men and women of Hopewell Valley Emergency Services for helping us remember,” Kennedy said, also recognizing the efforts of volunteers and career professionals from local fire companies.
He reflected on how he explains the significance of the day to his children: “What I tell them is to look to our community — to who we have answering the call, who among us heads towards the danger, who among us helps, and who among us puts their lives at risk every day for this community. And we are blessed to have such amazing men and women do that here and remember those who went to that call on September 11 not to return again.”
Kennedy urged residents to honor the memory of those lost by stepping up in service to others. “The best way that I can think to honor what happened then and those who went and answered that call not to return is to join the men and women standing here who organized this event and help us and answer that call every day,” he said. “Whether it’s volunteering or supporting or anything you can do, I ask that you remember this day in their honor by stepping up and joining and thanking them.”
The dedication closed with the installation of the steel on the second floor of Borough Hall, where it will stand as a daily reminder of loss, resilience, and community service.
