Centerpice For 911 Memorial Unveiled In Founders' Parade

Saturday's 52nd annual Algonquin Founders' Days parade was only about half its usual size thanks to local road construction so it only took about an hour instead of the usual two.  Even so, the most remarkable unit in the procession may have eluded many watchers--a 5,400 pound girder assembly from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. It's the intended centerpiece for a firefighters' memorial in Algonquin's Riverfront Park.

Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Firefighters’ Association representatives requested permission to build the memorial three months ago to honor the 2,996 dead in Al Qaeda's coordinated September 11 terrorist attacks and the 343 first-responding firefighters who died trying to save them. Lt. Matt Berg and Firefighter Dan Teson said the memorial would also honor two ALFPD firefighters who've died in the line of duty since the fire protection district was formed.

The pair were somewhat hampered at the time in convincing Trustees to OK the memorial since the Association hadn't obtained the wreckage from Ground Zero yet and wasn't sure it ever could so they never mentioned it.  "It only came in last night," said Berg Friday.

Huntley Area Fire Protection District has a similar 911 memorial in its new Fire Station Number Four on Algonquin Road but the tortured girder there is inside the building lobby.  The Algonquin memorial's planned to anchor a 60-foot site outside at the north end of Riverfront Park just below the emergency boat launch and kitty-corner from where Algonquin's old firehouse used to be.

Now that the centerpiece has been secured, the request's expected to be back before the Algonquin Board again ASAP.  The Firefighters' Association hopes to dedicate the memorial this September 11.

In the pic:  Algonquin Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District firefighers escorted the 911 attack relic in Saturday's Founders' Days parade.