Sarasota has an unexpected tie to the September 11 story, and it runs through two people who call this coast home. Former Mayor Carolyn Mason handed President Bush a key to the city on September 10, 2001, and she stood at the Sarasota airport watching Air Force One taxi down the runway. She remembers being awestruck by the sheer size of it. The next morning, as the nation absorbed the news, Mason organized a prayer vigil at J.D. Hamill Park.
Pete Abbott brings a different set of memories. He’s a retired NYPD official who also served as Sarasota’s police chief. On the morning of the attacks, he was on the top floor of police headquarters. He watched smoke pour from a tower, then crossed the street to help coordinate emergency response in the hours that followed. A beautiful morning turned into a very long, very hard day.
Twenty-five years later, both of them carry the same message about vigilance and remembrance. A community gathering is planned for 5 p.m., and organizers suggest arriving around 4:45. Whether you attend in person or take a quiet moment on your own, the question worth sitting with is this: how do you keep the memory alive in a way that means something? Tell us in the comments.
