Union City and West New York residents showed their support of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center by lighting candles, waving American Flags, volunteering their time and money, and walking through the city streets in a stand against terrorism over the past two weeks.
Residents have been feeling a mix of emotions that range from grief, and increased amount of patriotism, shock and ultimately numbness, they said.
"This has been a very difficult week," said West New York Mayor Albio Sires to the more than 1,000 residents that lined Boulevard East a week ago Friday. "Peoples’ lives have been changed forever."
"It is a big injustice," said Liliana Bautista of Union City. "Many innocent men and women died."
"I can’t believe it, even now," said Union City’s Juan Gomez, who remembers visiting the World Trade Center when he first came to this country in 1974. "America is a great country."
Gomez said he recognized that the tragedy brought out the best in people. "The best thing that happened is that everyone is united," Gomez said, walking home with his family after a prayer walk and vigil in Union City Wednesday night.
National night of mourning
President George W. Bush named Friday, Sept. 14, the National Night of Mourning. This was the night where residents all over the country were encouraged to stand outside their doorsteps and light a candle for the victims.
In West New York, most residents left their doorsteps and lit their candles on Boulevard East, where the town held a prayer vigil.
"There had to be a couple of thousand people there," said Sires, explaining that there were people lining the sidewalk of Boulevard East from the Veteran’s Monument on 54th Street, next to the Amvets Center, to 66th Street. "It was great to see people come together in West New York. It was very impressive."
Father Sergio Viego of St. Joseph’s Church and Minister John Sharp of Holy Trinity Church, both in West New York, spoke at the service.
In Union City on that Friday night, about 40 residents met inside the Court Room in City Hall on 17th Street and Palisade Avenue to board the two senior citizen buses and one Board of Education bus taking them to Exchange Place in Jersey City, where a county-wide candlelight vigil was taking place.
As the buses drove down Palisade Avenue, just as it turned 7 p.m., many Union City residents stepped out of their doorways and lit a candle.
And after
Still, more than one week after the tragedy, Union City residents still came out to show their support in the city’s candlelight march and prayer vigil this past Wednesday.
More than 1,000 residents marched from 10th Street and Palisade Avenue north toward 16th Street and along the Manhattan Avenue viaduct toward Paterson Plank Road. The march ended in Washington Park, Second Street and Palisade Avenue, where the prayer vigil was held.
"There was dead silence the whole way," said Katia Stack about the candlelight march.
The march was led by the Emerson High School Junior ROTC members.
"It is an honor to be able to participate in an event like this," said Emerson High School Junior ROTC member Jeany Paz. "Most of Union City’s families were effected by the World Trade Center. We are trying to bring the community together."
"This is the most cowardly attack ever," said Emerson High School Junior ROTC member Johnny Gonzalez. "I just hope that America will have the chance to stop what is going on."
Rev. Jose Laboy of the Eighth Street Pentecostal Church in Union City kept the patriotism alive when he spoke at the service.
"There is a flag on that moon," said Laboy. "And that flag is an American Flag."
Also speaking at the service was Father Steven Giovangelo of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Father Carlos from St. Anthony’s Church and Youth Pastor Felix Pillot from the Assemblies of Christian Churches spoke at the vigil in Washington Park.
Sherrif’s Officer Elsie Mendoza sang "Amazing Grace" and "America the Beautiful," and Washington School Student Taileen Alvarez sang the National Anthem.