Mayor’s Minute By Ashley Curry - October 2022
On Sept. 11, our city hosted the annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony on the lawn at City Hall. The cities of Vestavia Hills, Homewood and Mountain Brook jointly participate in this annual event. Last year it was held in Mountain Brook and next year, it will be held in Homewood.
Do you remember where you were on Sept. 11, 2001, at 7:41 a.m.? I was attending the Vestavia Kiwanis Club breakfast meeting at the old Morrisons Cafeteria in Vestavia Hills. On that fateful day, the United States was attacked by international terrorists. At first, it was thought that an airplane had accidently flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. As an FBI Agent at the time, I hurriedly rushed to the Birmingham FBI office arriving in time to see that second airline strike the South Tower. It became painfully obvious that this was no accident.
Before the day was over there were four hijacked aircraft, two of them striking the World Trade Center towers, one striking the Pentagon, and one that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control of the aircraft
The impact of Sept. 11, 2001, is still being felt today. Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk due to the trauma and exposure to toxic air following each attack. Carcinogens from building materials, gasses and jet fuel laced the air around each crash site, with the most severe toxicity among the ruins of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
To date, more people have now died from this toxic exposure than in the 9/11 attacks. Although 2,974 people lost their lives that day, 4,343 survivors and first responders have died in the years since, according to the World Trade Center Health Program.
May we never forget the sacrifice of our first responders.
On Oct. 18, 2022, at 6 p.m., the over-the-mountain mayors will host a domestic violence awareness forum, “Protecting our Teens and Young Adults from Dating Violence.” The event will be held at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center, located at 1090 Montgomery Highway.
The public is invited to attend this free event hosted by myself, along with Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and Homewood Mayor Patrick McClusky.
I am honored that Vestavia Hills is participating in this forum to spread awareness and provide necessary tools to reduce the occurrence and long-term effects of domestic violence. Everyone has the right to be in a safe, violence-free relationship.
Make plans to attend this informative meeting.