Six months have already passed since the tragic events of Sept. 11 changed the world for many people.
Many people have just started the new journey of acceptance after the loss of loved ones. The New York Skyline has lost its “front teeth” and has awoken the nation to how short life can be.
New York City continues to rebuild and has taken another step in acknowledging the lives lost by dedicating a temporary memorial near the area of Ground Zero.
A lighting tribute has been erected by the use of powerful searchlights (616,000 watts total).
The lights come together and form the shape of two towers near the area where the World Trade Center once stood.
The lights will be turned on at dusk every night and then shut off by 11 p.m. until April 13. The “towers of light” will be able to be seen miles from Manhattan.
If one of the nights happens to be too cloudy or overcast, the beams will not be turned on.
The reason is because the powerful lights would bounce off clouds, which then causes the light to shatter and reflect directly into nearby buildings. This which could possibly distract air transportation.
In addition to the lighted towers, the memorial also includes the massive globe sculpture that used to be in the middle of the World Trade Center plaza.
Although parts of the globe were crushed by the events, it was not fully destroyed.
According to New York City officials, the sculpture was taken to JFK airport, where it was cleaned and repaired.
The original sculpture was dedicated in Battery Park at the same time of day in which the first airliner struck the North Tower.
Many ideas are currently being developed in what to do next with the area of where the World Trade Center used to stand. There have been mixed views concerning this matter.
Some feel that the area and buildings should be rebuilt, while others believe that it should be kept a memorial for the lives that have been lost.
Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, feels that people are content with the temporary memorial.
The memorial does not put a halt to the recovery and searching process on the grounds of Ground Zero, where individuals who lost relatives visit on a daily basis for a time of reflection and prayer.
According to CNN, the cost of the entire temporary memorial runs over $500,000. The money was donated by a variety of individuals, foundations, businesses, and corporations and will operate for the next month.