9/11 Candlelight Vigil at Burns Park Rained Out

If you were strolling past park Tuesday night, you should have been able to observe a gathered mass of hundreds of people taking place in a touching candlelight vigil to honor those whose lives were needlessly snuffed out on Sept. 11, 2001.

Instead, only 20-30 people milled about the parking lot, brandishing not candles, but umbrellas.

What was to be a solemn and emotional event that was scheduled to take place this Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., was called off just 20 minutes before it was due to begin on account of...yes, you guessed it- rain.

The candlelight vigil was not only to be held to pay tribute to the fallen, but also to highlight the upcoming 9-11 Freedom Military Monument to be built in Burns park. The Monument, a memorial dedicated to all affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, will contain actual Wolrd Trade Center steel.

According to Frank Haskell, co-chairman of Burns Park 9-11 Monument Committee, the Town of Oyster Bay stepped in at the last second and cancelled the vigil.

"They were worried about the liabilities involved with holding the vigil in the rain," he said. "It's a shame they had to cancel it, because they only just told us, and people are still showing up despite the rain. We also had a lot of good people here who were going to speak."

Turnout was light due to the inclement weather, but Haskell said that if skies were clear, upwards of 400 people were expected to have shown up.

Despite the last-second cancellation, a tentative rain date has already been picked out, and while its probably a bit longer of a wait than some might have hoped, the alternative date is probably no less appropriate.

"We're shooting for around Veteran's Day," Haskell said. "November 11 is Veterans Day, which is a Friday, and we thought that would be a good substitute date."

Haskell said that, despite rain spoiling the vigil this evening, it's not the only event scheduled to promote the upcoming 9-11 Military Monument.

"We have an event coming up, 'Restaurants Rally Around 9-11 Military Monument,' on October 2," he said. "It's going to be at Marjorie Post park. We're getting local restaurants - , Katie Daly's, , - who are going to supply food, and it’s running from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. We're also going to have bands there. It's going to be good."