Streator Remembers September 11
By: Andrew Barra WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: September 10, 2012
STREATOR - Remembering the victims of 9-11.
This week marks the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
And people in Streator are doing their part to keep the victims' memories alive.
But WMBDs Andrew Barra reports.. they're also rallying around one of their own issues.
When Charles Cline started the 9/11 ceremony, he never knew how much it would grow.
Cline says, "Its certainly encourages me and just the spirit of patriotism just encourages me that it is alive and well in the United States."
Cline and other church leaders in Streator started the ceremony last year - on the tenth anniversary of 9-11. This year - they knew it had to go on again.
Cline says, "One of the things that we said is that we would never forget, and this is just a reminder that we're not going to forget what happened on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked us."
Streator Mayor Jimmie Lansford adds, "What we're going to do is what we can to keep that memory alive so that we don;t forget that when our freedom was threatened. It was important to us."
Maggie and Becca Smith are giving out free rice krispie treats at the ceremony. They dont remember the attacks on 9/11....because they werent even alive yet.
Maggie says, "A lot of people died to we want to remember that a lot of people died. They were in the planes and in the building. "
They do know however the problems going on in Streator right now: sixteen suspicious fires in the last year and a half
Kurt Snow of the Streator Fire Department says, " It's been a very busy year for us. We definitely - we're here everyday for anyone that ever calls, we're here when they need us."
Not only is the town using this event to remember 9-11, but as a way to rally the community.
Cline says, "This is just something we're coming together and supporting and encouraging any way that we possibly can."
The town unified on September 11; they know they can do it again.
Streator is investigating the fires as possible arson.
No one's been arrested.
This week marks the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
And people in Streator are doing their part to keep the victims' memories alive.
But WMBDs Andrew Barra reports.. they're also rallying around one of their own issues.
When Charles Cline started the 9/11 ceremony, he never knew how much it would grow.
Cline says, "Its certainly encourages me and just the spirit of patriotism just encourages me that it is alive and well in the United States."
Cline and other church leaders in Streator started the ceremony last year - on the tenth anniversary of 9-11. This year - they knew it had to go on again.
Cline says, "One of the things that we said is that we would never forget, and this is just a reminder that we're not going to forget what happened on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked us."
Streator Mayor Jimmie Lansford adds, "What we're going to do is what we can to keep that memory alive so that we don;t forget that when our freedom was threatened. It was important to us."
Maggie and Becca Smith are giving out free rice krispie treats at the ceremony. They dont remember the attacks on 9/11....because they werent even alive yet.
Maggie says, "A lot of people died to we want to remember that a lot of people died. They were in the planes and in the building. "
They do know however the problems going on in Streator right now: sixteen suspicious fires in the last year and a half
Kurt Snow of the Streator Fire Department says, " It's been a very busy year for us. We definitely - we're here everyday for anyone that ever calls, we're here when they need us."
Not only is the town using this event to remember 9-11, but as a way to rally the community.
Cline says, "This is just something we're coming together and supporting and encouraging any way that we possibly can."
The town unified on September 11; they know they can do it again.
Streator is investigating the fires as possible arson.
No one's been arrested.
