West Windsor Township will mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a remembrance ceremony Friday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m.
The ceremony will be held at the Twin Ponds 9/11 Memorial in the Ronald R. Rogers Arboretum, at the intersection of Clarksville Road and Route 571.
The event will include the rededication of the Twin Ponds memorial and the unveiling of a new addition to the site funded by American Legion Princeton Post 76.
A tribute featuring 2,983 flags will also be installed in honor of those who died in the attacks. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South students will help plant the flags.
Originally dedicated April 27, 2002, Twin Ponds was the first permanent Sept. 11 memorial built in New Jersey.
The memorial grew out of a community-led effort following the attacks that included Friends of West Windsor Open Space. Designed as a sanctuary for quiet contemplation, the site features twin connected reflecting pools, a handmade bridge and a waterfall. A steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center site was added to the memorial in 2011.
“Everyone who was a West Windsor resident on September 11, 2001 has a personal story about that day,” Mayor Hemant Marathe said. “We all lost family, neighbors, coworkers, or friends. Our community first gathered at this site right after the tragedy, before a formal monument even existed. For 25 years, we have continued to come together here. Today, we rededicate the Twin Ponds Memorial to ensure we always honor and remember those we lost.”
Township Council President Sonia Gawas, whose husband, Ganesh Ladkat, died in the attacks, said the memorial has particular personal significance.
“To the World, September 11th is a historic day of tragedy, but to those of us who lost a loved one, it is a deeply personal, daily reality,” Gawas said. “The Twin Ponds have always offered me a quiet sanctuary to feel close to my husband. This Milestone Anniversary and the beautiful Field of Flags show that our community still stands guard over their memories, ensuring they are always honored with dignity.”
Allison Miller, who was Township Council president when the memorial was created, recalled the community effort behind its construction.
“Twenty-Five years ago, as Council President, I convened a Committee to build a sanctuary for the souls we lost on 9/11,” Miller said. “Helen Rancan gave us our core vision: Twin Reflecting Pools to mirror the Towers that once stood. With local businesses answering the call of then Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, we built a beautiful, contemplative garden. Twin Ponds became more than a local haven—it was the first permanent 9/11 Memorial in the State of New Jersey.”
The new addition to the memorial was developed through the efforts of Gawas, Township Landscape Architect Alisa Stanislaw, Department of Public Works Director Tony Esposito and American Legion Princeton Post 76.
The ceremony is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
