It is a common occurrence for people to become obsessed and passionate over a tragic event when it occurs. People want to feel they can make a statement, a lasting impression about the event. Their obsession continues for a period of time after the event is over, Having said that, as time goes by and the weeks turn into months and even into years their obsession and passion wains. It becomes somehow not as important until eventually completely goes away. That is the case with many of our feelings towards the horrific events which took place on September 11, 2001. Our lives were all impacted and changed that day. Our own Bedford Rotary club was among the hundreds of thousands that wanted to make a lasting remembrance, so President Peter Cogan appointed Bob Mead to lead a committee to design and construct a memorial at Spring Brooks Park.
On September 12, 2012 Bob Meads dream became a reality. It was a well-attended event. Our club paid all construction costs for materials that were not donated (mainly from Mead Tree Services and New England Nurseries). The club made a commitment to maintain the facility. And Bedford’s DPW agreed to keep the grass mowed. The club even had a plaque made and mounted on a rock.
Attendance at the annual commemoration of the event gradually died off until a few years ago they stopped completely. However, the DPW has kept their word and mows the grass regularly. One of our members, however, has not forgotten! Each year Marc Hamilton and his wife Kay organize a clean-up crew and keeps the trees (suckers) and bushes pruned back and piles-up the debris so the DPW can haul it away. He even reorganized the little park so it would not get “lost” in the trees. And so on Saturday, October 12, 2024, nine of us: Ralph, Bob, Marc, Kay, Tom, Christine, Katie, Judi, and Karen gathered and did a masterful job bringing it up to our standards. We have not forgotten!