City Of Rosemead

Rosemead unveils 9/11 museum for July 4 holiday

ROSEMEAD - While millions of Americans unfurl the stars and stripes this weekend and gather around smoky barbecues to celebrate the nation's birthday, city officials hope residents will pause for a moment to remember a more solemn occasion.

At its meeting last week, the city council unveiled a museum dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Though the actual anniversary is a couple of months away, officials said they wanted people to remember that the freedoms they enjoy come at a cost.

"It reminds us of the importance of why we need to be good citizens and be vigilant," Mayor Steven Ly said.

The museum may eventually get a permanent home, but for now, its artifacts are being displayed along the walls of Council Chambers in city hall.

Two walls are decorated with framed newspapers and magazine covers featuring photos and stories of the attack.

Along a third wall is a section of chain-link fence with posters of people still missing nearly a decade later. Also attached to the fence are cards with notes written by members of the community to victims of the attacks.

"You think `this is America, this is never going to happen to us,"' Councilman Bill Alarcon said.

The city has also provided a blank book so visitors can write down their own stories of what they were doing when they heard about the attacks.

"At that moment, time stood still for everyone," Ly said.

Two cases in the back of the room hold books about the attack and mementos from the scene.

Some of those mementos were brought back to Rosemead from New York by sheriff's Lt. Tim Murakami, who serves as Rosemead's chief of police. Among the items included are a New York Fire Department helmet and a New York Police Department officer's cap.

But the most impressive item in the museum might just be a short section of a metal beam taken from the World Trade Center after the towers collapsed.

The piece was originally part of a larger beam the city plans to incorporate into a 9/11 memorial and sculpture to be unveiled later this year.

The sculpture will feature two large hands constructed of nearly 3,000 small steel doves. The hands will hold up a 10-foot section of the beam.

Aileen Flores, a spokeswoman for Rosemead, said she and three other city employees have been working for about a year and a half to gather all the pieces for the museum.

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit: Smokey WOW's em at Rosemead's 4th of ...

It was your typical home town Fourth of July parade in the City of Rosemead, California and for the second consecutive year, Smokey Bear was there. The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit was honored to support Rosemead's 4th of July parade by providing America's all time fire prevention symbol. This year as last year, Smokey was played by VIP Jason Lannon. There were many animated figures in the parade, but the shouts were reserved for Smokey.

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