This week in Oyster Bay newsletter: Remembering 9/11 and its effect on Oyster Bay

Hey folks,

It’s a day of remembrance.

Twenty-five years ago, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 upended everyday life and forever changed the country. I remember the day vividly. I was 5 years old. I recall my mother pulling me out of first grade when we lived on Staten Island and running down the block to my grandmother’s home. When I looked to my right, I could see a column of smoke against a clear blue sky.

That day has dramatically shaped the lives of so many who lost loved ones. I spoke recently with Patricia Smith, the daughter of the only female NYPD officer to perish in the attacks, about her experience with grief.

It was a conversation that opened my eyes to how someone Newsday has covered since she was just 2 years old grew up in the public eye and wrestled with the tragedy of that day. 

Every year, Oyster Bay holds its annual Sept. 11th Memorial Ceremony at Tobay Beach. A memorial wall contains the names of 90 residents who lost their lives. Another 63 names reflect those who died of 9/11-related illnesses.

Elsewhere in the town, streets have been renamed to honor local heroes, like Terence P. Connelly, an NYPD officer who was a rookie when the planes struck. He died in 2021 from 9/11-related cancer. The number of new cancer cases linked to recovery efforts at Ground Zero continues to rise.

The stories from that day, which continue to be told, are sometimes horrific and other times inspiring. Friday may bring recollections of sadness but also a resolve that many who endured that day still carry: to remember those who were lost and preserve their memory.

Do you remember the period after 9/11, and how your community recovered? We'd like to share memorable stories in our next edition. Email me at oysterbay@newsday.com.

Elsewhere in town

Tobay Beach will have lifeguards on duty on weekends through the end of September. Here's a roundup.

A Queens woman was charged with allegedly scamming an elderly Hicksville woman out of nearly $1 million over three months. 

Check out things to do around town in the coming week, and more at newsday.com/lifestyle. Find more things to do in this Newsday calendar of events.

How are Long Island educators teaching 9/11? School districts are exploring different ways. 

Is there a story you think needs to be covered? Let me know at oysterbay@newsday.com.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ

Joseph Ostapiuk covers the Town of Oyster Bay and the city of Glen Cove. He joined Newsday in 2023 after spending more than six years at the Staten Island Advance.