Monday, September 12, 2011
Snellville area churches mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in different ways.
As the 10th anniversary of September 11 drew to a close, area churches held special services to mark the day. The mood at First Baptist Church was somber and introspective as the large crowd waited for the evening service to begin. The room was packed. Many people spent the day watching 9/11 commemorative programs and Youtube videos, as well as having reflective conversations with their friends, family and neighbors. It came as no surprise that many turned to church to wrap up their emotion-filled day. First Baptist took an unusual approach by hosting the Stone Mountain Chorus, a men's chorus that performs barbershop quartet style music. They performed a "Patriot Day" concert, with songs ranging from 40s jazz to classic sacred songs. …
Saturday, September 10, 2011
In the aftermath of 9/11, American Muslims experience a different type of anxiety.
Samira Ahmed, a woman featured previously on the Snellville Patch for her remarkable journey to the United States, opened up about her experiences following 9/11. “As a Muslim woman, I heard things from people here and there,” Ahmed recalled. “I heard that all Muslims are terrorists.” After the initial shock of the planes hitting the World Trade Center, Ahmed felt the same sense of sadness and anxiety that every other American faced. When learning that the 9/11 mastermind, Mohammed Atta, had trained as a pilot in Gwinnett County, she was very concerned. Over time, however, she began to experience things that others perhaps did not – the distrust of others. “It was a month or so after 9/11,” she said. “I was at the mall with my …
Friday, September 9, 2011
Where were you on that day and how does it affect you today?
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Where were you on that day, and how has it affected you?
Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer, whose term comes to a close this year, shares his experience of September 11, 2001. He was on the Gwinnett County Water and Sewer authority at the time. By trade, he is a civil engineer. “I was at work, and I remember the day clearly,” Oberholtzer said. “The firm I was working with did a lot of military work. Things were a little slow, and all of a sudden our chief architect came in and said, Jerry! A plane hit the World Trade Center!” Oberholtzer immediately got on the Internet to see what was happening, but it froze as soon as he pulled up Fox News. He could, however, see an image of the World Trade Center, billowing smoke. “We had a TV in our conference room,” he said, “but it didn’t have cable.” …
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Where were you on that day and how does it affect you today?
Elena Diaz is a retired Gwinnett County educator and still works part time for the Gwinnett County school system. She was teaching ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at Hopkins Elementary in Lilburn when the towers were hit. “It was hard trying to act like everything was normal so the students wouldn’t find out anything,” Diaz said. “The kids could tell something weird was going on but we really couldn’t vocalize any of it. I can remember parents coming in checking out students all day long.” “We had some teachers on staff from New York City who still had family members there," she added. "I remember having to cover for some of them so they could go find out how their family members were. It just felt like you were going …
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Where were you on that day, and how has it changed you?
Ryan Berrey is a firefighter and paramedic at Gwinnett County Fire Station No.6 on Johnson Drive. Berrey was working a side job for an ambulance in Walton County when he first heard the news. “I was on duty when someone mentioned it,” Berrey said. “We were watching after the one plane had hit the World Trade Center. I had to leave to get to another station. When I got to the other station the second tower was hit. I then got a call, went to the hospital, and heard the first tower was on the ground. “ For many people like Berrey, there was work to do and the day had to go on as usual. “The day was fairly, fairly busy,” Berrey said. “It didn’t change much for us.” Berrey remembers the biggest changes in his life being at his church. “I was …
Monday, September 5, 2011
Snellville residents Abel and Alethia Atelsaid, both immigrants to the United States, recount their experiences of September 11, 2001 and its effects.
Abel and Alethea Atelsaid came to the United States in the mid-1990s as college students. They met soon after arriving, and pursued the American Dream. September 11, 2001, remains vivid in their minds, but it is the years following that stick with them the most. The following is a transcription of the video posted above. Abel Atelsaid “My name is Abel. I’m originally from Sudan, in East Africa, a Muslim populated country. I came to the United States back in 1996, and have been living here for a while. “September 11 was a day that has changed many people’s lives. It has also … I lived here in America, and I remember that day I was working at my bank job. I was a customer service rep. I remember when the first plane hit I had a …
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Where were you on that day?
Lynda Young, a national speaker and author of the "You are Not Alone" book series, first heard about the news at home when she was on her way out for a dermatologist appointment. “I went to the office and they had the TV on and everyone was glued to that TV. No one knew what was happening. One of my biggest concerns was that it was going to hit my home city where my family was. Sitting in that waiting room, it was total silence. No one was talking. It was surreal.” Young grew up in Oklahoma City, Okla., where her family still resides. “I had called my dad in Oklahoma City to see how they were and fortunately nothing bad was happening there.” Young said that the event caused her to worry about many other things in her life. “The thought …
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Where were you on September 11, 2001, and what are your thoughts on the tragedy ten years later?
Snellville Patch continues the conversation with local citizens to discuss their memories and feelings following the events of September 11, 2001. For many, remembering that day brings a time of reflection and introspection. So much of who we are and who we have become is tied up in that day. We recently caught up with Snellville businessowner Michelle Couch, owner of Blitz Communications. Michelle was in the midst of difficult times herself, having just lost her sister the year before, and her job earlier that year. Her father, a retired Naval Reservist, passed away two years later. Michelle Couch: “I was at home, because I had just recently been laid off from what was my last ever corporate job. Had I not been laid off, I actually…
Friday, September 2, 2011
James Williams is the music minister at Snellville UMC.
James Williams, music minister at Snellville UMC, said he didn’t have a significant connection to Sept. 11, 2001 -- no more than the next guy. Since then, however, he has created music in worship, or in concert at Dacula High School, where he is choral director. Any American, he said, would say the event changed them. "It is my hope that 9/11 is not forgotten, but remembered eternally," he said. "It was a horrific act, but one that brought us together not only as Americans, but as human beings. "The strength and camaraderie that grew out of those events was staggering, and I hate that it took an event of that magnitude to do it." A recent school trip to Ground Zero took him back. "The scale of those city blocks that were leveled, the …
Crystal Huskey
11:15 pm on Sunday, September 4, 2011
Thank you for sharing Marlene! It's definitely a day that's etched in people's minds. more ›