Even Amid Change 9/11 Memorial Stays Central to Howell

Since the Howell municipal offices moved from Preventorium Road to Route 9 the old Town Hall has gone quiet from the seat of government it once was. For some the 9/11 memorial ceremony was their first time back to the more rural location which they said made the experience even more special and meaningful.

Mayor Bill Gotto was one person who said being able to come back to the township’s memorial for the event was a moving experience. “Even though this was the center of what was going on, it’s still the center of something else,” he said. “I like the setting, the fact that it’s on the hill, it’s in a tranquil spot and it’s outside of the hustle and it’s outside of the hustle and bustle of day to day operations.”

The ceremony on Wednesday night once again included a wide ranging group of first responders including the Howell Police Department on the hill overlooking their headquarters and the Howell Public Library. “I think it makes it a little bit more appropriate for it to be here,” Gotto said. “I think it’s a much better layout and setup than what we had before when Town Hall was here."

During his remarks about the day Deputy Mayor Rob Nicastro said it was important that people never forget what that day meant and what happened that day. “I think we said 12 years ago that we would never forget that this is a testament to that,” he said. “The people aren’t forgetting and Howell as a community will always come together in good times and bad times.”

Even with the administration working a few miles away Nicastro said the location will always be important to the township. “This will always be pristine. It’s the appropriate place for this memorial, it will always be here and you can’t ask for a better place.”