Hundreds in Austintown gather to remember victims, heroes of 9/11

By SEAN BARRON

news@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

Lisa Kleinhandler was at work the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, in Long Branch, N.Y., when she saw a horrific scene unfolding in the distance: the World Trade Center towers being struck by commercial planes, then collapsing.

“It was the most terrifying experience I could imagine,” said Kleinhandler, who recalled a phone call from her sister mentioning that the North Tower had been hit at 8:46 a.m.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen to our country and didn’t know what was coming next.”

Kleinhandler, who now lives in Canfield, shared her recollections during Sunday’s Sept. 11 commemoration service at the 9/11 Memorial Park on South Raccoon Road.

Hundreds of local safety-force members from all over the Mahoning Valley and others attended the solemn hour-long ceremony, hosted by the Austintown Beautification Committee, to remember the events of that day and honor those who lost their lives in New York City, at the Pentagon and in a remote field near Shanksville, Pa.

During her presentation, Kleinhandler invoked the memory of Michael V. Kiefer, a New York City firefighter and member of Ladder Co. 32 who was one of 343 firefighters killed in the terrorist attacks.

Kleinhandler said she connected with Kiefer while visiting a 9/11 memorial near her office. She prayed for him and over time got to know and love his family, she explained.

Kleinhandler, who helped plant some gardens at the memorial park, said that more people need to step up for one another daily, not just in times of tragedy, and realize they can make a difference. She also acknowledged that despite the passage of a decade, the events of 9/11 remain painfully fresh for many.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.