Latest news with #EmptySky
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's a concrete eyesore': Locals and survivors rage over New Jersey's ‘unfinished' 9/11 memorial
Survivors of the September 11 terror attacks and locals have blasted New Jersey's 'unfinished' 9/11 memorial as a 'concrete eyesore.' Officials say the Empty Sky memorial is complete, but one of its designers and the families of those who perished say otherwise. The monument in Jersey City's Liberty State Park consists of two brushed stainless steel twin walls, 210 feet long, the width of each side of the World Trade Center Towers. The names of more than 740 people who lived in or had ties to the state are etched inside the reflective steel but the exterior concrete walls are still bare and have become stained over the years. 'It's a concrete eyesore. It looks horrible,' Jessica Jamroz, one of the memorial's designers, told 'It gives a sense of abandonment and forgottenness.' Locals are not only upset over the aesthetics of the concrete walls, but the names of 18 New Jerseyans are still reportedly missing from the memorial, their families said. And out of the 65 cherry trees that were planted to frame the memorial and bloom each September to symbolize rebirth, only five remain – and are in poor shape, according to the news outlet. 'It feels like the memorial's spirituality is under attack and no one really cares,' Jamroz added. Michael Danatos, whose brother-in-law Brian Martineau died in the 9/11 attacks, called it 'a disgrace.' 'We're bumping up against 25 years and this is the best we can do?' Danatos, who approved the original design of the monument, asked. One of the electronic kiosks for looking up names on the interior panels was not working last week, according to the outlet. 'The risk of leaving the memorial unfinished, and the site neglected, is that it could become over time instead an emblem of forgetting; of the decay of memory,' John J. Farmer Jr., who served as senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and is the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, added. New Jersey officials acknowledged that the memorial is in need of some restoration work, in a statement to but disputed the claim that the memorial is unfinished. 'Unable to secure additional funding for the project, the architect, project manager and the state determined that the memorial must be redesigned to fit the project budget so that New Jersey victims of 9/11 could be honored by the state,' officials said in response to the outlet. 'The architectural design team developed a new design that only included stainless-steel cladding on the interior walls.' Th Department of Environmental Protection manages the memorial and the Treasury funds the upkeep. The departments said the memorial 'is considered complete' in a joint statement. Officials added that the DEP 'is consistently working on longer-term projects to improve the condition of the memorial's trees, lighting, and to modernize the kiosks that assist in locating names on the memorial.' Danatos disagrees. 'It is an irrefutable fact the memorial remains incomplete, even though it was opened to the public in 2011,' she said.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's a concrete eyesore': Locals and survivors rage over New Jersey's ‘unfinished' 9/11 memorial
Survivors of the September 11 terror attacks and locals have blasted New Jersey's 'unfinished' 9/11 memorial as a 'concrete eyesore.' Officials say the Empty Sky memorial is complete, but one of its designers and the families of those who perished say otherwise. The monument in Jersey City's Liberty State Park consists of two brushed stainless steel twin walls, 210 feet long, the width of each side of the World Trade Center Towers. The names of more than 740 people who lived in or had ties to the state are etched inside the reflective steel but the exterior concrete walls are still bare and have become stained over the years. 'It's a concrete eyesore. It looks horrible,' Jessica Jamroz, one of the memorial's designers, told 'It gives a sense of abandonment and forgottenness.' Locals are not only upset over the aesthetics of the concrete walls, but the names of 18 New Jerseyans are still reportedly missing from the memorial, their families said. And out of the 65 cherry trees that were planted to frame the memorial and bloom each September to symbolize rebirth, only five remain – and are in poor shape, according to the news outlet. 'It feels like the memorial's spirituality is under attack and no one really cares,' Jamroz added. Michael Danatos, whose brother-in-law Brian Martineau died in the 9/11 attacks, called it 'a disgrace.' 'We're bumping up against 25 years and this is the best we can do?' Danatos, who approved the original design of the monument, asked. One of the electronic kiosks for looking up names on the interior panels was not working last week, according to the outlet. 'The risk of leaving the memorial unfinished, and the site neglected, is that it could become over time instead an emblem of forgetting; of the decay of memory,' John J. Farmer Jr., who served as senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and is the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, added. New Jersey officials acknowledged that the memorial is in need of some restoration work, in a statement to but disputed the claim that the memorial is unfinished. 'Unable to secure additional funding for the project, the architect, project manager and the state determined that the memorial must be redesigned to fit the project budget so that New Jersey victims of 9/11 could be honored by the state,' officials said in response to the outlet. 'The architectural design team developed a new design that only included stainless-steel cladding on the interior walls.' Th Department of Environmental Protection manages the memorial and the Treasury funds the upkeep. The departments said the memorial 'is considered complete' in a joint statement. Officials added that the DEP 'is consistently working on longer-term projects to improve the condition of the memorial's trees, lighting, and to modernize the kiosks that assist in locating names on the memorial.' Danatos disagrees. 'It is an irrefutable fact the memorial remains incomplete, even though it was opened to the public in 2011,' she said.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
‘It's a concrete eyesore': Locals and survivors rage over New Jersey's ‘unfinished' 9/11 memorial
Survivors of the September 11 terror attacks and locals have blasted New Jersey's 'unfinished' 9/11 memorial as a 'concrete eyesore.' Officials say the Empty Sky memorial is complete, but one of its designers and the families of those who perished say otherwise. The monument in Jersey City's Liberty State Park consists of two brushed stainless steel twin walls, 210 feet long, the width of each side of the World Trade Center Towers. The names of more than 740 people who lived in or had ties to the state are etched inside the reflective steel but the exterior concrete walls are still bare and have become stained over the years. 'It's a concrete eyesore. It looks horrible,' Jessica Jamroz, one of the memorial's designers, told 'It gives a sense of abandonment and forgottenness.' Locals are not only upset over the aesthetics of the concrete walls, but the names of 18 New Jerseyans are still reportedly missing from the memorial, their families said. And out of the 65 cherry trees that were planted to frame the memorial and bloom each September to symbolize rebirth, only five remain – and are in poor shape, according to the news outlet. 'It feels like the memorial's spirituality is under attack and no one really cares,' Jamroz added. Michael Danatos, whose brother-in-law Brian Martineau died in the 9/11 attacks, called it 'a disgrace.' 'We're bumping up against 25 years and this is the best we can do?' Danatos, who approved the original design of the monument, asked. One of the electronic kiosks for looking up names on the interior panels was not working last week, according to the outlet. 'The risk of leaving the memorial unfinished, and the site neglected, is that it could become over time instead an emblem of forgetting; of the decay of memory,' John J. Farmer Jr., who served as senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and is the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, added. New Jersey officials acknowledged that the memorial is in need of some restoration work, in a statement to but disputed the claim that the memorial is unfinished. 'Unable to secure additional funding for the project, the architect, project manager and the state determined that the memorial must be redesigned to fit the project budget so that New Jersey victims of 9/11 could be honored by the state,' officials said in response to the outlet. 'The architectural design team developed a new design that only included stainless-steel cladding on the interior walls.' Th Department of Environmental Protection manages the memorial and the Treasury funds the upkeep. The departments said the memorial 'is considered complete' in a joint statement. Officials added that the DEP 'is consistently working on longer-term projects to improve the condition of the memorial's trees, lighting, and to modernize the kiosks that assist in locating names on the memorial.' Danatos disagrees. 'It is an irrefutable fact the memorial remains incomplete, even though it was opened to the public in 2011,' she said.
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Elton John and unlikely pal voted top duo by fans after he ends decades-long feud with Madonna
BRITS have revealed their favourite unlikely duos – with Elton John friendship with a US rapper coming out on top following their joint Grammy performance in 2001. A poll of 2,000 adults found other improbable but loved friendships, both real and fictional, include GK Barry and Rev Richard Coles – as well as Han Solo and Chewbacca. 5 5 Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's close bond also made the top 15 alongside Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks. Yet it was 78-year-old Elton 's connection with US rapper Eminem, 52, which came out top, after the Rocket Man singer forged a connection with the chart star when he became his AA sponsor. The Detroit born rapper and actor reached out to pop legend Elton who came to his rescue. "As a fellow musical superstar with nearly 30 years of sobriety under his belt, Elton John was the perfect mentor to help guide Marshall," wrote author Anthony Bozza in his book Not Afraid: The Evolution of Eminem. "The two started on a program of weekly check-ins and grew very close." The popularity of Elton's friendship with the Stan rapper, real name Marshall Mathers, comes after he made amends with Madonna, ending their years-long feud. While looking at the list of the nation's traditional favourite duos, the survey also stated how Laurel and Hardy (42 per cent), Ant and Dec (31 per cent) and Paul McCartney and John Lennon (29 per cent) came out on top. The research was commissioned by Twix, which has partnered with TV personality Pete Wicks, 37, featuring his famous friendly other half, Sam Thompson, 32, to celebrate its campaign Two is more than one. The pair emulate the likes of 'Spiedi, 'Brangelina' and 'Bennifer' as they announce their own duo nickname 'Sam and Pete Twix' - merging their surnames to take their duo status up a new notch. Pete said: 'We couldn't be any more different, and that just works, so we (or more so Sam) jumped at the chance of combining our names. Elton John wows fans with 'incredible' Saturday Night Live performance amid health battle and losing his sight 'He's gutted he didn't think of it first, though jokes aside, the best thing about our duo is we always have each other's backs – and you can't ask for more than that.' The research also found other iconic duos included comedians French and Saunders (25 per cent), rock legends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (16 per cent), as well as Noel and Liam Gallagher (12 per cent). When quizzed on what makes a pairing iconic, 56 per cent say it's about bringing out the best in each other. Meanwhile, 24 per cent believe it's because they are total opposite, but it works - and another 24 per cent reckon a key sign is everyone talking about them. What albums has Sir Elton John released? How many records has Elton released across his career? Empty Sky - 1969 Elton John - 1970 Tumbleweed Connection - 1970 Madman Across the Water - 1971 Honky Château - 1972 Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player - 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 1973 Caribou - 1974 Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - 1975 Rock of the Westies - 1975 Blue Moves - 1976 A Single Man - 1978 Victim of Love - 1979 21 at 33 - 1980 The Fox - 1981 Jump Up! - 1982 Too Low for Zero - 1983 Breaking Hearts - 1984 Ice on Fire - 1985 Leather Jackets - 1986 Reg Strikes Back - 1988 Sleeping with the Past - 1989 The One - 1992 Made in England - 1995 The Big Picture - 1997 Songs from the West Coast - 2001 Peachtree Road - 2004 The Captain & the Kid - 2006 The Diving Board - 2013 Wonderful Crazy Night - 2016 Regimental Sgt. Zippo - 2021 More than two thirds (66 per cent) think the phrase 'opposites attract' is true in real life connections, and 37 per cent claim they have experienced their own unlikely friendship. It emerged 52 per cent have bonded with someone who seemed completely different to them at first, with one in 10 stating they are now best friends with that person. Nearly a quarter say their BFF knows them better than anyone else, and 25 per cent even admit they confide more in them than they do their own partner. According to 32 per cent of the respondents, knowing each other's families is what indicates 'best friend status' the most. As well as spending all day together and still having things to talk about (31 per cent), knowing each other's favourite things (28 per cent), and speaking your own language (15 per cent). Lauren Godfrey, senior brand manager for the chocolate brand, which has also created a quiz where users can answer a series of questions to see which famous duo their favourite friendship is most like, added: 'We've always believed the world is more fun in twos – and our research shows we're a nation of duos. 'Whilst none of us can understand the true bond of a pair, it's been fun to take a peep behind the iconic duo that is Pete Wicks and Sam Thompson – or as we like to call them, Sam and Pete Twix.' Unlikely Celeb Pals EMINEM and Sir Elton John have come out tops in a poll on unlikely celeb pals - were you aware of these famous connections? TOP 15 UNLIKELY DUOS: Elton John and Eminem Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Laurel and Hardy Han Solo and Chewbacca GK Barry and Rev Richard Coles Ed Sheeran and Courteney Cox Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond Georgia Toffolo and Stanley Johnson Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole Walter White and Jesse Pinkman Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks Bette Midler and 50 Cent Harry Styles and Lizzo Pitbull and John Travolta 5 5
