County marks 25th anniversary of 9/11
ALFRED, Maine – As the minutes ticked toward 8:46 a.m., on Sept. 11, 2026, the honor guard solemnly lowered the Stars and Stripes to half-staff. Then came a salute, and the peel of the bell high in the belfry of York County Court House began to toll, marking the exact minute when a hijacked aircraft slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York on Sept 11, 2001.
The bell tolled again at 9:03 a.m., when the south tower was struck, at 9:37 a.m., when the Pentagon was hit, and at 10:03 a.m., when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
It was a sign of respect for those who perished and for those whose suffering continues.
Today marks 25 years since the attacks. In all, there were 2,977 victims who perished as a result – 2,773 in New York including 343 firefighters, 184 people at the Pentagon, and 40 from the Pennsylvania crash. Illness and deaths continue, attributed to exposure to hazardous materials as a result of the attacks.
Ringing the bell on this day were Roger Roy and Dennis Chagnon, Brad Paul and Cheryl Carey, Jeff Clark and Neil Tolman, and Dan Hotaling and David Francoeur – current and former York County government employees, volunteers, and others. All are military veterans.
On hand to lower the flag to half were York County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard members John Marshall and Justin Titcomb. Representatives from YCSO included Sheriff W.L. King, Chief Deputy Jeremy Forbes and Maj. Craig Sanford. Also on hand were Megan Arsenault and Scott Gagne of York County Emergency Management Agency and representatives from Alfred Fire Department.
