By Dave Barron
ROSEMEAD – It is a 14-foot, 2,000-pound hunk of steel.

But it holds a lot of memories and is rusty with the tears of thousands of Americans.

The I beam is part of the 1.5 million tons of debris remaining after the World Trade Center fell in flames and smoke following the airplane attack by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

This artifact now belongs to the city of Rosemead and the people of the community.  It arrived on Monday by flatbed truck after taking a circuitous route from New York to California.

The driver of the truck, Steven Jones of Mercer Trucking, personally guided it from the federal storage facility where tons of other remains are being parceled out to communities planning to build memorials and keep the flame burning for the more than 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks.

David Montgomery Smith, director of the Rosemead Recreation and Parks Department, spearheaded the campaign to obtain a piece of history for a fitting monument in Rosemead.

He said Rosemead is the first city in the San Gabriel Valley to begin building a memorial to the victims of the World Trade Center destruction.
He said they sent countless letters and emails to obtain the steel remains. Plans and design of the Rosemead memorial had to be submitted to demonstrate the seriousness of the city’s intentions.

The monument has already been designed by artist Heath Satow, who has developed numerous public sculptures.

The memorial will feature two giant stainless steel hands that will cradle the steel beam up in the air for all to see. The hands are designed with more than 3,000 pieces of stainless steel welded together to represent the victims who died.

A group of city officials and residents numbering nearly 50 were on hand to receive the steel beam when it was delivered to Rosemead Park where it will be stored until it is placed on the monument. A large truck from Freddie Mac Towing lifted the steel piece and removed it from the delivery truck. The steel beam was then lifted of a wall for storage during construction.

Rosemead Vice Mayor Steve Ly and Councilmember Sandra Armenta spoke briefly of the plans for the monument and a fundraising effort to build the memorial. Plans are to complete the construction of the memorial by Sept. 9, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attack on New York City. The memorial will be located at Rosemead City Hall
Donations have already been received from Burke, Williams and Sorenson, Brown’s Jewelry and Loan, City of Rosemead Community Development Department, Aquatic Design Group, Irish Construction, Pan American Club of Rosemead, Gee Gee (Argisa) Cambiasa and the Los Angeles Kings.
For information about making a donation call the city recreation and parks department at (626) 569-2160. The city hopes to raise $60,000 from public donations to pay for the construction of the memorial.