9/11 Memorial Dedication Set For September 10th

9/11 Memorial Dedication Set For September 10th

Written by Westchester.com

Thursday, 31 August 2006

White Plains, NY - With solemnity befitting the occasion and with a spirit of hope for the future, Westchester County will dedicate its memorial to the 109 Westchester residents who died in the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The dedication of The Rising will take place Sunday, Sept 10 at 2 p.m., a day before the 5th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The memorial, four years in the works, is located at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. The public is encouraged to arrive early and to bring folding chairs as seating is limited. The event will be held rain or shine. (See below for fact sheet about the Memorial.) County Executive Andy Spano called the memorial “awe-inspiring,” and said it was designed, constructed and dedicated with the support of the entire county. “We are grateful for the unyielding commitment of the artisans who created and built this majestic monument, the families who told us what they wanted, and to all the individuals, workers, corporations, businesses and not-profit groups that gave of their time, their money and their support,” he said. “Our goal was to create an everlasting memorial for the families – and for our community; for people today and for generations tomorrow.” The ceremony will include a reading of the names of the 109 Westchester residents who died in the terror attacks. The ceremony will also include: - an inspiring selection of music by the Mayor’s Interfaith Community Choir of Mount Vernon , led by Maureen Wilson, - a dramatic water display across the reflecting pool by local fire departments, - a rousing rendition of The Rising, written by Bruce Springsteen, performed by Tramps Like Us, a Westchester-based Springsteen tribute band. The Rising is an 80-foot-high stainless steel sculpture designed by noted architect Frederic Schwartz of New York. At the base of the structure are granite stones that bear those Westchester residents who died and an inscription about them provided by their family. Kensico Dam Plaza is located at the north end of the Bronx River Parkway in Valhalla. For more information, call 914-995-2951 or log on to http://www.westchestergov.com/ About the Performers The Rising is a ballad written by Bruce Springsteen about September 11th and the events of that day. Formed in 1990 with a repertoire of more than 70 songs, Tramps Like Us has been dedicated to enjoying and sharing Springsteen’s music in a live setting. The group has performed with many distinguished musicians and plays regularly at clubs in the Westchester and New York City area. MTV has featured Tramps Like Us in their Week in Rock program. It is comprised of Mark Salore, guitars, harmonica and vocals; Ken Hope, keyboards and vocals; Jonathan Sanborn, bass and vocals; Brian Sears, saxophone, keyboards, percussion and vocals; and Rudy Feinauer, drums. The group’s website is: www.trampslikeus.com/ The 30-member Mayor’s Interfaith Community Choir of Mount Vernon is an outgrowth of the city’s annual Arts on Third Avenue Festival. The choir, which is endearingly referred to as the “Mayor’s Choir” is made up of individuals with diverse cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Its music is inspirational, community-based and patriotic. The choir performs at many civic events and has performed with the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra. The choir was invited to sing at the prestigious Bobby Jones International Gospel Retreat in Miami in 2004. About the Memorial The Making of “The Rising” … Westchester’s 9/11 Memorial Who? The structure was designed by Frederic Schwartz Architects of New York City and fabricated by Tallix Foundry of Beacon, NY. More than 400 artists, architects, engineers, computer designers, skilled technicians and laborers, as well as a core group of family members and financial donors, were also involved. What? The Rising is an 18-ton stainless steel sculpture with 109 intertwining steel rods rising skyward. At the base is a “Circle of Remembrance” that includes the names of those who died on September 11, 2001 as well as an inscription from their families. When? The project has been in the works since County Executive Andy Spano announced plans in his State of the County Address in April 2002. Where? The eastern corner of the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Why? To recognize and honor the 109 Westchester residents killed in the tragedies of September 11. Interesting facts: - The memorial is 80 feet high and contains 10,000 linear feet of steel (enough to cover 27 football fields) - 1,100 tons of fill and 1,215 tons of concrete had to be excavated and removed at the Kensico Dam site - The project used 500 tons of sand, gravel and concrete, and contains 47,000 paving bricks - Before installing the granite name plaques, workers had to drill 444 holes and construct 111 matching plywood templates - Each of the granite plaques in the Circle of Remembrance weighs 165 pounds - The project involved never-before-tried computer-design techniques such as wax-injected molds that were used to create “nodes” - To support the structure during assembly, a three-dimensional framework had to be built out of 500 “scallop plates” robotically cut from plywood - At the site alone, the project took over 5,000 hours of labor

9/11 film's 2.6M gift to charity

9/11 film's 2.6M gift to charity
Early ticket sales to Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" will enrich 9/11 charities by $2.6 million - with half going to the WTC Memorial Foundation.

As promised by Paramount Pictures, the $2.6 million in donations represents 5% of box-office receipts from the film's first five days in theaters, starting on Aug. 9.

Splitting the other $1.3 million equally will be the Tribute NYC Visitor Center, now being built opposite Ground Zero; Tuesday's Children, a support organization, and the New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund.

"World Trade Center" recounts the real-life story of Port Authority cops Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, who were rescued from deep beneath the rubble.

Joseph Daniels, acting president of the WTC Memorial Foundation, said: "This donation will help ensure that these acts of bravery and kindness are known by future generations through the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum."

The foundation said yesterday it has received $132.3 million in pledges so far toward its fund-raising goal of $300 million to build the $500 million memorial and museum.

The other $200 million will come from the federal government.

Excavation for the memorial, which will feature two large pools where the twin towers stood, began on Aug. 15.

Plans call for an opening on Sept. 11, 2009.

Filmmakers donate $2.6m to 9/11 charities

Filmmakers donate $2.6m to 9/11 charities

The producers of the film World Trade Center are donating $2.6m to a group of September 11 charities and the memorial being built to honour those killed in the attacks.

The figure represents 10% of the film’s opening weekend box office receipts in the US.

Half the money will go to the memorial at Ground Zero in New York, which is set to cost more than $650m.

The rest is being split between three charities.

The Oliver Stone film, made by Paramount, stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena as police officers trapped for hours in the rubble of the collapsed Twin Towers.


It has earned more than $50m since it opened on August 9.

Construction of the memorial, which is due to open in 2009, began this year.

The other charities getting donations are Tuesday’s Children, an organisation for children who lost parents on 9/11, the Tribute WTC Visitor Centre, which is set to open next week, and the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund.

`WTC' movie gives $1.3M to 9/11 memorial

Associated Press

NEW YORK - The producers of "World Trade Center" are donating $1.3 million to the Sept. 11 memorial, keeping a promise to donate 5 percent of its opening weekend box receipts, the memorial foundation said Monday.

An additional $1.3 million will be split equally among three other Sept. 11-related charities.

The Paramount Pictures film, starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena as two Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police officers trapped for hours in the trade center rubble, opened nationwide on Aug. 9 and has earned more than $50 million at the box office so far.

The film's producers had promised the donation from its Aug. 9-13 box office proceeds.

The donation gives the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation a total of $132.3 million in private donations for a memorial budgeted at over $650 million. The foundation is expected to raise $300 million of the total; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owned the trade center, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. rebuilding agency are covering the rest of the costs.

Construction on the memorial began this year, and officials say it will open in 2009.

The other charities to split donations from the film are Tuesday's Children, a services organization for children who lost parents on Sept. 11; the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, created by a Sept. 11 family group and set to open next week across the street from ground zero; and the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.

Firefighters to mark 9/11 at expo

Firefighters to mark 9/11 at expo

By Jim WrightPress & Sun-Bulletin

The Broome County Firefighters Association's third annual Broome Fire Expo 2006 this year will feature a special 9/11 memorial service. The event also will take place on a new date and at a new location.

Broome Fire Expo, normally held in May, will be held Sept. 9, said Robert O. Brady of Endwell, president of the Firefighters Association. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Port Crane Fire Station on Route 369, across from the entrance to Chenango Valley State Park in the Town of Fenton.

Broome's Fire Expo was moved from spring to the end of summer to prevent scheduling conflicts, especially with the Onondaga County Fire Expo, which took place May 6 at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Broome Fire Expo formerly was held at the Broome County Fairgrounds in Whitney Point.
The special memorial service will take place at 11:30 a.m., honoring not only fire and emergency service workers who lost their lives at the World Trade Center but also local fire and rescue personnel who went to New York City to assist in the days after the towers collapsed.

"We have a good number of our local people who responded to New York City committed for the memorial service," association Secretary Alice Fiacco said.

Co-chairmen of the event are association 1st Vice President Jim Cummings of East Maine and 2nd Vice President Hank Hawver of Endwell.

There will be no admission charge for the event, Brady said.

Highlights of the one-day show:

* Vendor displays and demonstrations, including items for sale.
* Fire apparatus displays.
* Fire companies selling surplus equipment.
* Displays by emergency service organizations.
* State police and Broome sheriff's department displays.
* Shafer Charter and Tour Service of Johnson City will display a tour bus.
* The Endicott Bomb Squad will give demonstrations.
* The Southern Tier Towing Association will display some of its larger wreckers.

There also will be a four-person team Firefighter Skills Competition, scheduled for 1 p.m. The event will include cash prizes for top finishers in timed competitions such as finding and dragging a dummy to safety and unrolling, charging and rolling hose competitions. The top team will receive a $100 cash award.

Teen's 9/11 Memorial Installed

Teen's 9/11 memorial installed
Eagle Scout's tribute to Pentagon victims stands in Lynchburg
BY JENNIFER L. BERGHOM
Aug 26, 2006

LYNCHBURG -- Joey Ricketts spent more than two years creating and raising money for a monument to honor those who died in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon. Now his Eagle Scout project is finally done.

"It feels really good," said Joey, 15. "I'm relieved."

The 5-foot-tall granite monument was installed in front of the American Legion Post 16 on Thursday morning. The monument includes a piece of limestone from the part of the Pentagon that was destroyed in the attack.

Joey and his father, Bobby Ricketts, received the piece this summer when they attended a private groundbreaking ceremony for the national Pentagon Memorial.

Joey met a four-star general, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, U.S. Sens. George Allen and John W. Warner of Virginia and family members of some of the victims.

Some of the family members gave him donations, Joey said.

The granite pedestal includes bronze plaques dedicating the monument to those who died at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77 that day, including Col. David Scales. Scales' father, John Scales, is a longtime member of Post 16.

Tiles with pictures of David Scales and the crash site are placed above the plaques. Joey said he is having another plaque made that lists the names of the victims, which will go on the back panel.

The pedestal also holds an interior piece of the Pentagon that a former employee donated to Joey.

Joey and his father plan to unveil the monument at a dedication ceremony today. Bobby Ricketts said John Scales and representatives from the Pentagon, the Salvation Army and the Boy Scouts of America's Piedmont District are expected to give speeches at the event.
The American Legion Honor Guard also will participate, the elder Ricketts said.

The ceremony will include music from the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra's brass quintet and the remaining members of a musical trio with whom David Scales played. He was an accomplished pianist, Bobby Ricketts said.

"I'm starting to learn that David was an inspiration to a lot of people," he said.
Ricketts said he expects about 500 people will attend the dedication.

Joey, who is a member of Troop 48, has said he chose to create the monument for his Eagle Scout project because he believed that the victims of the Pentagon attack had not been recognized as much as those killed at the World Trade Center.

"I thought it was going to be a lot easier than this," Joey said.

He spent the better part of the past two years writing letters asking for donations and designing the monument.

"Being a teenager, you don't want to be in the house writing letters; it was the last thing I wanted to do," he said.

When he began, he estimated the project would cost $6,000. But as more donations came in, it grew larger. The finished project cost about $11,000.

He said he has received much support from the American Legion and the community.
Still, he said he is looking forward to being able to resume normal teen activities.
"I hope to go to the mall, just to get out of the house," he said.

Jennifer L. Berghom is a staff writer at the News & Advance in Lynchburg.

CNN.com to Replay 9/11 Attacks Coverage

CNN.com to Replay 9/11 Attacks Coverage
Aug 25 2:12 PM US/Eastern
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NEW YORK

CNN will mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by replaying on the Internet the cable network's coverage of that day's events.

Viewers can watch how events unfolded starting at 8:30 a.m., minutes before the first reports of an airplane hitting the World Trade Center. The feed will run in real time, as the network showed it five years ago, until midnight.

For the day, CNN will make its online video service, CNN Pipeline, available for free. Normally, viewers pay $2.95 a month or $24.95 a year for four separate video feeds.

Online viewers will be able to watch live reports of memorial services through one of the feeds. So that viewers won't accidentally stumble upon graphic footage from 2001, the replay feed will be covered with a notice instructing users to click only if they want to watch.

"Our users may choose to view the stream of coverage from Sept. 11, or live coverage of memorial services at Ground Zero, or they may click through the numerous interactive elements on the site," said David Payne, senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com. "They have the power to determine the best way for them to remember the anniversary."

CNN is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Nassau 9/11 memorial opening on hold

Nassau 9/11 memorial opening on hold
BY CELESTE HADRICKNewsday Staff WriterAugust 24, 2006

The opening of Nassau's 9/11 memorial, which had been planned for Labor Day, was abruptly postponed this week after its architects complained that County Executive Thomas Suozzi was compromising public safety for political purposes.A top Suozzi aide flatly denied the charge and said the opening was delayed because it could not be pulled together in time for Sept. 4. Phil Gavosto and Keith Striga, local architects who designed the memorial and are managing its construction in Eisenhower Park, wrote Suozzi aide Ian Siegel earlier this month, alleging that some members of the county-sponsored foundation running the project were trying to cut corners.

"Attempting to rush this project for a 'soft' open in the early part of September appears to be politically motivated," they charged in the memo obtained by Newsday. "As the individuals responsible for the site safety of the project, we will not endorse the opening to the public without the necessary elements installed to protect the people."After Newsday inquired, Siegel, who also heads the foundation, postponed the opening to an unspecified date this fall. He said he wasn't aware of the complaints or questions when he made his decision.Siegel said he realized he did not have time to organize a first-class event. While he said the memorial would be substantially complete by Labor Day, the site would look barren without grass or shrubbery.

"This is being built for the families of Nassau County who lost their loved ones," he said."We would never compromise safety or aesthetics or anything like that."He denied the opening had been timed to give publicity to Suozzi, who is running in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary for governor."The only date we were concerned about was Sept. 11," Siegel said. "We really wanted to deliver this to the families by Sept. 11." Suozzi declined to comment.Bob Bonanza, president of Local 66 General Building Laborers and a foundation member, said, "I can tell you from the start, not one political ounce came into this project."Suozzi announced plans in 2002 for a memorial honoring residents killed in the terrorist attacks. He set up the foundation to collect donations rather than spend taxpayer money. After a contest, the foundation chose Striga and Gavosto's design, which features two semi-transparent aluminum towers rising from a reflecting pool in front of a wall bearing the names of 343 Nassau victims. Suozzi initially predicted a Sept. 11, 2003, opening, but delays set in. When private funds fell short, the legislature allocated $500,000 to complete the $1-million-plus project.Last Friday, mounds of dirt and construction debris littered the site. Electricity had yet to be hooked up, and there were no guardrails to prevent visitors from tumbling over the wall, which is sunk 10 to 12 feet into the hillside next to Eisenhower Pond.In their memo, the two architects blamed the delays on the "inept" leadership of the foundation, which they said had "failed miserably" in fundraising.After being paid $75,000 for their drawings, the two stayed on as construction managers for no additional pay "to make sure what we designed was being built," Gavosto said in an interview. "There's no financial gain for us here. We want to make sure when we leave, we got the right job done."Siegel acknowledged that fundraising "has been more difficult than anticipated. Every year the general public has less and less interest in Sept. 11 memorials."Both Siegel and Gavosto praised volunteers from Long Island's labor unions for making the memorial happen."These guys are the heroes here," Gavosto said.Gavosto also charged he has been denied access to financial records he needs to manage supplies and deliveries. He said a subcontractor who delivered a load of lights this month received a foundation check dated next month.Siegel blamed a clerical error. Otherwise, he said, there is no truth to the architects' complaints. "This memorial is like their baby, and when it comes to their children, people get excited and I can respect that."

State Moves Ahead With 9/11 Memorial

STATE MOVES AHEAD WITH 9/11 MEMORIAL
Friday, August 18, 2006
By JACK HERMANJOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The state has no plans to alter the 9/11 memorial it is building at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, even as local opposition mounts.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of residents, politicians and park enthusiasts gathered in front of the construction site for the memorial, in the northeast corner of the park, saying it will obscure the park's "sacred" view of lower Manhattan.

Jay Watson, deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, which is overseeing the project, told the crowd he was there to listen, but later said the project has been "vetted enough," and the state has no plans to hold a public hearing.

State Assemblyman Lou Manzo, D-Jersey City, said yesterday he has introduced legislation which would require the state to hold a hearing and also wrote a letter to DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson asking questions about the project's funding and construction.

Others, including the Friends of Liberty State Park and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, have written letters asking Gov. Jon Corzine to intervene.

Calls to Corzine's office were not returned yesterday.

Bruce Kane, who lost his 40-year-old son in the World Trade Center attack and was on the committee that picked the memorial, said the idea to build a memorial in Liberty State Park has been in the works since the victims' families met for a candlelight vigil two weeks after Sept. 11, 2001.

A group of artists and architects whittled down 352 selections to 16, which a group of victims' families chose from.
Most of the ideas were impractical, environmentally unsound or too expensive, Kane said. They eventually decided upon two 30-feet tall, 200-feet long stainless steel walls, which will be cut into a gently sloped hill and be perpendicular to the water.

"The twin walls are focused on Ground Zero and provide a powerful, contemplative space for the names," according to the Web site of architect Frederic Schwartz. "The memorial's strength lies in its simplicity and ability to resonate as it honors not only those lost but also New Jersey's witnesses, survivors and volunteers."

Almost everyone attending Wednesday night's three-hour, open-air meeting - including many local politicians - hope to see the memorial moved somewhere else in the park. The Friends of Liberty State Park suggested moving the monument, redesigning it or having a public meeting to discuss it.

"People should not have to walk up or around a 10-foot high hill that is a couple of hundred feet long, or walk through walls that are 30 feet high and 200 feet long just to see the powerful open vistas," said Friends of Liberty State Park President Sam Pesin. "It blocks the sacred view of Ground Zero, lower New York City and the Hudson River."
Pesin also said he objects to the fact that the DEP charged his group the normal $1,000 fee for holding the meeting there.

Newhouse News Services contributed to this report

Construction on 9/11 Memorial Set To Begin Despite Funding Shortfall

Construction On 9/11 Memorial Set To Begin Despite Funding Shortfall


Construction of the World Trade Center memorial and museum is set to begin Thursday.

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and the Port Authority say workers will begin drilling and excavation work for the footings of the memorial and museum.

Earlier this month, the New Jersey-based EE Cruz company was awarded a $17 million contract for the project.

Construction will start despite the $170 million the Foundation still needs to raise for the project. Plans for the memorial and museum were redesigned to fit within a $500 million budget after concerns over booming costs.

The Memorial is scheduled for completion in September 2009.

Meanwhile, a symbolic steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center site after 9/11 was returned to the site Wednesday to mark the fifth anniversary of the attacks.

The twisted beam is thought to be from the core of one of the towers. It was ceremoniously removed when recovery efforts at the site were finished.

It will become part of a new tribute center set to open next month. The center will be staffed by recovery workers, survivors and victims family members.

9/11 Walls Will Ruin City View, Some Say

9/11 walls will ruin city view, some say
Liberty State Park memorial facing criticism
Thursday, August 17, 2006
BY ANA M. ALAYAStar-Ledger Staff

Elected leaders from Hudson County called upon Gov. Jon Cor zine yesterday to redesign or relo cate New Jersey's planned 9/11 memorial at Liberty State Park, claiming the tribute will ruin a view of the Manhattan skyline and Ground Zero.

The remarks were made during an outdoor meeting hosted by the Friends of Liberty State Park, a volunteer group that has also asked the state to modify or relo cate the memorial or hold public hearings on the design.

It has been nearly two years since a panel of family members of 9/11 victims chose the winning design from 320 entries.

The memorial, called "Empty Sky," features two stainless-steel walls -- symbolizing the fallen towers -- that will stretch 200 feet long and rise 30 feet high and bear the names of more than 700 New Jerseyans who died on 9/11. Cut into a gently sloped hill up to 10 feet high, each wall will be built proportional to the height and width of the Twin Towers.

Sam Pesin, president of the Friends of Liberty State Park, an 800-member volunteer group that has fought to preserve the open spaces at the park, said the group is not opposed to a memorial. Rather, he said, the group is concerned the size and location of the memorial will ruin the skyline vista.

"This massive design severely hurts Liberty State Park," Pesin told nearly 200 people gathered near the site of the memorial near the CRRNJ Terminal last evening.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy agreed.

"This is a mistake," Healy said. "This has always been a natural at traction, a place to see the Hudson River, the city skyline. There's not a vista like this anyplace on Earth. Put the memorial where no view is obstructed."
Assemblyman Louis M. Manzo (D-Hudson) said he has introduced legislation to require a public hear ing on the memorial.

Family members of victims, along with state officials say the memorial is designed to embrace the panorama of Lower Manhattan. Its walls, set 16 feet apart, are meant to create a visual corridor focusing on the void where the Twin Towers stood.

John Watson, deputy commis sioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, which is overseeing the project, was booed when he told the crowd the project will go on.

"We believe this is a great monument," Watson said. "This will encourage people to get out of their cars, go to the monument and heal and reflect on that day."

Later, Watson said there are no plans for a public hearing because the project has been "vetted enough."
Watson said the "11th hour" controversy may have begun when parkgoers saw 20-foot high mounds of dirt, which he said will eventually be sculpted into a 10-foot rolling hill.

Englewood resident Bruce Kane, who lost his 40-year-old son, Howard, an employee of Windows on the World, on 9/11, said he is heartsick over the controversy.

"The memorial means the world to my family," said Kane, who wore a faded photo of his son on his shirt pocket. "It will be a place to come to regroup, and mourn with all the others."

State officials said they are hop ing construction of the $12 million tribute will be completed next year.

9/11 Memorial Museum To Include 'Safe Space' for Kids

9/11 Memorial Museum To Include 'Safe Space' For Kids
POSTED: 8:23 am EDT August 7, 2006


NEW YORK -- Young visitors to the Sept. 11 memorial museum will be able to visit a separate children's gallery meant to protect them from disturbing elements of other exhibits, memorial officials said.

"We want to create a space in the museum to provide a safe experience in a way that is not traumatic or exploitative," museum director Alice Greenwald told the New York Post for Monday editions.

The exhibit will present the story of the terror attacks through the eyes of other children.

"It will include children talking to children through artwork and their personal stories," said Lynn Rasic, spokeswoman for the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.

"We want to create a safe space and an environment that creates opportunities for conversations between children and their families without talking down to kids," she said.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has a separate exhibit for children between the ages of 8 and 11, is one of several institutions being looked at as models for the New York museum, said Greenwald. The director once served as associate director of the Holocaust museum.

Construction To Begin On 9/11 Memorial

August 4, 2006 Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will start taking shape at ground zero in the coming weeks when construction begins on its foundation, after a cost-cutting redesign of the memorial put off the project for months.Preliminary work on the "Reflecting Absence" memorial began in March and stopped in May after contractors said that the cost was approaching $1 billion for the huge reflecting pools that will mark the destroyed World Trade Center towers' footprints.

The memorial and underground Sept. 11 museum was redesigned, this time at a $510 million budget, and the two organizations in charge of building it on Thursday awarded a $17 million contract to begin creating the foundations.Work by the construction company E.E. Cruz, of Holmdel, N.J., will begin in the next few weeks.The trade center site's owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, last month agreed to take over building the memorial and contribute up to $195 million of the cost. The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, which will run the memorial, said that it would focus on fundraising and the design.The foundation, which had suspended fundraising, needs to raise $170 million more to pay for construction and another $49 million for each year after its opening in 2009 to cover operating costs.The foundation's acting president, Joseph Daniels, said last week that it was exploring options such as a federal appropriation each year, like the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum receives, or a fee to enter the museum to pay for operating costs. The foundation also was working on a plan to reduce the operating costs, he said."The institution is going to need a recurring revenue stream," Daniels said. The cost to operate the facilities is "a nontrivial amount of money, and we have to raise it every year."The state legislature in June approved bills that would bar any state money from going to the museum if a fee is charged. Gov. George Pataki has said he would veto the measure.