Building a garden to remember

Twin Rivers residents Hal Scherer and Alberto Billini have built a garden in order to memorialize local residents killed in last week’s terrorist attacks.

By: T.J. Furman
   EAST WINDSOR — In the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks against the United States and the apparent imminent retaliatory strikes by the nation’s military, the local area and the entire country have been decorated in red, white and blue.


America attacked:

• Two township residents feared dead (Sept. 13, 2001)

• Terror’s shockwaves felt locally (Sept. 14, 2001)

• Anger, sadness among range of emotions (Sept. 14, 2001)

• Area ministry, schools respond to grief-stricken (Sept. 14, 2001)

• Terrorists ask for war (Sept. 14, 2001)

• Helping children cope with disaster (Sept. 14, 2001)

• Terror attacks claim at least six local residents (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Building a garden to remember (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Former Hightstown man hero of Flight 93 (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Township Council to eye memorial (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Priest’s painting inspires parishoners (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Area Muslims condemn attacks (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Tragedy forces new sense of perspective (Sept. 21, 2001)

• Children want to help, too (Sept. 21, 2001)


   Many residents have hung flags from their homes and the Borough of Hightstown has placed flags out along its sidewalks on Main and Stockton streets during the day.
   Twin Rivers residents Hal Scherer and Alberto Billini decided to show their patriotism and express their sorrow for last week’s events by creating a memorial garden for the East Windsor and Hightstown victims that were lost in the attacks.
   "We were going to do something here anyway, but we said ‘Why not do something for the victims?’ " Mr. Scherer said, adding that he and Mr. Billini came up with the idea.
   Over a four-day period Mr. Scherer dug out a piece of his yard on Ithaca Place, placed border stones around a semi-circular area along the townhouse and planted several bushes, plants and flowers in the new garden area. At one end of the garden, an American flag flies from the townhouse wall and in the middle sits a sign announcing that the garden was planted in memory of the victims of the events of Sept. 11.
   Mr. Scherer said a more permanent sign is being printed and that he and Mr. Billini hope to later lay a plaque in the ground with the names of all the local victims.
   The memorial garden is not yet complete. The men plan to extend the garden along the length of the townhouse’s brick wall.
   "I hope this shows people that there is a light at the end of the tunnel when a tragedy happens," Mr. Scherer said. "The plants and flowers are a way to describe life."
   Mr. Billini, a case management worker for the Community Action Service Center in Hightstown, said he was fortunate to find flowers that were appropriate for the garden.
   "It’s so difficult to find stuff for this time of year, but we were lucky," Mr. Billini said. "I think the flowers just give it a touch of life."
   As the seasons change, Mr. Billini and Mr. Scherer, a part-time landscaper, hope to keep the garden fresh with flowers to keep that "touch of life."
   "This lets people know that there’s a place in the community they can walk by and they’ll know that people care," Mr. Billini said.
   The two men said they have been shown a lot of support by their neighbors while making the garden and that a lot of people have come by to take a look.
   Mr. Scherer pointed out the significance of the bushes he planted as well. He had taken them out of the ground for a neighbor and then decided to use them for the memorial.
   "I tried to revive some of the shrubs that were there," he said. "If we can get those to live, maybe then it shows that life goes on."