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East Hampton Village Trustees Rose Brown, Arthur Graham, Barbara Borsack and Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. dedicated a plaque to the Survivor Tree on October 16. ELIZABETH VESPE
A plaque was dedicated on October 16 to Karen Rickenbach Mesiha, daughter of East Hampton Village Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr., who survived the September 11 attacks but died in 2015 at the age of 54 of cancer believed to have been caused by the toxic after-effects.
In her honor, and in honor of others who lost their lives because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, seedlings from a “survivor tree” were planted in 2016 at the North End Common at 51 Pantigo Road in East Hampton Village. The original survivor tree, a Callery pear tree, lived after sustaining damage in the 9/11 attacks. In tribute to the victims of the attacks, seedlings from that tree are donated and planted in areas near those affected by their own tragedies.
Participating in this month’s dedication ceremony were the East Hampton Village Board, the Ladies Village Improvement Society and Bartlett Tree Experts.
Elizabeth Vespe on Oct 29, 2019