Laurel marks 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with ceremony, wreath-laying

Nearly two dozen city officials, residents and members of the Laurel High School choir assembled at the Laurel Municipal Center to mark the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. The program included remarks honoring firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other emergency personnel who "ran into danger while others were running away," and concluded with a walk to the city's memorial garden where a wreath was laid beside a recovered piece of World Trade Center steel.

"We remember the lives lost too soon and the families who have borne that loss for the past 25 years," a speaker said during the ceremony, which featured musical performances and reflections on the day's national impact. Mayor Keith Sidnor, identified as a Navy veteran in the program, urged the community to teach younger generations about the sacrifices of that day and to "not take freedom or democracy... for granted."