Middlebury250 Committee plans 6 p.m. Sept. 11 ceremony at MVFD, including bell ringing and field of flags

The Middlebury250 Committee on July 28 agreed on plans for a 25th-anniversary 9/11 ceremony to be held at the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department on Sept. 11, 2026, with a 6:00 p.m. start time to allow working residents to attend.

LeAnn Cassidy reported she has drafted the ceremony script, secured a bagpipe player and is seeking Region 15 student participants; she also proposed a field of flags near the town sign at Tucker Hill Road and Middlebury Road to increase visibility. First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr said she met with Chief Grohs and confirmed the MVFD site and participation by local fire and police in the Color Guard. Shannon Martin asked whether a community event could follow the ceremony; the committee discussed a fundraising dinner in the MVFD community room modeled on prior pulled-pork events.

Rev. Katrina Manzi said the Middlebury Congregational Church will ring its bells at the historic times associated with the attacks — 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:03 a.m. — as part of the town’s observance. The committee also discussed whether to delay the committee’s final meeting (before disbanding) from August to the first week of September so organizers can finalize logistics.

The minutes record organizing details — script, musician, student involvement, bell-ring schedule, flag display location and possible post-ceremony meal — but do not show a formal vote approving expenditures or a final operating budget. Committee members set the 6:00 p.m. time and identified next planning steps.