Laurel's memorial garden displays a World Trade Center I-beam; city urges education for younger generations

The ceremony highlighted a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center that the city displays in its memorial garden. The narrator said the beam was obtained from the New York Port Authority and described it as "12 inches tall, 10 inches deep, and 20 inches long," noting that more than 1,800 pieces of steel from Sept. 11 have been distributed to memorials across the United States and abroad.

Speakers and community leaders stressed the educational value of the artifact. Joyce Jackson, who narrated the video presentation, said she hopes "young people come up here and... learn from that" when they visit the memorial, framing the beam as a tactile way to connect new generations with the events and sacrifices of that day.