Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Almita Schaefer tells students at Moreland Notre Dame School about the risks and rewards of being a firefighter Wednesday on the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
IN MEMORY Emergency first responders march up and down the wood stairs at Seacliff State Beach. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)
Students and staff at the campus each year have welcomed law and fire first responders to a remembrance ceremony in their courtyard.
TAKING STEPS Watsonville Fire and Central Fire teamed up early Wednesday to hoist a giant flag above Seacliff State Beach to set the tone for a remembrance ceremony there. First responders took turns walking up and down a lengthy flight of stairs 13 times to symbolically reenact the efforts made by emergency responders who charged up into the flaming World Trade Towers. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)
Around 300 firefighters plus other emergency officials and thousands of citizens died during the attacks and another 7,000-plus have died since then from hazardous exposure in the recovery efforts.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously named Nicole Coburn as its County Executive Officer, making official the unanimous Oct. 8...