Feb 13, 2011 By Patty Yauger 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – Nearly 200 residents paused Friday from their normal routines to see a piece of the World Trade Center steel that will become part of a memorial at the Connellsville Area Senior High School.

Two-dozen first responder vehicles from Springfield Township, Morrell, South Connellsville, Connellsville Township and New Haven Hose volunteer fire companies along with the Connellsville police, the Patriot Riders, POW/MIA organization, Fayette EMS and Fayette County Emergency Management joined with those that had secured the 9/11 artifact in an early afternoon parade to mark its arrival.

“This is how it should be,” said historian Harry Porter as he stood along the sidewalk at the Connellsville Area Senior High School. “This is very important to Connellsville and we are very fortunate to have it.”

Prior to the start of the parade, nearly 100 people gathered at Martin’s shopping plaza to take pictures and to lay their hand on the piece of steel.

“Look at the people here today,” said city Mayor Charles Matthews as he organized the parade line-up. “It means a lot already to this community.

“Although it is cold outside and the wind is blowing, these people are here because they remember what happened that day.”

Tom and Pam Johnson said after learning of the arrival and parade plans, they wanted to come and see the historic artifact.

“It is amazing what the (CAHS Patriots) and Linda Shearer has done for Connellsville,” said Pam Johnson as tears flowed from her eyes. “It is very emotional.”

From Martin’s, the parade traveled along a flag-lined Crawford Avenue to Breakneck Road and then to the high school where staff and students stood along its path around the building.

Its journey to Connellsville started early Thursday where it was received at JFK International Airport by Patriots founder Linda Shearer, Councilman Greg Ritch, district superintendent David Goodin, school board members P.J. Carte and Gary Wandel and other community members.

In 2009, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) began distributing the steel remnants to communities and organizations around the world.

Steve Coleman, PANYNJ spokesman, said that each request was reviewed by the authority and Sept. 11 Families.

To date, 1,040 pieces of steel from the World Trade Center destruction have been distributed around the world. In addition to the 50 states, Canada, Italy, France, England, Germany and India have also made a request for the steel artifacts.

Of the 1,040 pieces, 55 are within Pennsylvania.

Lyndsey Boors, president of the CAHS Patriots, said that it was “an incredible honor” to have a piece of the World Trade Center.

“It is really going to mean a lot to our school,” she said, adding that since the announcement that the request was granted, fellow students began to inquire of specifics, such as its weight and size and where it would be placed. “They asked a lot of questions and were very interested.”

The number of parade participants was also impressive.

“It was a really nice welcome home,” she said.

(For expanded coverage of the World Trade Center steel coming to Connellsville see heraldstandard.com for a special feature “Ground Zero to Connellsville: A Journey.”)