Village Green is marking 25 years since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, by highlighting the words of South Orange and Maplewood leaders, firefighters, police, EMTs and residents who shared their stories at the 9/11 Memorial service at the Hilton Library in Maplewood on September 11, 2026. The following are remarks made by Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca — who was also mayor 25 years ago. De Luca reflected on the lives of the two Maplewood residents, Doug Cherry and Kirsten Christophe, who perished that day.
Good morning! I’d like to introduce my Township Committee colleagues: Deputy Mayor Malia Herman, Committeewoman Nancy Adams, Committeewoman Jane Collins-Colding and Committeeman Dean Dafis.
I want to thank the superior officers of the South Essex Fire Department for your leadership for today’s Memorial Service and the Township of Maplewood’s staff for your support. Additionally, I want to recognize Jay Marcus Daniels for our musical selections.
September 11, 2001, started like any other day. We went to work, to school, to take care of the things we do each morning. The temperature was crisp, the sky picture perfect blue. No one had any idea how on that day the world would change forever.
South Essex Fire Captain Kevin Herbert, left, and Maplewood Mayor Victor De Luca, right.
That morning, I was one of thousands of rail commuters traveling into the city. We had just settled in at our desks for another day’s work when at 8:46am, the first jet crashed into the World Trade Center’s north tower. Seventeen minutes later, the second jet struck the south tower. At 9:37am, a third jet crashed into the Pentagon. Later that morning, a fourth jet went down into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
These incomprehensible and violent attacks are etched in our minds, seared in our memories and captured in our history books. Twenty-five years later, there is still no making sense of this; why nearly 3,000 innocent people – our mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors – were killed by these terrorist acts.
New Jersey lost 750 residents on September 11th. Two Maplewood residents, Kirsten Christophe and Douglas Cherry, were killed and others who grew up here but lived elsewhere lost their lives that day.
Kirsten was 39 years old, married for six years to Charles and had one daughter, Gretchen. Gretchen would turn one year old on September 13th, two days after losing her mom. Kirsten and Charles, both attorneys, loved to explore Manhattan on weekends, visiting museums, galleries, and restaurants. Charles described her as an excellent mother, a brilliant spouse, perfect.
Douglas Cherry grew up in Ohio and was a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan, an accomplished swimmer and an avid golfer. He was 38 years old and married to Sarah, his college sweetheart. Their three children were seven, five and three when Doug died. This week I connected with Sarah who told me her adult children are doing well and that Maplewood will always have her heart and represent home to her.
We will continue to keep alive the memories of Kirsten and Doug and all those lost that day. We also will never forget the heroism of the fire, police and emergency medical personnel who raced into harm’s way to save the lives of others. Sadly, hundreds of these first responders made the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives.
May this piece of twisted steel from the World Trade Center serve as a permanent reminder of that horrific day. May it also serve as a call to build a better world – free of terrorism, violence and war – now and for generations to come.
Thank you.
