The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page A16

16A A The Journal News lohud.com Have something to say? Send letters to the editor to thinking out loud all day long on Twitter. Join the conversation by following hare your views in the conversation on our Facebook page: facebook.com/lohud New York just made a dozen and a half changes to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. hat does that mean for you? Mimosas for Sunday brunch! The also eases rules for the burgeoning winery industry, too. thinking out loud been a healing process with Ground Zero coming back to life. still a very ignificant event that we can never forget.

I know if enough as been done. We hear about all the additional security measures and urveillance that the overnment has undertaken but a shame that they reveal the details to assure the Paul Curtin, Croton-on-Hudson QUESTION OF THE WEEK SWAPNA VENUGOPAL RAMASWAMY Five locals reflect on the attacks of September 11, 2001 Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks, and the horror and heroism of the ay that claimed close to 3,000 lives are still fresh in the hearts and minds many. We topped in Mount Kisco to a sk people for heir takeaway. still feel for the families. To me, about thinking bigger and making a ifference.

How do we make our lives better? I nstead of dwelling on ow bad it was, like to focus on the economy and the David Cooper, ount Kisco just feel like it was a very tragic event and we should be doing more to help the amilies and the first responders. So many of hem have been sick ith cancer and other illnesses. I also feel like the government has a bused their power in a irports by profiling people. They should be more vigilant but not profile only certain kinds of John Daza, Mount Kisco just made people realize that America is not the shining city on the hill. We are part of he world and not the policemen.

It as a shocking event a nd for a short time after the attacks, the country seemed so nited. That is no longer Mike Kay, Mount Kisco am still saddened by it after all these years. We learned that security here be taken for ranted. We have to think of new ways to be ecure, be it cyber- errorism or something else. I do feel safer.

The administration has ade strides in doing Kim Carter, Pleasantville We now it would row to be this large. We had hopes, of course, but how could we know The September 11National Day of Service and which my co-founder David Paine and I began in 2002 as a grassroots effort, has grown to become the largest annual day of charitable engagement in the nation. Last year, independent research revealed that more than 28 million people participated by engaging in some form of charitable activity or good deeds. They marked this solemn day in a way that increasingly helps America transform the anniversary into something far different than what was intended by the terrorists. And that is good.

clear that the idea of paying tribute to those lost and hose who served in the aftermath by engaging in service urselves does resonate with people from coast to coast. Even ith the distance of time and the lessening of the rawness of 9 people everywhere continue to mark the day meaning- ully. This notion of performing good deeds for the benefit of our fellow citizens or community just makes sense, and is reflective of how people everywhere acted for some time after he attacks. The upcoming anniversary us with an opportunity to reflect on what happened 15 years ago and, as important, the choices we can ake moving forward, and the pportunities and responsibil- i ties we have as individuals and as a nation to improve the lot of our fellow men and women. More than ever, this Dayobservance is focused on he simple but powerful notion As was the case after Americans can, at least on this one day each year, focus on our common humanity, rather than those things that tend to separate or compartmentalize us, ike politics, race, religion, economics, age, gender, geography, sexual orientation or other factors.

Especially now, when we are collectively faced with so much negative, destructive po- itical discourse nationally, we can hit the pause button for a day, September 11, to remember just how powerful it is when people of different viewpoints and beliefs come together to get something done. In Manhattan this Septem- er 11, for example, is bringing together about 2,000 volunteers to pack 500,000 meals for hunger-challenged families throughout the New York region. A coalition built called Togeth- will be a quilt-like work- orce of people of different religions, political affiliations, backgrounds and ages, coming together on one day to make sure that masses of people they know are provided some nourishment. articipating in service activities like this one surely the only way to honor those lost and remember There are countless examples of good works out there. been fortu- ate to have a front row seat to many of them, including some extraordinary efforts and programs established by my fellow members and others who want to make sure we not only never forget, but that we foster opportunities to make ositive contributions year- round.

Agood sign is that, as of this riting, three of the four lead- i ng candidates for president Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson a nd, according to media reports, Donald Trump) have agreed to our formal request to cease with traditional campaigning on to focus instead on positive messaging and encouraging community service. So for at least one day, hopefully, the chatter from those quarters will be about remembrance and coming together. About a quarter of the U.S. population is under age 21. They have little or no memories of 11.

For them, and for future generations, parents and teachers have a responsibility to pass on the lessons of about the impact people can make as individuals, and to continue the legacy of community service and unity so meaningful in response to the attacks. Education is a pillar of our programming, with free lesson plans for students and teachersand volunteer pportunitiesfor everyone accessible on our website year- ound. Ihave always believed that a Americans our diversity and many differences are to be herished. We all have something of value to bring to the tab le, and we can all learn a great deal from each other when we espect those differences. This is not groundbreaking philosophy and I suspect is a belief shared by most reasonable peo- le.

But astounding to me how such a simple truism winds on the back burner or is forgotten. Those who instead choose to use our legitimate differences to form wedges bet ween us, to draw battle lines or seemingly score political oints, have forgotten about the lessons of and afterward. use this 15th anniversary of focus on that which binds us as a society and as hum an beings, and pledge to work ogether in honor and support of those who sacrifice, however they sacrifice, for the greater good. The writer, a Mahopac resi- ent, is co-founder and executive vice president of he nonprofit that advocated to establish the anniversary of as a federally designated National Day of Service and Remembrance. His brother Glenn J.

Winuk was an attorney and olunteer who perished in the line of duty as a rescuer when the World Trade south tower collapsed. Winuk is also president of Winuk Communications, Inc.and a frequent speaker on issues related to charitable service, overcom- i ng adversity, terrorism and the events of COMMUNITY VIEW Day of Service thrives JAY WINUK FRANK BECERRA JOURNAL NEWS Employees at Armonk-based MBIA installed 2,977 flags on the company's lawn as part of their 2011participation in he Day of Service. JOURNAL NEWS FILE PHOTO Emilia Roll of Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., and Carolyn Winuk of Mahopac bag food at he Food Bank for Westchester warehouse in Millwood during the 2011 bservance of Day of Service and Remembrance..