I have always loved the annual Tribute In Light which illuminates the night sky every 9/11 in honor of the people we lost that day. When I lived in Manhattan, the lights were visible from my roof and I always make a point of taking the time to observe their simple beauty. Now that I live in Queens, all I could see was a bright reflection in the clouds - but for some reason it's still comforting to know the lights are there shining brightly every year.
This year, according to Gothamist, they had to shut the lights off for about a half-hour because it was becoming a bird-magnet...
The lights had to be shut off around 11 p.m. after a group of about a thousand birds flew into the lights. The New York City Audubon Society had warned the folks running Tribute of Light about confusing the birds, and ordered the lights to be shut off. The beams were turned on about a half an hour later, and not as many birds returned. A similar bird gathering happened in 2004, and the Audubon Society warned the birds were "seemingly unable to break away - and in danger of depleting crucial fat reserves needed to carry them to their southern wintering grounds."
Next year - the tenth anniversary of the attacks - will be the last scheduled showing of the Tribute - although there is talk of making it permanant. To do so they would need a long-term commitment of open space or a rooftop - such as the one they use now...
I really hope they can figure out a way to keep those lights shining into the heavens for many years to come.
