Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media residents throughout the Hudson Valley, including those in Greene and Columbia counties, commemorated the 17th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001 this week. The Greene County Emergency Services hosted its seventh annual memorial service at the Greene County 911 Dispatch Center in Cairo. “We have it no matter the weather or what day of the week it is,” Greene County Legislator William Lawrence said. “The crowd has been consistent over the years and is as enthusiastic as ever.” The memorial is held for two reasons, Greene County Emergency Services Director John P. Farrell Jr. said. “We take time to reflect on the law enforcement and firefighters who lost their lives in 9/11 and also to recognize those within our jurisdiction that died in the line of duty,” Farrell said. The Cairo service included speeches by Assemblymember Chris Tague, state Sen. George Amedore Jr. and Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione. Around 125 people attended the ceremony, Farrell said. Also on September 11, Columbia-Greene Community College held its 17th Remembrance Ceremony. The ceremony featured a flag presentation, performed by the college Honor Guard, which includes student veterans and is led by Veterans Services Coordinator Kevin Kropp. The event was designed for faculty to share their memories of the tragedy. “It’s a place to tell our stories ... big or small,” said Jaclyn Stevenson, the college’s director of public relations. About 50 students, faculty and community members attended, including student veterans, Stevenson said. The ceremony closed with a moment of silence and a ringing of bells to honor the area’s first responders who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.