This Sept. 11, Tallmadge Circle will once again be lit up with nearly 3,000 candles to represent the lives lost at the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa. on the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist act in world history.
Since 2003, the Tallmadge Fire Department, with help from local volunteers, have lit 343 red candles for the fire department personnel who died that day, 60 blue candles for police, 55 green candles for military and 2,518 white candles for civilians.
The tradition was started by current Chief Mike Passarelli, who was the battalion chief at the time, and firefighters Jeff Quick and Tom Kilway.
According to Passarelli, the fire department originally put out 5-by-7-inch flags in 2002 to mark the one-year anniversary, but switched to color-coded candles representing each victim the following year.