Twenty-five years.

It is hard to believe that a quarter-century has passed since the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when the world as we knew it changed forever.

For those old enough to remember, the details remain remarkably clear. The confusion. The disbelief. The images on television. The desperate attempts to reach family members and friends.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day. They came from every walk of life and from communities across the nation and around the world. They were parents, children, spouses, friends, co-workers, firefighters, police officers, office workers, airline crews and first responders.

Twenty-five years later, we owe it to them to remember their lives and the events of that day.

There are multiple ceremonies happening around the county today, from Liberty to Monticello to Eldred.

We encourage readers to attend a ceremony and be with our neighbors in a day of remembrance.

We also thank the firefighters, police officers and emergency responders for continuing to serve our community, putting their own lives on the line.

Many who were there on 9/11 continue to pay the ultimate sacrifice, succumbing to illness related to the chemicals and debris released in New York City on that day.

One such person was Harold Yodice, an NYC firefighter who ran into the action on 9/11 even though he wasn’t on call. Later, he moved to Liberty and spent many years here with his family, sadly passing away from cancer this June.

So on this day 25 years later: we remember.