Great Neck father realizes dream of honoring son with WTC Tribute Center

The Great Neck father of a fallen New York City firefighter marked the official opening of the World Trade Center Tribute Center Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

News 12 Staff

Sep 7, 2006, 3:35 PM

Updated 6,579 days ago

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The Great Neck father of a fallen New York City firefighter marked the official opening of the World Trade Center Tribute Center Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki (R-NY) flanked Lee Ielpi as he stood in front of the building on 120 Liberty Street that houses his son Jonathan?s firefighting gear. Ielpi spent five years planning the center, where tens of thousands of visitors are expected to learn the personal stories of those lost on 9/11.Meanwhile, men and women who worked at the cleanup site took the opportunity to gather near the ceremony to insist on better health care. Many of the workers say they became ill after the attacks and have little or no health insurance. Governor Pataki says he signed legislation three weeks ago that will provide the workers with the care they are entitled to.