Published Saturday, September 28, 2002
to rename park, street
Herald Staff Writer
A street and a park in Sharon will be renamed for Rebecca Koborie, the city native killed in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Councilman Lou Rotunno suggested to his colleagues Thursday that Bicentennial Park be renamed to Becky Koborie Bicentennial Park.
Also Thursday night, council heard the first reading of a motion to rename Trumbull Drive, where the Koborie family lives, to Becky Koborie Lane. Council is expected to make the final vote on that next month.
"This is really unexpected. I can't even talk," said Ms. Koborie's father, John. "We are certainly surprised that they took this step."
Ms. Koborie, 48, of Guttenberg, N.J., was working for Marsh and McClennan Inc. on the 97th floor of the first World Trade Center tower to be hit by a hijacked jet. The plane hit the 96th through the 103rd floors. A memorial service for her was held last Oct. 13.
Mayor David O. Ryan, who supports changing the park's name, cautioned council to find out why Trumbull Drive has its name. "It might be hard to change that if it was named after some pioneer family in the city. I don't have any objections to the name change, but council will have to research it," he said.
As for the Koborie family, just the gesture is meaningful.
"I think it's wonderful for the city to want to give Becky this honor because her existence is going to be in the history of the city forever. At least she's going to live on this street forever," Koborie said.