9/11 Remembrance At First Responders Park. Red Bank Pizza Replacing Antonio's.
Retired and active-duty firefighters and their families arrived at First Responders Park minutes before 8:46 a.m., the moment when a terrorist plane struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. They gathered around C-40, a piece of steel from WTC Tower One, to acknowledge the somber reality of the day when both towers collapsed, the Pentagon was hit by a third plane, and a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
Westerville Fire Chief Brian Miller and City Council Chair Michael Heyeck led the gathering in a moment of silence and reflection.
Tom Ullom, wearing the FDNY shirt in the photo above, a retired Westerville firefighter, participated in the memorial and shared part of the story of how the steel was transported to Columbus from Gaithersburg, MD, where it had been stored as evidence during the investigation of the attack.
He recounted calling officials in charge of the steel every week for over two years, asking when he could move it to Ohio for the memorial. He jokes that they grew tired of hearing from him each week, and he suspects that caller made it easy to quickly tell him “Not yet.” He eventually obtained permission for the move, which was finally approved by a federal judge who had to release the piece of evidence from possible court proceedings.
After obtaining permission to move the steel, the next step was to arrange a crane to load it onto a trailer in Maryland for shipment to Westerville. Eventually, after being referred to various potential handlers, he was connected with a crane company in Gaithersburg. The company explained that, although the WTC steel was being used for a non-profit memorial, they wouldn’t be able to offer a discount for the work.
Ullom says the crane operator, after refusing a discount, casually asked where it was going. When told it was heading to Westerville, the operator said he would do it for free. No charge. As a youth, he attended Westerville schools and now could express his gratitude for the education.
The 2.3-ton steel section from the North Tower was installed in 2010 at the Westerville Firefighters Memorial, which features a statue of Dave Theisen, a Westerville firefighter who died while helping the Crooksville Fire Department. The statue was relocated when the park expanded in 2019 and was renamed First Responders Park after the deaths of two police officers.
Last week, Ullom spoke with a third-grade class from Hanby Elementary, whose students had walked to the park on West Main Street. One student asked why the planes hit the buildings, unsure of the reason. Tom explained that it was done intentionally by a group of terrorists, al-Qaeda. The girl said she knew about them. They were the reason her family had to leave Afghanistan.
Mayor Kenneth Wright and Vice Mayor Coutanya Coombs also attended the ceremonies arranged by the firefighters. The city does not hold an official remembrance ceremony each year.
Red Bank Pizza to Take Over Former Antonio’s Pizzeria Location
After Antonio’s Pizzeria closed its doors in July following nearly 20 years on Sunbury Road, the vacant space won’t stay quiet for long. Red Bank Pizza will open in the location, operated by the same owners who run Red Bank Food, Beverage, and Bait at the opposite end of the small strip center.
Between the two businesses sits Red Bank Barber, creating a trio of similarly-named storefronts in the plaza.
Antonio’s Pizzeria leaves behind a long and well-loved history in Westerville. The original Antonio’s opened in 1977 in Uptown, launched by Sam and Frances Giuliani. Years later, Frances teamed up with her niece, Rita Vaccari Pavuk, and her son, Robert Giuliani, to reopen the restaurant at the Sunbury Road location in 2005.
The pizzeria became a neighborhood anchor with its deep-dish specialties, including the Chicago Classic and Cleveland Classic, and it gained regional recognition by winning first place at the 2011 Slice of Columbus and placing highly in the North American Pizza Pizazz Competition.
Owner Rita Vaccari Pavuk announced the July closing in a message to customers, citing irreconcilable differences with the landlord. She thanked her employees and loyal customers for their support over the past two decades and hosted a farewell celebration that brought together community members, past employees, and regulars.
Red Bank Pizza will carry on the tradition of local ownership in the space, though with a new name and approach. The operators already have a following with their nearby business, Red Bank Food, Beverage, and Bait, known for its mix of convenience store, take-out counter, and bait shop offerings.
While specifics of the new menu and an opening date haven’t been announced, the move ensures that the strip center will remain a hub of activity. For many neighbors, it’s reassuring that the site will once again be home to a pizza shop—bridging the memories of Antonio’s with the promise of something new.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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