Before walking down the winding gravel path to the Sandy Hook Memorial, visitors stop to read a plaque inscribed with Barack Obama's remarks in Newtown, Connecticut, 10 years ago.
“All across this land of ours, we have wept with you,” the inscription reads.
Encased within this stone block are the incinerated remains of teddy bears, photos, letters, flowers and other spontaneous memorials that were laid in tribute throughout the town in the days after 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Dedicated last month, the memorial is a place of quiet reflection and reverence for the victims of the December 14, 2012 shooting.
It is tucked inside a woodland area, adjacent to the new Sandy Hook Elementary campus.
A water fountain is placed at the centre of the memorial. Inside the fountain sits a fledgling sycamore tree, which the designers say symbolises the young age of the victims. The reclaiming of innocence.
The water swirls anti-clockwise. The soft current pushes against the edge of the granite as it spirals towards the sycamore.
The perimeter of its granite basin is segmented into 26 names.
Two bouquets of red roses lay between the names of Emilie Parker and Anne Marie Murphy.
Twelve lightly-shaded purple roses — in three bunches of four — are placed on the name of Grace McDonnell. A single red rose is placed at the foot of her marking.
A man, deep in contemplation, sits at one of the benches surrounding the fountain.
As the water swirls around the sycamore, so, too, do those who come to this place to reflect and to grieve. The tree, the nexus within the natural multilevel topography of the landscape, draws in everyone who visits the memorial.
Soft breezes ripple through the bare trees in the surrounding woodland and meadows. These trees and flowers, as in all of Connecticut, were once stuffed with dazzling greens in the summer, and burnt reds and golden yellows in the autumn.
Soon, New England snowfall will blanket this space. And then, when spring arrives, in a living display of the transformation of colour, this dynamic tapestry again will be bejewelled with fresh buds and blossoms.
Today, as crisp winter air brushes against skin, the steady shuffling of feet swirls from the winding outskirts of the woodland and meadows towards the cobblestone.
Under the glistening sun, shadows of passers-by linger above each of the 26 names engraved in the stone wall surrounding the water fountain.
It is these names to whom this memorial is offered. In this bucolic, lush surrounding that confronts the tragic past.
The whole of America seemed to mourn on December 14, 2012, and in the weeks that followed. A tragedy that tore through the fabric of the nation. One that stripped all the colour, all of the life and sense, out of this world.
Even the airwaves were filled with a mournful silence.
Here, at the memorial, it is silent again today. A silence wrapped in everlasting solemnity.
Save for the deliberate shuffling of feet, the current’s gentle rocking against the basin is all that can be heard.
Visitors are encouraged to place on the water a candle or a flower, a bridge from the living to the deceased.
Wrapped around this basin, our eyes rest on the names of those whose lives were lost a decade ago.
Their names are Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel D’Avino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Dawn Hochsprung, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Leigh Soto, Benjamin Wheeler and Allison Wyatt.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
