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(09/20/02 5:58am)
TEL AVIV, Israel -- A Palestinian blew himself up on a crowded bus Thursday in downtown Tel Aviv, killing at least five other people and wounding 49, the second suicide bombing in two days. In response, Israeli tanks charged into Yasser Arafat's West Bank headquarters.\nThe shrapnel-studded explosives tore through the bus on Tel Aviv's Allenby Street while it was passing through the heart of a teeming restaurant and business district at lunchtime. The driver, his body blackened, slumped at the wheel. Passengers jumped out of shattered windows.\nThere was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Israeli media outlets reported conflicting claims by the militant Palestinian groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas.\nIn the evening, as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with his Cabinet, Israeli tanks entered Arafat's city-block-sized headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian leader was holed up in his offices.\nAn official inside the compound said the Israeli tanks had advanced to the area of a helicopter landing pad outside Arafat's office building, which is protected by piles of sandbags.\nIsrael has held Arafat's Palestinian Authority responsible for anti-Israeli attacks, saying it has not done enough to crack down on militants. Israeli troop have held Ramallah under siege for most of the year, with tanks breaking into the compound several times, destroying some buildings. Arafat has been confined to his office building most of the time since December.\nThe Israeli military did not comment on the new incursion, though military sources confirmed an operation was underway. Palestinian officials said two guards were injured during the incursion.\nAfter past terror attacks, hardline Israeli Cabinet ministers have called for Arafat's expulsion, but Sharon has resisted pressure to do so.\nIn other violence Thursday, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was killed in the West Bank town of Ramallah when he broke an Israeli curfew to buy cigarettes for his father. Witnesses said he was shot by Israeli soldiers. The military said it was checking the incident. In Abu Dis, a West Bank suburb of Jerusalem, Israeli bulldozers razed the family homes of two Palestinians who blew themselves up in Jerusalem on Dec. 1, killing 11 bystanders.\nBefore this week, there had been no suicide bombings in Israel since Aug. 4. The renewed attacks came a day after Israel rejected a Palestinian proposal for a two-stage truce. Israel said the Palestinian offer to halt attacks in Israel proper during the first phase implied Palestinians still would feel free to strike Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.\nPresident Bush said he strongly condemned the back-to-back suicide bombings. "All parties must do everything they can to reject and stop violence," Bush said at a meeting in the Oval Office.\nAfter Thursday's blast, Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab told The Associated Press he expected to see "a series of operations against the Zionist enemy, as a result of the daily brutal crimes against our people." But he stopped short of claiming responsibility.\nIslamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, in which a suicide bomber blew himself at a bus stop in northern Israel, killing an Israeli policeman.\nThursday's explosion went off just after 1 p.m., outside one of the major synagogues in Tel Aviv, across the street from a Starbucks coffee shop and a block away from the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.\nHerzl Ben-Moshe, a store owner trying to rescue passengers, said he saw several people lying on the floor of the bus, including one man whose legs had been blown off. "People were yelling, 'Take us out of here,'" Ben-Moshe said.\n"People were hurting, screaming, wounded. We saw pieces of people," said Zohara Pillo, 27, a visitor from Haifa. "The driver was sitting in his seat and his hands were on the window and he was dead, he was all blackened," she said.\nThe blast scorched the bus and blew out its windows. One man with blood over his bare chest was wheeled away by paramedics. Another man sat on the sidewalk, crying. Religious volunteers in white overalls later searched the area, picking bits of flesh and placing them into plastic bags. Jewish law requires burial of the entire body.\nMark Sofer, an official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said that "once again, the utter bestiality of Palestinian terrorism has reared its ugly head, on a bus in Tel Aviv." Sofer held the Palestinian Authority responsible, saying it had done nothing to rein in militants.
(09/17/02 4:42am)
When I was young, I was completely in love with Peter Pan. I wanted to remain a child forever, and hoped every night the eternally innocent boy would come to my window and save me from the inevitable fate of growing up. \nThis wasn't just a simple musing. I was resolute in my belief that he must come, and I absolutely must not become an adult. I went so far as to wear my prettiest pair of pajamas every night for a time, so as not to be stranded in Never Never Land sporting an old, mundane baseball t-shirt. Needless to say, I was a bit consumed with the idea of forever being seven years old and living among mermaids, pirates, lost boys, fairies and a charmingly mischievous boy who could fly.\nBut, he never came. I eventually became accustomed to, and even embraced the idea of growing up. Yet, every now and again, even at the ripe age of 20, I wish to escape the challenging responsibilities accompanied with aging and be whisked away to that care-free, whimsical island in the sky -- you know, second star to the right and straight on 'til morning.\nThis childhood wish comes when that line between dependent daughter and financial independent becomes increasingly more blurred. The reality that sooner rather than later I will be on my own is strikingly clear. Though this autonomy is something I've desperately craved, at the same time, I just want to be a kid and leave taxes, bills, bank accounts and mortgages to my dad.\nBeing a kid, you worry about your abilities to beat up your older sister, whether or not Lindsey will invite you to her sleepover, coloring inside the lines, glue bottles versus glue sticks, who to sit next to at lunch and getting home from school in time to watch the last five minutes of your favorite cartoon.\nBeing a kid, you don't have to worry about degree requirements, post-college plans, serious relationships, President Bush's Homeland Security Bill, fat content in McDonald's french fries, U.S. plans to invade Iraq, the death penalty, corrupt business corporations, global warming, the stock market and beyond. Or maybe kids do fear some of these things. It seems today's youth are growing up way too fast and distressed over way too many adult matters. This summer I worked as a counselor at a day camp, and was dazed and dismayed by the worries these children carried with them. One eight year old girl thought she was too fat and didn't want to eat lunch. After a boy's dog passed away, he talked incessantly of the desire to die. Others cursed, completely and excitedly described violent acts from movies and real life,10-year-old boys referred to "getting with girls," and girls dressed not at all like how I did when I was eleven.\nCertainly, after Sept. 11, children's perceptions have widened and their awarenesses have heightened to their surrounding world. The "gay and heartless" characteristics of childhood that J.M. Barrie detailed are evolving into something of the past.\nWhile I occasionally yearn for that Never Never Land to run away from the unavoidable realities that come with being an authentic adult, I am concerned today's children don't spend enough time reveling in their imaginations and play lands. I hope they aren't worrying about the big grown-up stuff quite yet.\nWhere's Peter Pan when you need him?
(09/12/02 4:09pm)
NEW YORK - On Sept. 11, students and faculty at the Borough of Manhattan Community College were a block from hell. While phone calls and news bulletins tore into our morning, a plane ripped through theirs.\nStudents were in class that day giving speeches and taking tests when they heard a crunching noise, which they would soon learn was the first plane colliding into Tower 1. \nOnce people found out what happened, the building was completely evacuated. Hours later, 7 World Trade Center collapsed onto BMCC's Fiterman Hall.\nIn the next few weeks, students would be dealing with more than just "background noise."\nWhen they looked up, they saw F16's screaming through the skies.\nWhen they looked forward, they saw clouds of white ash.\nWhen they looked down, they saw debris and business papers scattered across the ground.\nWhen they looked around their school, they saw 25,000 people crammed into a building designed for 8,500.\nEven though they had lost a building and came close to losing their sanity, the students and faculty wanted to come back. They were determined to come back.\nAftermath \n"By about 4:30 or 5 p.m. we knew we lost it," said G. Scott Anderson, vice president of administration and planning. \nThe school's newly renovated Fiterman Hall, located at 30 W. Broadway, was severely damaged when the towers collapsed. \nRenovations on the 70-classroom building were scheduled to be completed in November, but students and professors were already using it because they ran out of space in the main building.\n"All things considered, we're very lucky," Anderson said. "If the tower hadn't come straight down, it was tall enough to come down and hit our main building."\nAll classes were moved back to the main building at 199 Chambers St. in Lower Manhattan. The building is nothing like the sky scrapers surrounding it - it's as long from end to end as the Empire State Building is tall.\nThere was time for everyone to exit the building, but six BMCC students died as a result of the attacks. Fiterman was evacuated as soon as school officials learned the extent of the damage.\nThey were remembered in an all-day ceremony at the college later in the semester. Administrators said the memorial service was a celebration of life and a remembrance of those whose lives were lost.\nAuthorities set up camp\nBMCC's main building became the command center for the World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts. Hosts of emergency personnel came in, making do with whatever space and supplies were available. \nPublic health set up in the theater, Port Authority in the gym, army on the second floor and fire department on the third. \nThere were boxes of drugs and medical equipment, but the highly trained doctors had very few patients to work on. The veterinarians were the ones who saw the most action because search dogs kept injuring their paws on the debris.\n"It was actually very depressing," said David Gallagher, director of the media center. "(The doctors) were waiting for survivors."\nAdministration pulls it together\nAnderson fought back tears as he recounted how students made their way down to the disaster area on Sept. 14 to ask when classes were going to start again.\n"The third day when it was still horrific down here - really horrific - our students were showing up at the back gate. Somehow they got through Army check points," he said, voice rising with disbelief. "These (military) guys are carrying M16's and everything.\n"It was really hard core. It was great, just great. Somehow these students got through and came to the gate and said, 'When do classes begin?' We told them we were going to open up as soon as we could, but opening up was dependent on us finding a way of making up those 40 classrooms we lost. We came damn close. We got 36 built, and that was enough for us to be able to make it happen."\nThe process of getting students back into classes was equally challenging. Most of Lower Manhattan was restricted. There was no electricity near Ground Zero. Phone lines were down. Transportation to the area was cut off, and government and health agencies were taking up half the building.\nRegardless of the numerous and daunting obstacles, BMCC President Antonio Perez was bent on having the school open three weeks after the tragedy.\n"Our president, who's very unbelievable, decided we're going to come back on a date he set," Associate Dean of Student Affairs Marva Craig said. "We were not going to wait for the city - (for) anyone. He set a date."\nFaculty members pulled together to accommodate this goal, working exhausting hours and sometimes even sleeping in their offices, like Anderson and Director of Operations Ed Sullivan.\nPerez came to work every day after Sept. 11; his strong voice and determination serving as a guiding force in the recovery efforts.\n"The only way we were able to reopen on Oct. 1 was that we got electricity back and that was very critical. We were able to build the equivalent of 36 classrooms in six days," Anderson said. "We had all the participants - the builders, the electricians, the carpenters, the architects, the funding agencies and the college. Ed and I were the college." \nMaking contact\nAs some of the faculty worked on-campus to get the school ready, the rest had an off-campus emergency headquarters set up.\nMarva Craig was one of the faculty members doing her part to get the word out to students about how things were progressing at BMCC. \nIn order to produce the lists of students and print letters, the technical support staff had to recover vital information from the server, which was knocked out with the school's electricity. \nThe administrators' titles no longer mattered, Craig said. Instead of dictating letters, they were labeling and sending 17,000 of them. They informed students of the reopening date and gave new directions on how to get to school their first day back.\nRealizing that some students might be too distraught to come back to school, the BMCC gave students the option of withdrawing without penalty and getting reimbursed for fees paid - but very few students took them up on the offer.\nThe administration said students were overjoyed when they got phone calls from professors and found out that classes would continue. \nSome calls were not as happy as others, however. \nCraig said she broke down during one phone call when she spoke with a parent who lost a child. \n"I felt so bad," Craig said. "I called this woman, and I ended up being the one who was crying - I had to put her on hold."\nBack to school\nWhen students and faculty finally returned to school, it was a vastly different learning environment. \nEven though banners and letters of global support had been posted on the walls, the noise and surrounding scenery were taking an overbearing toll.\nWhat was once a clean view of the Hudson River and New Jersey skyline became marred and cluttered by clean-up crews using it as a loading station. Barges churned in and out of the harbor 24 hours a day until the end of May, transporting debris to the Freshkills Landfill on Staten Island.\nIn addition to boat engines, students had to deal with the sounds of helicopters, planes, cranes, generators and screeching F16's. \n"We were nervous about the noises until we realized what they were," student David Callardo said. "But once in a while we would get up and go the window to look and make sure."\nThe air outside was heavy and filled with the ash that covered people's clothing on the way into the school. \nBlow torches were used around the clock, emitting a smell students described as "burning flesh."\n"It didn't even feel like class," Callardo said. "It was a war zone."\nMaking Sacrifices\nStudents were no longer able to relax outside the main building or congregate inside the BMCC's main lobby.\nAs they walked through the main building, Anderson and Sullivan pointed out the drastic changes that were made in an effort to replace the 40 lost classrooms. \n"The classrooms were built in student space," Anderson said. "We took all of their cafeteria. The entire student lounge is gone. We took away their weight room, their exercise room."\nA building originally designed to accommodate 8,500 people now houses 25,000. During the summer months there were not as many students on campus, but heavy use of the elevators and escalators caused them to malfunction.\n"Elevators and escalators are breaking down because people have to go up and down," Anderson said. "This whole thing has created problems. We're bursting at the seams."\nThe Student Art Court Campaign was created in response to the situation. Its purpose was to get students some of their space back and lower the costs of maintaining the heavily-used campus building.\nCounseling for counselors\nTo get a firm grip on the new "war zone" and crowded learning environment, some faculty members forced themselves to assess the situation and figure out how best to handle it.\nDeborah Parker, director of the BMCC's women's center, said she walked around campus, noting the look, smell and feel of the environment so she could understand how students first perceived the damage. \n"It helped me to help others," Parker said. "I went through my own personal crisis, but how could I help unless I was strong for the students? It forced me to take inventory of all of it so I could understand what the students were feeling." \nMarva Craig said the measures the faculty had to take in getting the school up and running served as their therapy session.\nTalking as much with her hands as she did with words, she described how they assisted each other through the tragedy in their close-knit community environment.\n"We were all in the same place working with people you've never talked to and shared space we've never shared before - it was helpful and therapeutic."\nEven though she's made emotional progress, Craig still can't bring herself to develop pictures she took of Sept. 11. She laughed and said it was a running joke in her office, then leaned down to tug open a drawer revealing several rolls of film laying in an assortment of administrative trinkets.\n"I have all the pictures, but I haven't developed them," Craig said. "I haven't developed any because I used to develop them in the World Trade Center."\nDocumenting the tragedy\nSeveral students at BMCC found an alternative, productive way of addressing Sept. 11 - for themselves and others.\nMany people who hadn't had a chance to talk about their feelings got their chance when the digital film club sent out a call-out for Sept.11 interviews.\n"A lot of people hadn't spoken to anyone, and they wanted to say what they had to say to feel better," student Fatima Boone said. \nWith the school's video equipment and a budget allocated to them by the student government, Miguel Bernardo, Christian Moran, Callardo and Boone taped and produced the 15-minute documentary "Out of the Darkness." \n"We felt like (the school) wasn't acknowledged by anyone," Moran said. "We felt we had to investigate it and document a timeline of how things were happening."\nThe group sat in the dimly-lit communications lab, hunching around the soft glow of the computer monitor as if they had never seen their video before. \n"It feels the same," Boone said. "It brings back the memories as intense as they were to begin with."\nThe documentary shows still shots of the World Trade Centers and 30-second interview clips with students, faculty and staff members. \nPeople worldwide have requested copies of their video. It's been sent to many schools, Yale, Holland, Maya Angelou and the President.\nRebuilding the future\nWhile many faculty members thought enrollment would suffer at least a slight drop after the disaster, the University ended up having their highest enrollment ever for the last spring and upcoming fall semesters. \nThe administration predicts there will be over 18,000 students enrolled after registration, and they plan on accommodating the inflation by renting out space at St. John's University.\nHoward Entin, BMCC's director of financial aid, said there's too much going on in downtown Manhattan for it to ever slow down for very long.\n"With all the impact of 9/11, this is still a popular place and the world's financial setting - this is a powerful area," Entin said.\nPresident Perez said the BMCC's goal for the future is not merely to repair the damage that was done, but to improve it. \n"Our intentions are to rebuild Fiterman hall and make it even better than it ever was before and to continue serving our students to the very best of our ability so that they will be able to make a difference in New York City and in the world"
(09/12/02 3:51pm)
One year ago yesterday, Julie Doi sat on one of three couches facing the television in a main room of the Delta Delta Delta sorority house. \nShe was surrounded by what she said were nearly all of her sorority sisters.\n"The whole house was just dead silent watching the TV, wide-eyed," Doi said.\nLast night, many of the same sisters, in the same room, gathered in preparation for a candlelight vigil the sorority held on the front lawn of their house in memory of what they watched a year earlier. The event raised money for those personally affected. Meanwhile, the IU Interfaith Association was preparing a similar event at Dunn Meadow.\nDoi, the vice president for public relations at Tri-Delt, said planning for the event began in July. Philanthropy Chairperson Stephanie Harper decided to use the event as a fundraiser. Members of the house carried buckets asking for donations. The money benefited the Twin Towers Orphan Fund in honor of the three IU students whose fathers died in the attacks. \nThe yard was lined with American flags, candle-lit paper bags and a crowd that nearly reached Third St. The ceremony was open to all of campus but was attended mostly by greeks. Senior Nate Johnson, a Fiji member, attended the ceremony with his fraternity brothers.\n"I feel like there is a lot of us within a close community," Johnson said. "Especially the seniors who have been together for three or four years now."\nAmerican flags hung from every front window at the house. Prior to the event, patriotic music from Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Lee Greenwood blasted through the loud speaker. During the event, a cappella groups Straight No Chaser and Ladies First performed "God Bless America" and "The Star Spangled Banner."\n"We want to help out as much as we can and obviously with an amazing tribute we want to be involved as much as we can," said Katie Stark, director and singer for Ladies First. "It feels like I am almost giving back and that makes it all worthwhile."\nJunior Cristina Cutchin said she went with her friends because taking the time out of her life shows respect for the victims of an attack she admits is difficult to grasp even a year later.\n"I don't even think it has dawned on me yet," Cutchin said. "I think a lot of us know what happened but don't even realize the impact it's had."\nJust a short walk north at Dunn Meadow, a candlelight vigil with a more religious tone took place. Eleven campus groups led marches from their respective centers into Dunn Meadow where they met students and community members for a vigil filled with songs and prayers from various faiths. Hundreds attended the ceremony. Some sat on the grass in groups holding hands while others were alone with eyes closed and heads bowed. Bob Dylan's song "Blowing in the Wind" opened the ceremony.\nRev. Rebecca Jimenez, an organizer of the event, said remembering Sept. 11 is important because terrible events happen not just in America, but to people around the world. She said bringing together the various student groups was important and needs to happen often, not just in times of tragedy. Following the attacks last year, she organized a similar vigil, which she admitted was extremely somber.\n"There are still people suffering. This was an incredible loss to the world," Jimenez said. "Think of all the gifts that were lost that day that people could have used to better the world, and all the families that are still suffering. They will never get completely over that loss."\nFreshman Mike Wells was sleeping at his home in Elkhart, Ind. when the first plane hit the tower. He woke up in time to see the second plane follow. For him, attending the vigil meant more than just commemoration. It meant inspiration.\n"It was the first time I felt like I saw this entire country as one nation," Wells said. "I saw tremendous good in everyone for the first time, and it just really opened my eyes to what everyone can do if they just try"
(09/11/02 4:28am)
NEW YORK -- In the center of Times Square people wait in a line that snakes as far as the eye can see, all in the hopes of purchasing inexpensive tickets to Broadway productions. The people waiting patiently are surrounded on all sides by promoters selling their show, vying for the crowd's attention with statements promising more than the last.\n"Come see the 'Lion King'!" shouted one eager salesman. "Best show on Broadway this year."\n"This year?" retorted another. "You want to see the 'Full Monty.' It's the best show this decade!"\nThe onlookers in line watched the scene with some amusement, but slowly advanced to the ticket booth with pamphlets describing the various shows the promoters were selling.\nLaden with promotional materials Ellen Smith, a resident of Chicago, made her way to the window, purchasing tickets to a performance of "Beauty and the Beast."\n"Thank goodness you are able to buy tickets the day of shows," she said. "There is no other way we could afford them. We wanted to take our children to a show while we were in town, and the way they discount the tickets made it possible."\nSmith, like thousands of theatergoers, purchased her tickets to a Broadway production at the TKTS, a booth in Duffy Square on the center island of 47th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue. Established in 1973 for the betterment of theater in New York, TKTS sells unsold tickets on the day of the show discounted 25 to 50 percent. The daily selections are on electronic screens in front of the booth, showing both the availability and the discount. \nThe tourists buying their tickets the day of the show is becoming increasingly common, according to an article in The New York Times. Advance ticket sales are down over fifty percent, with most people buying the discounted tickets instead of purchasing them at face value in advance.\nCristyne L. Nicholas, the president of NYC & Company, the tourism and convention bureau of New York City, said in an interview with The New York Times that while tourism numbers from this past summer are equivalent to that of last year, the tourists are behaving differently.\n"More people are booking last minute," she said. "And more people are hunting for discount deals."\nIndustry experts said these changes in purchasing patterns will affect how shows are booked and marketed in the future. Producers may need to spend more on promotion and advertising to attract audiences, cutting into the profits of the investors. \nDespite what it means for the future of Broadway, the crowds hoping for inexpensive theater tickets are a welcome sight to New Yorkers, who were witnessing the faltering of Broadway after Sept. 11. For months after the terrorist attacks theaters sat half empty during Saturday night performances, and hotels were giving away tickets to hot Broadway shows to entice tourists back to the Big Apple.\n"It's so good to see people back in the city," said Carole Steer. Steer, a resident of Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester, recalled when the scene of Times Square was much different. \n"Last November there was nobody in the streets," she said. "It was a ghost town in the middle of Manhattan."\nThose days are past. Times Square, a traditional tourist destination, was packed with people taking in the sights, heading to Broadway plays and hawking their wares.\nOff-Broadway productions are also faring better with the resurgence of tourism. These productions, performed in smaller theaters on tighter budgets than Broadway shows, often contain more daring and controversial material than traditional theater. \nOne such show is "Reno: Rebel without a Pause." This show, a reflection on the events of Sept. 11, has drawn much press for its frank discussions of the issues surrounding the attacks and life in New York afterwards. \nPerforming artist Reno discussed her thoughts on the events of Sept. 11 in a humorous light to a packed house at the Lion Theater, just two blocks from Broadway. Drawing gasps and chuckles from the audience, Reno lambasted President George W. Bush's rhetoric that caused fear and distrust in many Americans.\n"(President) Bush keeps telling me that (terrorists) hate my way of life," she said. "I don't see why. If they talked to me they would see that I'm a very nice person. They don't hate me; they hate what we stand for."\nTen minutes later Reno had people laughing at the way people in her neighborhood were trying to figure out what happened on the day of the attacks.\n"We were trying to offer the people running away from us water and towels," she said. "But they kept running away and screaming. We couldn't figure it out until we thought they might not know people actually live in TriBeCa. Guess what New York, people live here!"\nOn Broadway and off, theater in New York has recovered from a devastating blow. Though permanently altered by the events of Sept. 11, New York's art community has survived and flourished, drawing inspiration from the events that took place.
(09/11/02 4:22am)
NEW YORK -- The sun came up over the east side of Lower Manhattan just like it did every day. Fishing boats were coming in and out of port, shop owners flipped their "open" signs and Wall Street traders buttoned up their color coded vests in preparation for the opening bell.\nBusinesses all over the country were affected by the terrorist attacks in some way, as has been evident in the response by the stockmarket and the unstable economy. Most establishments were able to keep going, and some even started up after Sept. 11, but in Lower Manhattan it was literally a struggle to survive after 8:46 a.m.\nWilliam Barthman Jewelers, nestled into a building just around the corner from Ground Zero, had a full staff working the morning of Sept. 11. The brick building trembled when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into 1 World Trade Center. Assistant Manager Valerie Santana and her co-workers intensified their efforts to put merchandise back into the safes when they watched United Airlines Flight 175 tear through the south tower.\n"We were all pretty much set up and we had to put everything back away," Santana said. "It takes an hour to set everything up, and usually the same to take it down, but it took maybe 30 minutes to put everything away. We were out of here before they came down, thank God."\nDespite the utter chaos that resulted when debris filled the streets, looters made their way into Barthman's to spill the contents of drawers out onto the floor and destroy display cases in search of valuable jewelry. But the looters found nothing but empty shelves and shattered glass due to the sheer force of the collapse bringing everything to absolute ruins.\nBut the thieves still managed to do a good deal of damage.\n"Our once familiar work setting torn apart by ransackers. White jewelry displays cloaked in ash. Elegantly structured showcases, more than 100 years old, nicked and bruised," was a description by Jerilynn Caliendo in a free brochure she wrote for the company.\nBarthman's had been selling fine jewelry for 118 years; through wars, the Great Depression and the 1993 bombing of the WTC. The store reopened 11 weeks after the attacks to an almost non-existent influx of customers. But throughout the months following the reopening Santana kept faith that the jeweler would survive.\n"We went through the Great Depression, which I think was probably the thing that would most affect this area at that time…besides that we had a big task ahead of us. We can't give up," she said.\nSince Sept. 11 many of Barthman's most loyal customers have not returned. \n"A lot of our own clientele was up in those two buildings so we lost a lot of business right there," Santana said. \nBut "open" and "reopening" signs would soon be spattered on windows in the area surrounding Ground Zero as store owners and employees were allowed back downtown to clean up what was left of their stores.\nThe entrance to David's Cookies could be found under scaffolding near Battery Park. A "Welcome Back" sign was draped on the wall behind the counter. Expediently doling out a saran-wrapped turkey sandwich to a customer, the cashier said, "We opened five or six months ago. We have the sign up because we want people to know it's okay to come back -- not all of our regular customers have come back, yet."\nIn order to bring business back to Lower Manhattan, the city government started several initiatives. There are periodic "tax-free" days in businesses south of Canal Street to bring the money back downtown. But for some, a gift became more sentimental when it came from Lower Manhattan.\n"We've had people that were relocated who came out of their way to shop here, saying that a gift from here wrapped up in this paper would mean something more than it usually does," Santana said. "People are shopping in downtown whether they knew the stores or not to support the area."\nBarthman's hoped that over the Christmas holiday, and as people sought to buy something special for their special someone, they would think of making a special trip just to have a ring box wrapped up in Barthman's signature gold trellis paper.\nEven the Century 21 shopping center, a New York institution, had trouble bringing business back downtown. It used to be packed with bargain hunters from open to close, but the four-story department store had to undergo $10 million in renovation before it could reopen Feb. 28. \nLocated at 22 Cortlandt St., across the street from Ground Zero, Century 21 had been closed for extensive cleaning and restocking of merchandise. \nPieces of airplane fuselage shattered windows and tore into the building. The windows were blown out, furniture was destroyed and merchandise was damaged.\n"Everything had to be replaced," said a store manager who wished to remain anonymous. Employees trying to return to work had to wait for clearance. \n"The building was so shaky and dangerous," the manager said.\nIn a press release for the grand reopening of his flagship store, owner Al Gindi said, "Our family began this business forty years ago and our roots are here in Lower Manhattan so leaving was not an option."\nCentury 21 brings a large portion of the total business into Lower Manhattan. Other stores were encouraged by the major retailer's progress and dedication to rebuilding.\nAs holidays come and go and tourists flock back to the Big Apple, the businesses on the southern tip of Manhattan will remember all they went through after Sept. 11. The sun will once again spread its rays over New York City as merchants begin each new day, peering out of store windows to greet customers as they continue to make their way back downtown.
(09/10/02 10:30pm)
Three days ago, as the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks loomed before a jaded nation, the men and women of the Bloomington Township Fire Department took a moment of silence to honor two of their own. They assembled quietly, standing around a limestone marker flanked by an undulating American flag, lost in their own thoughts and memories.\nIn an era of innocence lost, as a country turns its attention to the machines and mechanisms of a war against terror, these quiet heroes took a moment to remember their fallen brothers -- and reflect upon the level of courage their service commands.\n"People ask me all the time, 'Faron, with your years of experience, would you have gone inside that tower?'" Chief Faron Livingston said. "And I say yes -- of course -- absolutely. When you make a commitment to this life, you have to know you're going to see death and destruction. You just have to go in and do it."\nLivingston removes his hat as he approaches the site where the memorial, crafted of Indiana limestone and towering at six-foot-one, will stand. It's not yet been completed; the designer, himself a former BTFD fireman and IU graduate, isn't done yet. But small commemorative stones rise from the carefully manicured lawn.\nLivingston is a friendly man whose easygoing demeanor belies the disposition required of a firefighter in charge of nearly 50 volunteers and six full-time employees. His office is adorned with certificates proclaiming completion of well control training, participation in national fire training academies and bombs and explosive devices expertise. Yet he becomes soft-spoken, matter-of-fact, when talking about the soul of his force -- those men and women who've stuck with the job despite the emotional toll the work often demands.\n"You know, you either joke about it (firefighting), or you go nuts," Livingston said. "Sometimes you've got to cry, to get it off your chest. It's a natural reaction. It's okay."\n"Look at all that crazy sky"\nThe morning of Sept. 11, Livingston got to work a little late, so he took the back door. He entered the recreation room adjacent to the kitchen and came upon his men huddled around a television set.\nFirefighter and IU student Matt Baranko tore his eyes from the screen and looked up at his boss.\n"Holy shit," he said. "A plane's hit the World Trade Center."\nThat's when the adrenaline started pumping. E-mails began pouring in from all over the city and county from concerned residents asking for confirmation, pleading that this could not, should not, be true. A discord of screeching tones danced across the central dispatch system frequencies. Orders came in requesting fire chiefs to close and lock all station doors. Disbelievingly, the men and women of BTFD listened to live accounts of reporters and onlookers impersonating New York City fire personnel in attempts to get closer to Ground Zero. \n"How could you hit that?" assistant chief Joel Bomgardner recalls saying. "Look at all that crazy sky."\nThe firefighters remained together for about half an hour longer, some still glued to CNN reports, others offering somber exchanges. Then, in a near mass exodus from the Old State Road 37 station, they went home to their families. Three days later, they were watching M-16 fighter planes escort a small passenger plane from the skies over Monroe County Airport. \n"It bothered the hell out of me," Livingston said, recalling five of his own brethren from his days at the National Fire Academy who lost their lives racing into the blazing towers. "But it's funny how it affected people -- they just started telling us out loud that they appreciated what we do."\nTwo weeks after the attacks, Bomgardner walked by the station pool table, bathed in light by two floor-to-ceiling windows. Atop it sat a basket with an unsigned card:\n"Thank you for everything you do. We have always appreciated it."\nWrapped around the basket was a knit American flag afghan. Exactly one year later, it's still there, a persistent symbol of community spirit, a glimmer of hope in a time of mourning.\nThe first to respond\nAs anthrax scares fueled near-hysteria nationwide, the department's Hazmat -- short for hazardous materials -- team was placed on standby status. If the deadly spores were detected in Monroe or surrounding counties, they'd be the first in, reporting to the epicenter of the hot zone. Livingston recalls 42 such responses this year, with approximately six termed "credible threats" -- situations where "interest is perked."\nAn example of such an incident occurred in mid-October, when the Bloomington chapter of Planned Parenthood received one of 82 allegedly anthrax-laden letters from an unknown location in Ohio. Though Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez warned city officials not to "let fear and uncertainty turn into panic," reports of possible anthrax detection poured into city and township police and fire units. The BTFD was among the first to respond.\nThe department even graced the pages of Time last October as reports of anthrax in Forest Quad mobilized both full-time and volunteer members of the Hazmat team into action. \nLivingston's expertise in working with hazardous chemicals has earned him the moniker "Hazmat One" around the stationhouse. Each year at the National Firemen's Caucus in Washington, D.C., he makes the trek to Capitol Hill to visit Indiana Senator Richard Lugar in his Constitution Avenue offices.\nJust one of the guys\nBomgardner said the attacks prompted a spike in volunteer signups. Some recruits could take it; others dropped out of sight shortly after they appeared -- a testament to the "try it for a few days or make it your life" mentality pervading the fire service, he said.\nLivingston has a file cabinet full of turned-over personnel. But for every fireman lost, he said, he's got five of the "other breed" -- those dedicated to the task of saving lives.\nBomgardner estimates 75-to-80 percent of post-Sept. 11 volunteers have stuck with the job. Some are IU students, many of whom, like Baranko, plan to complete their academic pursuits but return to the service. Many of them are locals, longtime Bloomington residents who have grown to love the community that nurtured them from childhood.\nLivingston, a former truck driver, crisscrossed the country on nationwide hauls and said he's "been to town and seen the circus," and Bloomington's just where he wants to be.\nIU costume shop employee Eleanor Modin once considered herself just that -- a sort of silent supporter. But since Sept. 11 and at the prompting of friends involved in the fire service, she began considering ways she could contribute to the fight against terrorism. An avid philanthropist, she turned to the BTFD as an alternative way to give back to the immediate community.\nHailing from Switzerland, Modin came to the U.S. to study music at IU. On the morning of Sept. 11, she was at work in the Musical Arts Center -- without a TV. A friend called to inform the staff of the attacks, and they waited until National Public Radio picked up the reports. A television was later installed on the MAC's main stage to allow those working in the facility to follow developments. \nSomething stirred within Modin. She had done rescue work in the Swiss Alps and was no stranger to physical challenges. A friend, the chief of Indian Creek Township's department, encouraged her to talk to the BTFD. So she signed up, and three months later began work as a part-time volunteer. \n"I weighed it carefully," Modin said. "I wanted to make a solid commitment. Christmastime gave me some downtime" -- Modin had to complete 24 hours of mandatory training -- "so I chose December to do it."\nNine months later, she's still an active member and a trained Hazmat technician. Though she's a woman in a service once considered to be dominated by gruff, burly males, she said she never feels inferior.\n"I can't carry someone down the big ladder, obviously," she said. "But I feel comfortable. You get more detached to things like that, and you just go in and do your job."\nLivingston agreed.\n"She's one of the guys," he said. "When women come in, they're accepted immediately into the brotherhood of the department. We've got guys from Greece, women from Switzerland, IU students. They're all part of the department, and they're all equals. We get the other, special breeds, and we like it that way"
(09/10/02 10:27pm)
"You're goin,'" says firefighter Sal Aragono.\n Co-worker Vincent Geloso shakes his head no. \n"Yes, you awre," he repeats, this time more firmly.\n"No, I'm gonna be good tonight," Geloso declares. "I'm gonna be good -- I'm not drinking. I'm going to stay home and go to bed early."\nAragono's dark brown eyes glitter as he washes down a bite of his grilled chicken sandwich with a can of soda pop and grins at Geloso's bold-but-mistaken declaration that he would behave. \n"Look at Pinnochio's nose growin' over der," he laughs.\nAragano then drops the conversation with the comforting knowledge that his prediction will probably come true -- that Geloso will turn out for tonight's annual "Fire Under the Bridge" party at the Brooklyn Bridge.\nFirefighters say the party is sure to be "ass-kickin,'" which might have something to do with the fact that seemingly every 20-something woman in the city migrates to the riverside in festive and binding attire. All men are charged a $20 entrance fee, while women get in free but have the option of donating money to a Sept. 11 fund.\nNationwide, everything firefighters have been doing lately seems to in some way revolve around supporting other firefighters who were affected by Sept. 11 -- firefighters they might not even know. \nWhen people refer to the firefighting profession as a "brotherhood," it's not an exaggeration. Living, cooking, eating, cleaning and working in such close proximity with one another leads them to go beyond the acquaintance, friend and coworker stages -- they become family. \n10 House lost five family members.\nTheir station is roughly 50 feet away from Ground Zero and has been out of commission since Sept. 11. If you peer through the dusty windows on the large, red garage doors that mark the station, you'll see that almost all of the firefighter's personal belongings have been cleared out. They've been temporary relocated to the 7 Engine Station several blocks away.\nOnce a week, 10 House comes out to sell T-shirts for $20 apiece -- with proceeds going to the deceased firefighters' families and the station -- which is what they're doing when they roll up onto a curb amidst the Ground Zero merchandise mayhem. \nEveryone within a half block's radius is standing on their tiptoes to get a better view of what's going on, members of the 10 House fire station hop out of their engine, set up a makeshift souvenir stand and begin selling shirts out of cardboard boxes. \nWhile the firefighters' surprise visit is a delight for tourists and their NYPD buddies, who work in the area, the nearest street vendors take it as their cue to leave. \nPeople simultaneously abandon vendors in favor of 10 House. They are no longer looking for a bargain, but for heroes and a good cause. Even in the pressing heat and humidity of the day, they swarm around the truck, waiting to buy T-shirts and get pictures taken with them.\nFirefighter Garfield Boston is one of the designated photo opportunities for the day -- a prime candidate due to the plastic action figure he has tucked into his helmet.\nBoston says his niece gave the doll to him as a charm to keep him safe, and he keeps it with him whenever he makes a run to judge if it's getting too hot in a building.\n"If (the action figure) starts to melt, I'm in too deep and know I need to get out," Garfield says.\nNYPD Officer John Doyle says New York law enforcement officials are probably in more photo albums than celebrities.\nBoston good-naturedly mutters from the corner of his plastered-on grin that his face is, in fact, hurting very badly from all the smiling he is doing for the hundreds of pictures being taken.\nLt. John Burkello squints into the sun and crosses his tight forearms as he observes the phenomena that occurs every time their engine pulls up.\n"We deal with the public a lot, lately -- no one really noticed us before this," Burkello says.\nThey're getting attention now, though, and not just because of their profession. It's also because of their prophetic emblem, which has been around for 18 years.\nIt's on the side of their truck and on top of their lunch table -- an image of a fireman wielding a fire hose and straddling the top of World Trade Centers, which have a fire licking up their sides.\nThe NYPD also assisted in the city's recovery, which hasn't gone unnoticed by the public.\nDoyle says the NYPD has been feeling the love, too, like from the woman who had just walked up to him, crying and giving him a hug. \n"People used to hate us until this happened," Doyle says. "It's a much different job now." \nDoyle says officials try to be as helpful to the public as possible because they've been so good to them.\n"I thought (the kindness) would've died down by now, but it hasn't," Doyle says. "It's in everyone's heart. It could have happened to anyone, at anytime."\nEither this "unexpected death" notion still hasn't sunk into some firefighters' heads, or they're just choosing to disregard it and continue doing their job.\nFirefighter class enrollment has more than doubled in size since Sept. 11, with a little over 300 recruits going through the 10-week training.\n"We're young and stupid, so we're not scared," Garfield says. "If we were smarter, we'd be terrified."\nBrains or no, being a firefighter is not without its rewards -- particularly for those who work in New York and are worshiped by everyone in city.\nTheir high-spirits and stubborn attitudes are what can catapult them into a burning building or a blazing party.\nAs Doyle begins to sidle away from Boston and back into the crowd, Boston tells him their station is planning on throwing "the most insane party" when they get back together. Doyle nods and says "That's good -- you guys deserve it."\nGeloso says even though he has enjoyed some of their time-killing antics, this past year has been draining and despite everything that has happened with Sept. 11, his family wants to get back their station.\nThe department is burnt out on ceremonies," Geloso says. "Every time we're (at 10 House), we can't believe it's gone. We're just waiting for it to open so we can all get back to work"
(09/10/02 10:22pm)
As our airplane made the gradual turn to the north toward LaGuardia Airport in Queens, it gradually came into view -- the void that used to be the World Trade Center, windows formerly glistening brilliantly in the midday sun. That's when the reality sunk in -- the city I had grown to love had been wounded and was no longer the same. \nVisiting New York City before Sept. 11, 2001, always brought a great deal of excitement. I would go to visit family and friends, and I would take friends from home to share with them the many wonders of "The City that Never Sleeps." But this visit was different. \nI boarded an airplane in Indianapolis early one Wednesday morning with two fellow journalists, neither of whom had ever been to NYC. Since I was familiar with the city, I was the designated navigator for our trip. \nThe World Trade Center was so many things to so many people. Among other things, to me, it was a symbol of the great strength, or ability, of our country. I would stand at the bottom of the towers and gaze upward in awe of the giant structures piercing the clouds above my head. \nThe first time I was on my own in NYC, I memorized certain landmarks that would serve as a guide so I could just look to the tallest buildings in sight and have an idea of my location. Eventually, I learned the order (or disorder) of the streets and avenues, but the towers were still a reliable resource when wandering out of a different Subway exit every time. \nBefore we arrived I found myself wondering what my new point of reference would be, and I concluded that without the towers I would be like a sailor without her North Star.\nI did not know what to expect. From speaking with loved ones in and around the city, I knew people had been back to work for some time, and I knew the city, as well as the entire nation, was recovering. But it was still going to be a different city.\nThe image of Ground Zero had become etched in my mind after almost a full year of television coverage of the rescue, clean-up and rebuilding efforts. As the days after the tragedy turned into months the site went from stories of twisted metal to a construction site.\nAs I made my way to the site I passed under at least a full city block of scaffolds. Now a memorial, what was left of the 10 House fire station slowed the line down as everyone stopped to pay respects.\nGround Zero was most accurately described to me by a NYPD officer patrolling who patrols the area every day. "It's a gravesite," he said with a serious, somber face.\nDescribing what the twin towers looked like was a difficult task. When the question was posed to me, I said to look for a moment at the tallest buildings around … then imagine two more buildings twice as tall as the tallest you can see. They were so big they took up two city blocks.\nBeing back in the city was not as different as I had envisioned it would be. New Yorkers had never come off as unpleasant to me, but now people seem to have found a little extra time to help a stranger or point a tourist in the right direction. People still walk as if there is always somewhere to be, but they should've been there five minutes ago. The police sirens still screamed. The big black Lincoln Towncars still dominated the streets and managed to parallel park into spaces I couldn't get into with a Honda Civic.\nI have heard comparisons of trips to New York City, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania after Sept. 11 to a pilgrimage; a quest to one's holy land. In a way, the physical locations where the planes struck will forever be reminders of what used to be. That is, the feeling of safety and security, of omnipotence and pride that were taken for granted one year ago. But the terrorists did not accomplish their goals on Sept. 11, 2001. Our pride grew stronger. Our nation came together. We will keep going.
(09/10/02 10:15pm)
Ground Zero takes up two city blocks.\nThis statement lacks meaning until you understand the term "concrete jungle" is the most accurate description of New York City you will ever have.\nIn a city where trees are a rare commodity, space is nonexistent and you're more likely to look up and see a skyscraper than the sky, it's a punch in the gut to round the corner to see -- emptiness.\nIt feels more like a magic trick than reality. You half expect David Copperfield to slide up from behind you, tell you it's an illusion and that after you cut the deck, he can make it reappear.\nBut on Sept. 11, terrorists made it permanently disappear, and the country was left to clean up the nightmare left behind.\nGround Zero no longer looks like the mountain of hellish debris we watched on CNN. Once you shuffle through the line that winds half way around the block and make your way up to the viewing dock, you peer over the ledge to see a scene that looks like it's from a James Bond movie.\nFrom a semi-aerial view, you can see cement trucks, vans and cranes, all kicking up what appears to be miniscule tufts of dust and you wonder what, specifically, they're up to.\nWhat was once the foundation of the World Trade Center has now been reduced to dirt and is, for the most part, completely smooth.\nThe walls of the seven-story quarry have been torn out, revealing layers of structural cake that was once a parking garage. One can count stories by tallying the horizontal red beams remaining at each level.\nMassive metal spotlights tower over the workstation, shedding light on the unpleasant subject matter below so construction can continue around the clock.\nWorkers running around at the bottom look like tiny ants. One has to wonder if that many "ants" could fit into the gaping hole, how many more of them could fit into, and flee from, the two World Trade Centers. How many of them were reduced to their most base, animalistic instincts as they scrambled to escape with their lives?\nMiles of tarps were set up on surrounding buildings from where windows had been blown out and plane parts had slammed into it and, again, one has to wonder what was it like for the tiny but significant person standing near the windows as sheer force and metal blasted through their glass wall and their lives?\nThoughts that never occurred to me before rushed in all at once, making me mentally strangled and eager to leave.\nWhile winding my way out of the viewing area, I passed a woman standing mid-stream in the human traffic flow. People parted around her as she admonished her mother to stop taking pictures of the site.\n"You realize those pictures aren't going to capture anything near what it is, don't you?" the woman said, as she escorted her mom away.\nWhich is absolutely true -- the only things people will probably see in their photographs are blurry fence lines and a construction site.\nEven though I saw Ground Zero in person, I felt cheated out of the full comprehension of what happened -- no matter how horrific that comprehension may have been.\nI was hoping to have some sort of reality hit home that I couldn't get in Indiana, but the emotions didn't spring from the "improved" Ground Zero.\nThey came from the memorials set up on its outskirts. From pictures pinned to fences. From the miles of tarp streaming down surrounding buildings, masking the scars where windows were blown in. From the street vendors who were profiting from death. From survivors who recounted their experiences in such vivid detail you would think it happened yesterday. From visitors who had come in from all over the world to mourn the loss.\nFrom New Yorkers, who have -- through perseverance and Rubbermaid attitudes -- recovered their lives and now serve as a beacon to friends and middle finger to foes who would make futile attempts to destroy the freedom we cherish.
(09/03/02 5:25am)
NEW YORK -- Lindsay Davenport spent the better part of Monday sitting by a window at the National Tennis Center while rain fell. Once play started, she rose to the occasion.\nPlaying just her fifth tournament since knee surgery, Davenport moved into the U.S. Open quarterfinals by beating 13th-seeded Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 6-3, 6-1 in a match that started more than 7 hours late because of downpours.\n"It was hard for me to get going. I really didn't have a lot of time to" prepare, Davenport said. "I'm so relieved it's over with, but I don't remember going out there too many times with no warmup, not a lot of notice."\nThird-seeded Jennifer Capriati followed Davenport in Arthur Ashe Stadium and also eased into the round of eight, beating fellow American Amy Frazier 6-1, 6-3 despite eight double faults.\nRain that fell through the night continued into Monday, and organizers postponed 60 doubles and junior tournament matches. They were still hoping to be able to fit in a big schedule of main draw singles action, though by 8:45 p.m., only Davenport and Capriati had completed their matches.\n"The bad news is: We're behind in matches, doing the best to make them up," tournament referee Brian Earley said. "We're certainly hopeful to get where we need to be. We know it's a hardship."\nDavenport only had a hard time right at the start against Farina Elia, dropping the first two games. Then she turned it on, winning four straight games and 12 of the remaining 14. Davenport won eight of the last nine points in each set, closing the match by breaking Farina-Elia's serve at love.\n"Once I got back on serve pretty early, I think I felt a lot better out there," Davenport said.\nThe American finished 2001 atop the rankings, but she was out from November until last month because of her knee injury. While Davenport and another former No. 1 player recovering from surgery, Martina Hingis, were sidelined, Serena and Venus Williams met in the last two Grand Slam finals and climbed to 1-2 in the world.\nIn Davenport's comeback, she reached the semifinals in the first two and the finals in the last two. Two losses came against Venus Williams, including the title match Saturday in New Haven, Conn.\nShe spent nine weeks on crutches after her operation in January, then endured months of rehabilitation that included eight hours a day using a machine that repeatedly bent and straightened her right knee.\nDavenport also changed her diet and has appeared fit in her four victories here.\nThe worst potential backlog was in the lower half of the men's draw, which includes four-time U.S. Open champion Pete Sampras, 1997 finalist Greg Rusedski, third-seeded Tommy Haas, and three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten.\nTheir third-round matches got under way Sunday, but they were halted in progress, with Sampras serving down 5-4 to Rusedski, Haas up a set against Thomas Enqvist, and Kuerten a set ahead of Nicolas Massu. Even if all were finished Monday, it meant one men's finalist probably would have to play five matches in seven days.\n"We know best-of-five (set matches) take a lot out of a guy," Earley said. "We know the bottom half of the draw is going to be a struggle for somebody."\nIt certainly wouldn't make things any easier for the 31-year-old Sampras, who has been struggling with his game of late. He hasn't won a tournament since July 2000, when at Wimbledon he claimed his record 13th Grand Slam title.\nOthers have more pressing fitness questions.\nHaas has had pain in his right arm -- though his coach, David Ayme, said Monday it's "not a factor when he gets on the court" -- and another player in that half of the draw, fifth-seeded Tim Henman, has been fighting right shoulder problems.\n"We're not even thinking that far ahead," Ayme said, referring to the chance that there could be a jammed schedule. "If we lose one, Tommy's on a plane, and he watches the rest of the tournament at home on TV."\nWhile pushing the men's final back a day to Sept. 9 could happen, Earley said there are some limits to what his options are as he tries to figure out a way to get all the matches in. No day's action will start before 11 a.m., for example, and players won't have to play more than one singles match in a day, unlike at some lesser tournaments where weather interrupts action.\nUnlike at Wimbledon, there aren't indoor practice courts made available to players during the two weeks of the U.S. Open. Instead, that space is handed over to sponsors and an area called SmashZone, where fans can measure how fast they serve or play the role of sports broadcaster by calling action from a match on tape.
(08/01/02 3:51am)
ASBURY PARK, N.J. -- The sun was shining. The surfers were riding the waves. The beach and boardwalk were packed. Matt and Katie were in bare feet. The Boss was in his element. \nAnd his fans -- some 10,000 of them -- were in hog heaven. \nGlory days, indeed: Bruce Springsteen headlined a "Today" show broadcast Tuesday from the hard-luck Jersey shore city where he made his name, performing live on a program that showcased some of his home state's greatest hits. \nSpringsteen, 52, played an acoustic set in Convention Hall to warm up, then returned with his nine-member band for a miniconcert that was carried live on "Today." \nThe appearance coincided with the release of "The Rising," the new CD from Springsteen and his E Street Band. \nThrongs of die-hard Springsteen fans flocked to the boardwalk, some lining up more than a day early for the nationally televised three-hour show, which began at 7 a.m. \nAmong them was Gary Horst, 46, of Richmond, Va., who draped a fading blue 27-year-old "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band" T-shirt over a boardwalk railing in hopes of catching "Today" cameras. \n"I drove up for the chance to see Bruce, in Asbury Park, on the 'Today' show. How much better can it get?"\nThe show, co-hosted by Katie Couric, Matt Lauer and weatherman Al Roker, included a taped interview with Springsteen and live segments on the beach that focused on surfing, sand-sculpting and cooking New Jersey-style. \nAtlantic City firefighter John Gowdy, a renowned sand sculptor, demonstrated his craft on a 12-foot tall sandcastle he had already erected on the beach, complete with "Today" logo. \nAuthor-chef Chris Styler of South Orange showed off New Jersey cuisine. His creations included grilled bluefish, grilled corn and Jersey tomato salad. \nThe show also spotlighted new efforts to breathe life into Asbury Park and its decrepit waterfront,which are the focus of a $1.2 billion redevelopment plan. \nAbout two dozen boats, surfers and personal watercraft users took in the scene from the ocean, about 100 yards from shore. \nThe beach crowds cheered and waved signs whenever a camera pointed in their direction. "They're a very easygoing crowd," said police Capt. Mark Kinmon. "We haven't had any troubles."\nThere was some good-natured mischief, though. \nCouric, reading her script to herself as she awaited the end of a commercial break, was hit on the back of the head with a beach ball thrown from the crowd. Hands on hips, she whirled around, glaring at the crowd in mock anger. \nWhile Couric, Lauer and Roker were on the beach, Springsteen was inside Convention Hall warming up. The 2,500-seat arena, which has no air conditioning, was sweltering hot, but fans gladly endured the discomfort to hear a solo Springsteen play acoustic versions of two oldies and a new song: "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street," "For You" and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." \nLater, with the band in tow and the cameras on, he played a 33-minute set that, except for "Glory Days," was all material from the new record. \nThe event and the thousands of fans who came for it transformed the Asbury Park waterfront into a bustling concert scene. \nA Howard Johnson's cafe on the boardwalk closed for eating, instead serving drinks through a window. "Too many people. We couldn't handle it," said bartender Tommy Anderson. \nThe cafe served 20,000 people -- total -- on Monday and Tuesday, he said.\n\n
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
As the dog days of summer drag on, and the infamous southern Indiana humidity rises, you may find the temptation to kick back in your La-Z-Boy, soak up the air conditioning and catch up on cable television's brain-draining smorgasbord of entertainment nearly impossible to resist. But a summer spent in Bloomington without enjoying her considerable natural resources is a summer wasted indeed, and the Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a tempting array of free entertainment that will keep your weekends booked from now until the leaves begin to turn.\nThursdays\n"Evening With the Stars" Movie Series -- 9 p.m., Bryan Park Pool\nBringing the seemingly incongruous worlds of swimming and classic cinema together, the Evening With the Stars series is held every week in Bryan Park Pool, 1100 S. Woodlawn Ave. You can take in the movie as you float, or for those who prefer to remain dry, the deck is available as well. The films are appropriate for the whole family, although some may carry a 'PG' rating. Upcoming showings include Preston Sturges' classic comedy "Sullivan's Travels" (1942) and Alfred Hitchcock's voyeuristic thriller "Rear Window" (1954). Call 349-3700 to get a complete listing of films.\nFridays\nPerforming Arts Series -- 7 - 8:30 p.m., Third Street Park.\nFor entertainment of a more musical bent, look no further than Third Street Park Fridays for an eclectic selection of live performers. This Friday (June 29), local Afropop band Afro-Hoosier International will be taking the stage. The unique group is comprised of nine members encompassing various races, both genders, and ages from 22 to 58 years old.\n"We like to play African popular music -- the kind of pop music you hear on radios and night clubs in African cities. It's dancing music," said Bob Port, a professor of linguistics and computer science at IU and a member of the group. "It represents a lot of different styles from different parts of Africa."\nFuture Friday night attractions include the Monika Herzig Acoustic Project (July 6) and Blues Underground (July 27). The summer is capped off with the Monroe County Civic Theatre's production of "The Merchant of Venice" (August 10 -11 & 17-18).\nSaturdays\n"A Fair of the Arts" -- 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., July 14, Aug. 11 and Sept. 8, Showers Common.\nThe Farmers' Market in Showers Common is already a Bloomington fixture, and on the second Saturdays of the month this summer, it will be supplemented by A Fair of the Arts, an event that allows local and area artists to showcase their work and peddle their wares. Parks Department's Community Events Specialist, Leslie Kaiser, said there will be about 24 booths and art vendors at the next fair. The arts and crafts for sale include candles, watercolor paintings, photos and mosaic work. Find the perfect knick-knack for your apartment or just take in the handiwork. Musical accompaniment July 14 will be provided by Lauren Lain Powell and Blaq Lily.\nSundays\nPerforming Arts Series -- 6:30 - 8 p.m, Ninth Street Park and Bryan Park.\nThere's another night of music on Sundays, starting in Ninth Street Park (Ninth & Fairview) for the first two weeks in July before moving to Bryan Park for the rest of the summer.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a horrific sequence of destruction, terrorists hijacked two airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in a coordinated series of attacks Tuesday morning that brought down the twin 110-story towers. A plane also slammed into the Pentagon, raising fears that the seat of government itself was under attack.\n"I have a sense it's a horrendous number of lives lost," Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. "Right now we have to focus on saving as many lives as possible."\nAuthorities had been trying to evacuate those who work in the twin towers, but many were thought to have been trapped. About 50,000 people work at the Trade Center. American Airlines said its two aircraft were carrying a total of 156 people.\n"This is perhaps the most audacious terrorist attack that's ever taken place in the world," said Chris Yates, an aviation expert at Jane's Transport in London. "It takes a logistics operation from the terror group involved that is second to none. Only a very small handful of terror groups is on that list. ... I would name at the top of the list Osama bin Laden."\nPresident Bush ordered a full-scale investigation to "hunt down the folks who committed this act."\nWithin the hour, the Pentagon took a direct, devastating hit from an aircraft. The fiery crash collapsed one side of the five-sided structure.\nThe White House, the Pentagon and the Capitol were evacuated along with other federal buildings in Washington and New York.\nAuthorities in Washington immediately began deploying troops, including an infantry regiment. The Situation Room at the White House was in full operation. And authorities went on alert from coast to coast, halting all air traffic and tightening security at strategic installations.\n"This is the second Pearl Harbor. I don't think that I overstate it," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.\nAmerican Airlines identified the planes that crashed into the Trade Center as Flight 11, a Los Angeles-bound jet hijacked after takeoff from Boston with 92 people aboard, and Flight 77, which was seized while carrying 64 people from Washington to Los Angeles.\nIn Pennsylvania, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashed about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh with 45 people aboard. The fate of those aboard was not immediately known and it was not clear if the crash was related to the disasters elsewhere. In a statement, United said another of its planes, Flight 175, a Boeing 767 bound from Boston to Los Angeles with 65 people on board, also crashed, but it did not say where.\nEvacuations were ordered at the United Nations in New York and at the Sears Tower in Chicago. Los Angeles mobilized its anti-terrorism division, and security was intensified around the naval installations in Hampton Roads, Va. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., was evacuated.\nAt the World Trade Center, "everyone was screaming, crying, running, cops, people, firefighters, everyone," said Mike Smith, a fire marshal. "It's like a war zone."\n"I just saw the building I work in come down," said businessman Gabriel Ioan, shaking in shock outside City Hall, a cloud of smoke and ash from the World Trade Center behind him.\nNearby a crowd mobbed a man on a pay phone, screaming at him to get off the phone so that they could call relatives. Dust and dirt flew everywhere. Ash was 2 to 3 inches deep in places. People wandered dazed and terrified.\nThe planes blasted fiery, gaping holes in the upper floors of the twin towers. A witness said he saw bodies falling and people jumping out. About an hour later, the southern tower collapsed with a roar and a huge cloud of smoke; the other tower fell about a half-hour after that, covering lower Manhattan in heaps of gray rubble and broken glass. Firefighters trapped in the rubble radioed for help.\n"Today we've had a national tragedy," Bush said from Sarasota, Fla. "Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country." He said he would be returning immediately to Washington.\nThe crashes at the World Trade Center happened minutes apart, beginning just before 9 a.m.\nHeavy black smoke billowed into the sky above one of New York City's most famous landmarks, and debris rained down on the street, one of the city's busiest work areas. When the second plane hit a fireball of flame and smoke erupted, leaving a huge hole in the glass and steel tower.\nJohn Axisa, who was getting off a commuter train to the World Trade Center, said he saw "bodies falling out" of the building. He said he ran outside, and watched people jump out of the first building. Then there was a second explosion, and he felt heat on the back of neck.\nWCBS-TV, citing an FBI agent, said five or six people jumped out of the windows. Witnesses on the street screamed every time another person leaped.\nPeople ran down the stairs in panic and fled the building. Thousands of pieces of what appeared to be office paper drifted over Brooklyn, about three miles away.\nSeveral subway lines were immediately shut down. Trading on Wall Street was suspended. New York's mayoral primary election Tuesday was postponed. All bridges and tunnels into Manhattan were closed.\nDavid Reck was handing out literature for a candidate for public advocate a few blocks away when he saw a jet come in "very low, and then it made a slight twist and dove into the building."\nTerrorist bombers struck the World Trade Center in February 1993, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.\n"It's just sick. It just shows how vulnerable we really are," Keith Meyers, 39, said in Columbus, Ohio. "It kind of makes you want to go home and spend time with your family. It puts everything in perspective," Meyers said. He said he called to check in with his wife. They have two young children.\nIn New York, "we heard a large boom and then we saw all this debris just falling," said Harriet Grimm, who was inside a bookstore on the World Trade Center's first floor when the first explosion rocked the building.\n"The plane was coming in low and ... it looked like it hit at a slight angle," said Sean Murtagh, a CNN vice president, the network reported.\nIn 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25, a twin-engine bomber, crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in dense fog.\nIn Florida, Bush was reading to children in a classroom at 9:05 a.m. when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered into his ear. The president briefly turned somber before he resumed reading. He addressed the tragedy about a half-hour later.
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Red, white and blue balloons bunched together were the only indication of a "special event" Nicks English Hut, 423 E. Kirkwood Ave., sent to passers-by Thursday.\nWaitresses and bartenders worked almost for free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., donating all their tips to aid the Red Cross in relief efforts of the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York last week.\n"We wanted to do something to help and we knew giving blood wasn't an option," said Wendy Clendening, a waitress who is also a sophomore at the University.\nShe said that blood banks probably had enough donors at this time due public outcry, and also that she herself could not give blood. \n"So we thought about donating our tips here," Clendening said.\nAround noon the flood came; a line of people formed at the door, and the wooden booths were filled. Many of the lunching patrons wore a red, white and blue ribbon, like the ones that sat on the counter by the front window, accompanied by a jar with a sign: "donations for ribbons." \nNick's -- characterized by a friendly atmosphere that resembles Cheers, complete with mounted taxidermy and six televisions over the bar blaring four channels -- had its benefit under way.\n"I was pretty floored by it," said Nick's customer Jason Bennett, a Bloomington resident. "It basically means that the entire staff is giving up a day's pay." \n"We all just wanted to do something tangible to help these people," said waitress Natalie Cabanaw, Bloomington resident. "All the waitresses who agreed to do this with me are full time students. And, I just think it is really cool that they would agree to do it. It's really a big tribute to them."\nCo-owner Rex Barnes said the event took about a week to plan. While Nick's advertised moderately, news of the benefit mainly traveled from customer to customer. \n"One of our customers mailed 500 people yesterday," he said.\nAnd it worked.\n"I'd say I'd leave a bigger tip today because of it, to help out," said Becky Kehrberg, a Bloomington resident.\nBennett was equally impressed with their efforts. \n"If the staff is basically donating a days pay, think about the difference that it would make if everyone did the same," he said.\nNick's is no stranger to fund-raising. The restaurant/bar does four to five of such events yearly, Cabanaw said, the most recent being for the family of Jill Behrman, a missing IU student and Bloomington native. The bar raised nearly $1000 in tips at that event.
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The Sept. 11 attacks have changed America forever, in almost every sphere of life. The economy, politics, religion and even the entertainment industry have all been affected by the huge loss of life and the loss of security. There has been a build up of fear, and with fear comes panic. And everyone has become increasingly careful, particularly in entertainment.\nNBC pushed back premiere week in the wake of the tragedy. Blockbuster stores across the country have been putting warning labels on any video that contains terrorist content.\nNBC's "Alias" and Fox's "24" have been put on hold for the time being, as they both contain "CIA" themes, according to CNN.com. CNN also reports that "24" was particularly touchy because it contains the destruction of a passenger plane by a terrorist. "The Agency," a CBS show, involves a plot by several terrorists to blow up a department store.\nBill Maher, host of ABC's late night television show "Politically Incorrect," recently came under fire for comments he made about the terrorists. In a discussion about the events and character of the terrorists, Maher said the terrorists were mislabeled as cowards. According to The New York Times, Maher said "We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." \nThe New York Times also reported that "Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, denounced Mr. Maher, saying of news organizations, and all Americans, that 'in times like these people have to watch what they say and watch what they do.'" \nGranted, Maher's position might not be a popular point of view, but expressing views, whether they are popular or not, is a part of being American. Maher may be right, and he may be wrong. A lot of people may support this view, and a lot of people may not. But if Americans are really recommitted to their country and its ideals in the aftermath of the tragedy, they should be able to accept the fact that we are still entitled to free speech. The American flags flying in practically every window are not just pieces of cloth -- they have principles behind them.\nDuring the Red Scare in America, the government was very wary of what people were saying and doing. People were afraid of a war with Communist enemies. People were arrested for saying something even remotely suspicious. Today, we are also afraid. But we cannot let it get to the point where mainstream society and even the government punishes people for their views.\nEveryone deals with tragedy differently, and what might be right for one American is not right for all Americans. We all want to live in a safe, happy country, but it is certain that we will not give up our basic constitutional rights to do so.\nStaff vote: Unanimous
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This weekend, despite the looming threat of rainy weather, current, former and future students and members of the Bloomington community gathered to revisit the past, look toward years to come, cheer on the team and celebrate all that is cream and crimson.\nIU celebrated Homecoming with the 43rd annual homecoming parade and pep rally, "Yell Like Hell" spirit competitions, the reunions of IU classes from 1961 and 1976, and of course, the football game against Illinois.\nMany of the events for Homecoming were organized by the IU Alumni and Student Alumni Associations and the Student Athletic Board. The alumni were welcomed back to the campus with a luncheon in Mellencamp Pavilion before the start of the football game, and with an open house at the Virgil T. Devault Alumni center on 17th Street.\n"Yell Like Hell," the yearly student spirit competition, was held Oct. 11 at the Willkie Quad Auditorium. Student groups competed in a cheer and spirit contest, and were also treated to a concert by the a cappella groups Straight No Chaser and Ladies First.\nThe pep rally featured cheers led by parade grand marshall and Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, along with the IU Marching Hundred, the IU cheerleading and pom squads and the IU football team. Inspiring statements were made by seniors Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams, two of the team's captains.\nBrehm dressed appropriately for the occasion, donning a cream and crimson cheerleading outfit.\nDuring the festivities, several individuals and organizations were honored:\n• The Homecoming court was crowned after the parade and pep rally at the Sample Gates. The king was junior Arty Allen, and the queen was senior Elizabeth Kienzler.\n•Zeta Beta Tau and Delta Gamma captured the "Yell like Hell" Spirit session, as well as other homecoming events, making them the overall homecoming winners. Representatives from ZBT and DG were awarded the alumni association grand champion trophy during the third quarter of the IU homecoming game.\n• Phi Mu and Phi Kappa Psi were runners up.\n• Forest Residence Center won the window painting competition.\n• Delta Gamma and Zeta Beta Tau won the banner display contest.\n• Phi Mu and Phi Kappa Psi won the Cream and Crimson Award, given to the float best exemplifying the homecoming theme "Let the Good Times Roll."\n• National Residence Halls Honorary won the Best Overall Float entry.\n• Delta Sigma Theta won first place in Marching.
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Correction: The Monroe County Bank was misidentified in this story. The IDS regrets the error.\nFace lifts for some of Bloomington's public facilities are not the tasks of construction crews, but the hard work of hundreds of volunteers. Bloomington Volunteer Network pulled together human resources for a week of local fall clean up this week referred to as Week of Caring.\nIn 1996, the Bloomington Volunteer Network and the United Way joined forces for a day of fall clean up. Bet Savich says that one day was not enough to complete all of the tasks that Bloomington Volunteer Network would have liked to accomplish. So Day of Caring evolved into Week of Caring the following year. \nRaise the Roof is one segment of Week of Caring dedicated to home improvements. Doris Sims, director of housing and Neighborhood Development said volunteers of an IU Community Outreach and Partnerships in Service Learning will weatherize homes, secure air conditioners, seal windows and clean out gutters of four low-income homes in Monroe County. Sims said she thinks that people are becoming more aware of volunteering because of the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11. \nSavich, director of Bloomington Volunteer Network, said people are more eager to volunteer their time. \n"Because of our empathy for those affected directly by the terrorist attacks, and everything we've all been through this last month, many people are feeling an overwhelming desire to act," Savich said. "Becoming more involved can help restore a sense of hope in our hearts, homes, and ultimately our nation." \nLocal organizations and University organizations recruited more than 500 volunteers in the Monroe County area to participate in charity events for Week of Caring. Beyond the volunteer organizations pitching in their efforts, several other businesses or clubs formed volunteer teams. Monroe Bank, for example, has teams cleaning gutters, painting offices, reading to children and doing various other projects around Monroe County. \nToday, Monroe Bank will close at noon so about 150 employees can participate in those Week of Caring events. Volunteers will work at Hannah House Maternity home, Harmony School, Middle Way House, Monroe County Public Library, Area 10 Agency on Aging and various other facilities in the area. \n"Our goal is to demonstrate volunteer work and give back to the community," Carmen Odle, group leader for the volunteers, said. "We want to set an example for other businesses," she added.\n"I want to encourage people to volunteer," Savich said. \nAside from the physical aspects of Week of Caring, there are other events for elderly folks and children to participate in. Monday night senior citizens had the opportunity to interact with children. \n"Rocking babies was really fun," Georgia Schaich, director of retired Senior Volunteer Program, said. "Many seniors can't be with their own grandchildren, so they enjoyed spending time with babies," she said. \nA new feature of Week of Caring is Senior Day of Caring on Friday. Volunteer senior citizens will collaborate to sew baby blankets for needy babies around the world. \nVisit www.idsnews.com for links containing more information about Bloomington Volunteer Network.
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Several dozen peace activists marched from their peace camp in Dunn Meadow to the intersection of Third Street and College Mall Road Saturday, encountering mixed reaction from passers-by. \nThe protesters sought to express concern about U.S. bombing in Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on Washington and New York. \nProfessor Emeritus of Philosophy Milton Fisk said those who oppose the military campaign, now a distinct minority, support action to halt global terrorism, but not the action undertaken by President George W. Bush. \n"We want some kind of justice, but we differ on the means," Fisk said. "We cannot say 'go ahead' with the war."\nDuring their march, protesters encountered mixed reaction, although most onlookers were supporting the war. \nOne man rolled down his window as he drove by on College Mall Road to yell: "What's your solution?"\nMarcher Peter Drake, a graduate student, said in lieu of bombing, the United States should work in coordination with international law enforcement agencies to track down terrorists, cut off funding to terrorist organizations and involve the United Nations more in the response. \nSome protesters suggested the United States should stop supporting repressive regimes in oil-producing countries. \n"Only in that way can we stamp out the problems that cause terrorism," Fisk said. \nDrake said he worries that the U.S. bombing will simply work to aggravate the terrorist groups, propelling them into taking further action. \n"This could escalate and blow up," Drake said. "The goal has moved from dealing with terrorism to taking the Taliban out of power."\nBut some passers-by associated the peace protesters with the terrorists. \n"You all need to be sent to Afghanistan," one woman shouted. \nMoments later, another driver associated the marchers with Afghanistan, yelling, "Get a life. Go back."\nDespite the reaction, marchers said they wanted the public to know that some opposition to the U.S./U.K.-led campaign does exist.\n"I think we are not getting a fair share of media and there are many people who are against the war, but they feel they are in a minority," said Bloomington resident Reza Pishghi. "Actions like this help get the message out that there are others." \nSome passers-by showed support for the protesters' message with a thumbs-up sign or a honk and a wave.\nOpponents of the bombing said they do not distinguish between the lives of Americans and those of Afghans, be they in Los Angeles or Kabul. All life, they said, is sacred. \nA passer-by disagreed: "Bomb the hell out of them."\nRegion editor Stacy Kess contributed to this story.
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- The television tower lies toppled on its hill, felled by aerial bombing. Not that it matters much to people in Kabul. Their Taliban rulers long ago banned television as part of their rigid Islamic program. \nTanker trucks are spread throughout the city, apparently to disperse the Taliban's oil supplies away from the fuel depots that are on the list of bombing targets. \nThe Foreign Ministry, in the center of Kabul, is untouched by the U.S.-led bombing. Some of its staff have left for Pakistan, while others are taking exams to become diplomats. The successful ones will represent a regime recognized by only one government -- Pakistan. \nMost of the Taliban ministers remain. The Taliban Cabinet continues to meet every week but in an undisclosed location since the bombing began. The presidential palace, once its home, was damaged by fighting years earlier. \nAfter nearly five weeks of bombing, the damage done by the planes seems slight. Only a small portion of the city has been directly hit. The government continues to function. The Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, who has only rarely visited Kabul, is said to still be in Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold, 285 miles to the southwest. But his headquarters and home in Kandahar have been bombed and it's not known from where he operates. \nAfter 20 years of Soviet occupation, civil war and now the U.S. and British air campaign, life for ordinary people in Kabul could be described simply as more of the dreadful same, night after night of explosions, shaking buildings, fear and death. \nThe Taliban regime and the Pentagon dispute each other's casualty figures. The U.S. government insists it's trying to avoid harming civilians, but this is a city where military targets are woven into residential neighborhoods. \nAmong the dead since the offensive began Oct. 7 are two families, each of eight people; three children killed when a bomb landed near their home; and four U.N. mine-clearing employees. The Red Cross compound has been hit twice. The children's hospital says it has admitted 29 children. \nOn the streets and in the few restaurants still open, Afghans readily express their sympathy for the thousands killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, but are bewildered to find themselves caught up in America's war against Osama bin Laden, the suspected terrorist mastermind, and his al Qaeda network. The United States launched the air assault after the Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden. \nAlthough the buildings tremble throughout Kabul when the bombs fall, only a small portion of the city has been directly hit. \nNear the Ariana Chowk neighborhood, which has suffered no damage, is the centuries-old presidential palace where the Taliban used to hold Cabinet meetings. It is badly damaged, not by air raids, however, but by the bitter civil war between Islamic factions that preceded the Taliban's rise to power in 1996. \nLast weekend, B-52 bombers pummeled the mountains that ring Kabul. The earth shook, windows rattled and residents trembled. \nThe rocket-rutted road to Kabul International Airport is lined with rickety wooden shops and mud houses nearby. They shuddered for several nights running as 1,000-pound bombs hit the airport. \nThe Taliban have said the airports in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Herat have all been heavily damaged. Kabul's airport is off-limits, and it isn't known whether any of Afghanistan's antiquated fighters survived. \nOutside the mud walls around the tomb of the emperor Barbar, children with dirt-streaked faces push, shove and tumble about in the sand. \nA man on a bicycle, Abdul Jan, bounces down the hill, a passenger teetering on the back. Pausing for a rest, he reminisces about the trees and gardens that made this such a perfect picnic spot. \n"We would bring tents, and small stoves and pots and the very best food," he said. \n"Life used to be sweet." \nThose days seem as far away as the memory of the 16th century Mogul emperor, his burial ground now a rock-strewn overgrown mess, its surrounding trees cut down for firewood. \nThe damage done by the planes seems slight compared with what went before. Along the Kabul River to the south of the city are entire neighborhoods ruined in the 1990s by the civil war between the various Islamic factions that now make up the northern alliance and are fighting the Taliban. \nMacroyan, a Soviet-era complex of dozens of six-story apartment buildings, was heavily damaged. Today it is occupied by the poor. Tattered blankets cover shell holes in the walls. A few windows have panes, but most are covered by sheets and blankets. \nThere are communications towers and artillery positions on the nearby hills, and when night comes, and a curfew and power shutdown plunge the city into silence and darkness, people start listening for the roar of jets. \nIn Macroyan, residents say, some gather on the ground floors when the jets come. Some run away. But most just hunker down in their homes and hope for the best. The worst off are the poorest, who live on hillsides outside the city where the land is free. But the slopes are also where the Taliban guns are positioned. \nIn some cases, the bombing means the displacement of the already displaced. \nYears ago, civil war drove Allah Saeed north to the Khair Khana neighborhood of Kabul. There the impoverished family built a new home on free slope land. But the hilly northern neighborhood is full of targets, the Baba Jan garrison, an artillery unit and an anti-aircraft unit, that have attracted the bombers. \nOne of the families of eight who were killed lived in a mud house in Qali Hotai and the other in Khair Khana, and last week Saeed loaded the family's tattered belongings onto a truck and headed to a safer part of the neighborhood. \n"The bombing was every night and so close. Everything shook. All the children were crying and I was crying," Saeed said. \nHaqer Naser and his family found themselves in the same predicament. They had to abandon their house and move in with a relative. \n"We have nothing except our lives. We had to leave," Naser said, as Kabul got ready for another night of bombing. \n"I just want it to stop," he said. "Our lives are in ruins"
