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Miles away, Sept. 11 hits home
By JIM ROSS, Times Staff Writer The terrorists attacked in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. But the effects of their evil sounded throughout the land. Even in Citrus County. Just ask Stan and Sonia Wishin of Inverness. They lost a grandson, Lee Fehling, on Sept. 11. He was a firefighter trying to save people in the World Trade Center. Or ask Jack and Jean Fawley of Sugarmill Woods. They lost a nephew, Todd Beamer, who was among the brave passengers who forced hijackers to crash a United Airlines jet into an empty Pennsylvania field instead of some American landmark. Even Citrus residents not directly linked to a victim or survivor were stung on that tragic Tuesday. Who didn't stare at the TV screen or listen to the radio or follow newspaper reports? How many businesses posted "God Bless America" signs out front? How many homeowners flew the flag at half-staff? Terrorism, its lingering effects and the anthrax scare stand collectively as Citrus County's top story during 2001. No other story even came close. Where were you when you heard the news? What was the important news of your day? Headline stories in the Sept. 11 Citrus Times addressed the prospects of the new Crystal River city manager and the proper use of revenue from the state's tire tax. Then came the horror. The first plane hit the first tower in New York just before 9 a.m. The second plane hit the second tower 18 minutes later. Then came word of plane crashes at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Citrus schools and government offices remained open Sept. 11 and the following days. Business carried on, more or less as usual. But there was no doubt the county remained in a prolonged period of mourning. Business signs implored people to pray -- and pray they did, at many special church services, informal gatherings and candlelight vigils. Flags flew at half-staff for weeks. Volunteers lined up to donate blood in overwhelming numbers. The most obvious sign of how things had changed could be found at the Inverness and Crystal River airports and at Florida Power. The airports closed on Sept. 11, as did terminals both large and small nationwide, only to reopen a few days later. On Oct. 23, two F-16s forced a small plane that was flying too close to the nuclear plant to land. The plane carried two men and a lot of marijuana, not terrorists. Still, one week later, the government banned all aviation within 11.5 miles of nuclear power plants. That put the Crystal River Airport effectively out of business for a week. Florida Power, whose energy complex north of Crystal River could have been a target for terrorists, maintained heightened security, restricting access to those with essential business. Guards with automatic weapons checked security badges at the gate. Concrete barricades were strategically placed. The Coast Guard established no-trespass zones in the gulf. "After Sept. 11, terrorism came home," Florida Power spokesman Mac Harris said. There is no evidence linking the anthrax scare with the terrorist attacks. But the timing caused many people to suspect a connection. Regardless of the perpetrators, Citrus County took precautions. Hospitals and the health department reviewed emergency procedures and stayed in contact with relevant government authorities. The health department provided information to local physicians on the various biological agents that could be used in a terrorist attack. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office established a special information hotline. As anthrax fear spread, people began taking their own precautions. Some visited the Military Outlet in Crystal River in search of gas masks. A handful contacted the Sheriff's Office with concerns about letters they had received. County employees who handle mail received latex gloves and instructions on how to detect suspicious packages. At the county courthouse, the mail room attendant started wearing gloves as a precaution. "He has been asked if he sees anything abnormal to simply leave it and dial 911," said Clerk of the Circuit Court Betty Strifler. Pack-N-Post, a Crystal River shipping business, started rejecting all mail without a return address. "We're being very, very careful," said manager Carla Boleware. For all the understandable worrying, there were few problems reported in Citrus. On Oct. 17, authorities investigated two cases: one involved a suspicious package containing white powder that had been delivered to Florida Power, the other a mailbox north of Crystal River that was filled with white powder. Neither turned out to be anthrax related. Separately, a Citrus High School student wrote on a school computer: "Anthrax is here and in this school, bye now." It was a hoax, but the boy was arrested, nonetheless, and later charged with disrupting a school, a second-degree misdemeanor. Past stories of the year in Citrus: 2000: The weather (drought, brush fires). 1999: Juvenile violent crime. 1998: The weather (floods in Arrowhead, excessive rain, heat and tornadoes).
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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