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Nation's shock, concern hit home
By JIM ROSS, ALEX LEARYand BRIDGET HALL GRUMET
© St. Petersburg Times, American flags flew at half-staff. Businesses erected signs with messages such as "Pray, America." The County Commission meeting ended much sooner than usual; churches stayed open much later than usual. Florida Power geared up its security apparatus -- just in case. The indications, some more obvious than others, were everywhere Tuesday: Citrus County, like all America, was on alert and in mourning. Concern, not panic, carried the day. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office, for example, did not activate its emergency operations center. Schools remained open and there were no plans to close them today. The biggest trouble might have come on the telephone lines, particularly for people trying to reach New York or Washington, where terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The lines were overloaded, and some citizens had trouble getting through. Here's a roundup from some key players: SCHOOLS: Citrus schools remained open Tuesday and were scheduled to remain open today. . Parents on Tuesday were allowed to take their children home early, and many people did so. FLORIDA POWER: Staff at the nuclear plant reacted as if it were the target of a direct threat, spokesman Mac Harris said. He said officials were monitoring media reports of the terrorism. "As a result of the national emergency, additional security measures have been taken at the Crystal River complex to assure the safety of employees and the public," Harris said in a statement. "Access to the site has been limited to those with essential business, our security forces are on heightened alert, and we have been in contact with law enforcement agencies to provide additional support to the site should it be needed." The plant has a highly trained security force but Harris declined to answer specifics about the armament. Crystal River Police Chief Jim Farley contacted Florida Power early Tuesday to discuss safety and health concerns. "You have to think about that, a plane hitting it or someone trying to detonate some type of device," Farley said in an interview. Asked if the plant could withstand a suicide attack by a jetliner, Harris declined to provide specifics. But in 1996, Florida Power, reacting to concerns about terrorism, said the complex would be safe even if a 727 jet slammed into its concrete containment building. AIRPORTS: The Federal Aviation Administration shut down airports nationwide, including the Crystal River and Inverness facilities. "It's national security," said Gudi Davis of Crystal Aero Group, which operates the local airports. "It's very tense, very somber. This is a horrific day in history." Planes were instructed to land so aviation officials could better monitor radar for possible terrorist activity, Davis said. "We're telling everybody who wants to fly, "Sorry, we can't take you,' " Davis said. Charlie Carr, a charter pilot, and a client were stranded in Tallahassee after their plane was grounded. They left Crystal River about 8 a.m. COUNTY COMMISSION: Commissioners ended the 1 p.m. meeting at 1:05 p.m. "I think the people of this county, this state and this country are more concerned with the national tragedies that have occurred today," Commission Chairman Roger Batchelor said. Commissioners agreed that flags at all county buildings should fly at half-staff. Separately, Weston Stow, a retired commander from the Navy, urged everyone to fly the American flag at half-staff for the next 30 days as a sign of mourning. KAREN THURMAN: Citrus County's representative in Washington, D.C., was at her southwest Washington home when news of the New York attacks first surfaced. She hurried to the office and immediately learned of the Pentagon plane crash. She immediately rounded up the staffers in her office -- about nine at the time -- and took them to her home. "I was not taking any chances. We needed to get out of there, so I brought them here and we're all kind of around the TV trying to find out what's going on. We're all kind of stunned," Thurman said. Staffers at Thurman's office in Inverness are available to help. The number is 344-3044 NANCY ARGENZIANO: State Rep. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River, was attending a House committee meeting Tuesday morning in Tallahassee when she heard about the terrorist attacks. "I called home. I wanted to hear where my son was," an emotional Argenziano said. Her son, Joseph Hall, is a helicopter crew chief with the U.S. Air Force and is now stationed in Texas. Argenziano also scrambled to check on her father, who lives in New York and is okay, and a cousin, who works at the World Trade Center and whose well-being was unclear late Tuesday morning. "I'm just devastated like the rest of the nation is at this," she said. "I just can't believe what I'm seeing. I'm on the verge of crying. I don't know whether to grab a bag and go to New York. I don't know what to do. I feel hopeless." Argenziano grew up in Brooklyn. "I remember when those buildings were being built," she said. A best friend's boyfriend worked on the project. "It's just sickening." CHURCHES: Across the county, churches opened their doors for longer hours and offered special services to pray for the victims and their families. The Crystal River United Methodist Church, which normally closes its NW 1st Avenue church around 4:30 p.m., stayed open until 10 p.m. Tuesday for parishioners to offer their prayers. Prayer services were also held Tuesday evening at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Crystal River and the First Baptist Church of Inverness. First Presbyterian Church of Crystal River scheduled a prayer service at 7 p.m. tonight. "It's obvious that since Pearl Harbor, we haven't had a need like we have today. People are just devastated," said Pastor Babb H. Adams of the First Baptist Church of Inverness. "This will very likely affect every American. Everyone will know someone who was hurt or killed in those buildings, or they know someone else who has a friend or relative who was." - This report includes information from staff writers Greg Hamilton, Carrie Johnson and Barbara Behrendt.
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