Month Eight: April
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| Waiting for the pipers, Central Park |
Eight thousand bagpipers march through Central Park for the Tunes of Glory Parade, led by pipers from the NYPD, the Port Authority, and the FDNY Emerald Society.
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Flags on pipes
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| NYPD drums |
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| Photographs of the missing |
Two people marching together wear photographs of a missing officer: I don’t know their story, but a person standing next to me thinks they are the officer’s wife and father.
That evening in my local bar, I speak with a retired fireman who came in from Staten Island for ten days after the collapse to lead a team of policemen in search and rescue:
“On day one, we couldn’t even get close. Days two and three we spent digging in the dust. Every now and then I would find this gritty, almost liquid dust. Not wet, but it felt like something was there. I called the search dog over and the dog barked—a hit. But, after a couple of times I stopped calling the dog over—the smell of death depresses them, and they get depressed when they can’t find living people. So, I just put the material in the body bag. We found rings and purses and so on, and put them in the bags as well. Everything is important because it might help a family closer to closure.”
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Central Park
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| Tower of Babble |
New protest posters appear, with Enron added to the list.
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Stop the war
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Approaching spiritual death
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Fire rescue
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Missing: Lila
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Bio-terrorism: are we prepared?
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Brooklyn Heights Promenade
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| From the Tribeca Bridge |
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Pier 25
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| The last photograph |
On April 13, the last night of the Tribute in Light, the lights are set to remain on until dawn.
Unfortunately, just after taking the photograph at left, I drop my camera and smash the lens casing.
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Progress
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Hard Hat Café II
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| Walking the line |
A few days later, I return to the site with a new camera.
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| FDNY Ambulances |
For the first time, I see a line of FDNY ambulances waiting to take away found remains.
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The view from Church Street
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Back to work
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Chapel and flag above the viewing platform
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Viewing platform information
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Liberty Street
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South bridge and walkway
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Opaque
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| Old signs |
A walkway down Liberty Street through part of the World Financial Center is opened, simplifying access to Battery Park City.
Windows along the walkway are opaqued to keep people from looking out.
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Inside the WFC
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So those are bollards ...
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| “Counter Terrorist” needs a hyphen |
Discreet sunk-metal bollards replace the large concrete planters protecting the entrance to the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on Broadway.
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City Hall Park
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April showers break a record-setting week of 90° temperatures.
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Battery Park City
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| Spotlights in the mist |
