On Saturday 9/15 on flight between Fairbanks and Anchorage I was sitting next to a native Eskimo (Inupiaq) who is a fireman in Barrow, AK, the northernmost city in the U.S. (800 miles from the pole). The city has a population of about 5000. We talked about a number of things but he told me that on the prior day the firemen, police, and other citizens of Barrow had candlelight vigil for WTC victims. It was the first such event in Barrow in his memory. I was touched by his emotion.

My mother lives in Manhattan's East Village, about 1 3/4 miles (<3 km) away from "ground zero". Depending on the wind direction, she's affected by the WTC smoke and smell to this day. She's grateful for some cleansing rain, today. Living South of 14th Street meant that my sisters, who also live in Manhattan, had to walk in the groceries for her. Until a couple days ago, the local stores could not be re-supplied because non-emergency vehicles are not allowed in the area. When I called her from Alaska, she was more concerned about my wife and me getting home to Charlotte than about her own condition.