PORT ANGELES — After Seattle canceled its December 1999 New Year’s Eve celebration because of terrorist threats, many city residents gathered three months later to watch the implosion of the Kingdome.
The event was billed as the New Year Eve’s party the city never had.
More than a year later, terrorists used airliners as bombs to topple the World Trade Center.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, state Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, says he won’t be able to watch another building demolition.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever watch one of those,” he said. “It used to be a festive occasion. It’s not fun anymore.”
Buck traveled to New York City three weeks after the terrorist attacks for a West Point reunion.
The attack area was sealed off at Canal Street, but Buck received a police escort inside the perimeter to get a firsthand look at the destruction and the cleanup effort.
He is compiling a computerized slide show that includes his own photographs and others, along with locator maps and graphics, that he is considering donating to the Smithsonian or New York Historical Society.
Buck will present his slide show today during a Forks Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Smoke House Restaurant, 193161 Highway 101, Forks.
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The rest of this story appears in the Wednesday Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.
