The handmade signs expressing patriotism around the neighborhood are gone, weathered by a year of the elements. Gone, too, are the film clips of the airplanes, the smoke above New York City, panicked workers running from the District of Columbia, or bin Laden speculations. What is not gone, though, is the indelible impression left on many minds. Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) looked at the challenge he faces in the Springfield area.
"The biggest challenge since Sept. 11 has been the constant give and take between people's immediate fears and the long-term need to preserve what makes this country and our community unique. We are indeed fortunate that so many of the civilian and military leaders who are major players in this day-to-day balancing act call Springfield home," he said.
Over at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Lydia Webers, administrative assistant, counted the congregation’s blessings.
"We were really lucky. We had a lot of people that were at the Pentagon and only one injury," she said.
Springfield resident Bob Teske noticed he questioned people, which was something he didn't do before.
"The world is a lot smaller than a lot of people think, the incident on 9/11 proves that no one is safe. It's made me question a lot," he said.
Around school, Ashlee Curcio thinks most of the changes are internal. Many are keeping it to themselves.
"After the first couple of months, it changed; now it's back to normal. I'm still kind of nervous," she said.
April Norman has noticed things on the streets around Springfield.
"People are probably nicer on the road. They tend to be a little more tolerant," she said.
AROUND THE POLICE STATIONS, a message stressing awareness has come down from the top. Capt. Jim Morris, at the Franconia station, and Debbie Burnette, assistant commander at the West Springfield District station, have been focused on potential hot spots in their districts. These spots were identified by headquarters as "high profile," places, according to Burnette.
"Much effort has been made to identify those sites," she said.
Morris noted the concentration in his area as well.
"Reaching out to sensitive facilities, because of Sept. 11, we've fine-tuned it," he said.
Each district station was ordered to identify the spots, maintain points of contact, update phone lists as well as addresses.
"The chief made it pretty clear we're in charge of that," Morris said.
Burnette said that Fairfax County now has an intelligence team that stays in touch with the FBI as well.
"We developed an intelligence unit. They work very closely with the FBI," she said.
Officer Ed O'Carroll, a Fairfax County Police crime prevention officer from the Franconia District Station, noticed more attention to the Neighborhood Watch programs, but not to the point of paranoia.
"We're doing more security and assessments of homes and businesses. Folks are a little more alert [as to what’s going on in] their community. We thought that's the way [paranoia] it would be, but no one's taken it to the extreme," he said.
Linda Waller, administrative assistant in Supervisor Kauffman's office, replays the day in her mind.
"It underpins everything. It's there. I can tell you exactly where I was when I heard it, a county policy revitalization meeting. Someone handed the county executive a note," she said.
Back at the office on Franconia road, "there wasn't anything to say, it was like watching a bad movie," she said.