New York City: 1993 WTC attack recalled

Families of the six people killed when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center nine years ago were remembered Tuesday with a Mass near the site, now known for a terrorist attack that killed thousands on Sept. 11.

About 200 people attended the service at St. Peter’s Church, just a few steps from where the trade center towers stood. By the altar, six red roses were placed near a fragment of the granite memorial fountain, now destroyed, that was erected in the trade center plaza in 1995.

The families have gathered for a memorial service at the church each year on Feb. 26, the day terrorists detonated a truck filled with 1,200 pounds of explosives in the basement of the trade center.

In the past, they would visit the fountain at 12:18 p.m., the time of the explosion. On Tuesday, the families were escorted to a private platform overlooking the trade center site.

Washington, D.C.: National Guard troops to patrol Canada border

More than 700 National Guard troops will begin patrolling the U.S.-Canadian border within the next several weeks as part of a major campaign to gird the United States against possible terrorist attacks, officials said Tuesday.

Under a temporary six-month assignment, the troops are expected to provide support for border forces in air operations, cargo inspections, traffic management, pedestrian control and administrative services in an effort to head off terrorist threats. Canada has been home to several Islamic terrorist cells dating to at least the mid-1990s.

Virginia: Charities see a rebound

The post-Sept. 11 drop-off in donations to charities not serving the victims of the terrorist attacks apparently did not last long.

Many nonprofit organizations are reporting to their surprise that 2001 contributions were equal to or even higher than the previous year’s.

“Frankly, we’re not seeing a crisis in fund-raising,” said Michael Nilsen, spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Alexandria.

Preliminary results from a survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of its 25,000 North American members indicate 60 percent raised as much as or more than last year, Nilsen said. Most of the others reported drops of 10 percent or less, he said.

Washington, D.C.: Secret Service lost document for Cheney during Olympics

A Secret Service agent shopping for souvenirs left behind a document detailing security plans for Vice President Dick Cheney’s appearance at the Olympics, the agency acknowledged Tuesday.

The agency said the papers were meant for law enforcement’s eyes only, but it contended the temporary loss did not constitute a major security breach.

“Even if this thing were released, it would not compromise our overall security plan,” said Agent Brian Marr, a Secret Service spokesman.

The store owner returned it to the Secret Service office in Salt Lake City, Marr said.