Fourteen years ago, everything changed. September 11, 2001. Everyone, it seems, remembers what they were doing that morning, first hearing about the events unfolding in New York City, Washington, and rural Pennsylvania.
Here are some of Plastics News' initial stories about September 11:
SPI attendees witness Pentagon attack. Steve Toloken's report interviewing attendees of a Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. board meeting that was taking place at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City hotel.
Netstal's Hayes killed in trade center crash. Bill Bregar's initial story about Bob Hayes, a top manager at Netstal Machinery Inc. who was killed when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center.
Few exhibitors withdraw from Plastics USA. An interesting roundup story about a trade show that took place just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, with details from quite a few companies.
Finding a life after (part 1 and part 2): Ten months after 9/11, Bregar interviewed Debbie Hayes, Bob Hayes' widow, about her husband and how the family was dealing with its loss.
Reflecting on Sept. 11. A year after 9/11, we published this editorial in an issue where we also, for the first time, used a different "flag," or logo, for Plastics News, on page 1. Instead of the regular rainbow colors, it had an American flag color scheme. The column concluded:
"So, take the time this week to remember, pay your respects and reassess your own priorities. Then, stand up straight and with a purposeful stride, return to your tasks at hand with a new spirit and vitality, and be a positive part of America's rebound."
Today, more than a decade later, those words are still appropriate.