In terror's wake, a new civic unity comes to town

Church attendance has now, for the most part, fallen back to pre-attack levels, but attendees are still seeking new ways to connect with one another in and out of church.

For the first time, members of the Church of the Nazarene, which didn't lose any members in the attack, formed small, weeknight prayer groups in members' homes. "They wanted to be together, to talk, pray, hug, and process the situation and how our communities have been impacted," says assistant pastor Cliff Kretkowski.

Congregants from all the village's houses of worship - including the local Islamic Center - came together for an unprecedented prayer service last month on the village green. Only the July Fourth fireworks show ever brings out a crown bigger than the 1,000 people who clutched candles at the vigil that night.

The importance of serving community is taking shape in many other ways, too, including the following.

• A rise in the number of people willing to staff Valley Stream's volunteer fire department. Like most volunteer fire departments in the US, the one here has found new recruits hard to come by in this age of time-pressed, dual-income families, says Robert Petry, first assistant chief. In a good year, the department might get seven new members, but just since Sept. 11, six residents have volunteered.

• A new interest in helping local government - even among children. Ten-year-old Maria Taliercio, for one, raised $800 selling patriotic pins. With the money, she hoped to buy locator beacons for village firefighters to carry when they respond to emergencies, so they can be found if they become trapped in the line of duty. Maria plays soccer with Francesca Giammona, whose father, Lt. Vincent Giammona of the New York City Fire Department, died at ground zero.

• A galvanized youth population. Students at Central High School, for instance, organized a benefit concert for local victims. But the events of Sept. 11 may prove to be more life-altering for some of these young people: One-third of Central's sophomores say they want to sign up for a new Junior ROTC program, designed to teach students about the military.

Even before the attack, Principal Joseph Pompilio, who had started his job only a week earlier, had thought about adopting a J-ROTC program, but he says he is shocked by the high interest.

The rise of interest in civic life among adults here is reflected, of course, in the countless conversations that go on in restaurants, on soccer fields, anyplace where people gather. It's no different at Larry's Pub, where sports talk has shifted in large measure to topics of community interest.

Ostensibly, a dozen blue-collar regulars have gathered here to watch another Yankees post-season game. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" plays on the juke box.

But things are different now. A newspaper obituary hangs on a mirror in the bar - a tribute to Raymond York, a New York City firefighter. York's seat at the far corner is occupied by his close friend, a Port Authority police officer who spends 12-hour shifts sifting through rubble at the World Trade Center site.

The evening news now competes with sports on the pub's TV, and conversation drifts from baseball to war. There's grief - and rage. Yet humanitarian concerns also emerge. "I'm very angry, but I also don't want to see [Afghan] children die," says Mike Doyle, a 25-year resident.

Valley Stream's leaders hope to maintain the new engagement. To that end, they've set up a new fund and organized help for local victims' families far into the future. Supermarkets will provide groceries, and Boy Scout troops will take turns shoveling the families' driveways, says Village Clerk Vincent Ang. "That's how you keep something like this going and not let it fade away," he says.

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