‘It felt like the end of the world’

In the East 2nd Street firehouse in Alphabet City, a once-gritty neighbourhood in downtown Manhattan, plaques line the walls in memory of the six colleagues from Ladder 11 who died on 9/11. There are photographs of Lt Mike Quilty, a big moustached character in his white officer’s hat; and of Mike Cammarata, a baby-faced figure under his new fireman’s helmet, just a few weeks on the job and at 22 the youngest firefighter to die that day.

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Polls without pollution

The Local Government elections for 17 Municipal Councils, one Urban Council and five Pradeshiya Sabhas have begun with posters springing up in the city of Colombo in a minor way. It is our duty to put an end immediately than silently watching the pollution of the city. We are pleased and happy that the city of Colombo is turning out gradually to be one of the cleanest and beautiful cities in the subcontinent under the accelerated programme launched by the Colombo Municipal Council without elected councillors.

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A port project obstructed by a rock

“J.R. is mad! He is building a palace by filling a muddy land. Building a city to name after him. Wasting the finances of the country. Dipping the country in debt.” This is how some of those who were in the Opposition said at that time. J.R. did not consider any of these things worth a penny. Since this programme was not accelerated after J.R. even today we have to stagnate for hours in our vehicles on Colombo roads. The Colombo city is being prepared as a commercial city once again during the current period. It is only now that administration complexes are being shifted to Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte.

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