Teacher takes memorial to N.Y.

Deb Riehle at Ground Zero.

When Camp Sherman resident Deb Riehle returned to her hometown of New York for the first time since the September 11 attacks, it turned into something of a pilgrimage.

"When I saw the attack on TV, my first thought was for the people on the planes," she recalled. "Then I thought, 'I hope the buildings don't fall down.' Of course, by the time I got to school they did."

Riehle is a mathematics teacher at St. Francis School in Bend.

"In light of what happened, we decided to go back for Christmas. It seemed like the right thing to do. I wanted to see what it was really like," she said.

"It's hard to get a feel for something like that when you're 3,000 miles away. I guess I wanted to make sure it was real, and I wanted to bond with New York."

When the St. Francis student council learned that one of their teachers was making the trip to New York, they decided to make a gesture of their own.

Student body president A.J. Evert proposed that the students send a memorial with their teacher to New York, and that's exactly what they did.

Thousands of Americans have been making similar pilgrimages, and one of the focal points for visitors is St. Paul's Chapel. Immediately adjacent to the wreckage of the World Trade Center, the little church has become the depository for countless remembrances and tributes.

Following the collapse of the Twin Towers, St. Paul's was blanketed in dust but suffered no real damage in spite of the fact that buildings all around were badly damaged by the falling debris.

Since that time, St. Paul's has seen a steady stream of visitors seeking connection with the people of New York and those affected by the tragedy.

Riehle described the many flags, posters and banners that now adorn St. Paul's.

She said that the site is also where former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani made his farewell speech when his term was completed at the end of last month.

"There was a big canvas banner," she said, "and people were signing it with markers. We waited our turn and signed our names. I also signed for Sisters, Oregon, and wrote a wish for peace."

A policeman was keeping the crowds away from the display, and Riehle asked him if she could add the memorial from the St. Francis students.

"He was so thankful," she said. "He made me feel like I was the first person to have this idea and how special it was to have people all the way from Oregon come to do this....and how good it made him feel, personally."

The memorial placed by Riehle consisted of five images of Saint Francis of Assisi that were signed by every student from pre-school through eighth grade.

The sketches were laminated to protect them from weather, and Riehle added them to the display at St. Paul's.

"Tell those kids, 'Thanks,'" the policeman told her.

"He had a great New York accent and everything. He sounded so genuinely in awe that we did that," Riehle said. "I went away with that feeling and it made me glad that I did that for the kids. It made the whole thing worthwhile."

Riehle said that the dust from the collapse has all been cleaned up so the visitor doesn't realize they are approaching the wreckage until they are almost there.

"Suddenly," she said, "there's this construction fence and you can see the rubble."

She said that the sides of many buildings that face the "hole" are still damaged and covered with mesh sheeting to cover the exposed portions. Signs of recovery, however, are all around.

"New York is a great place," she said. "It's such a fun city to visit. New Yorkers are persevering."