The area has reacted with horror and disbelief to Tuesday's terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

"There really aren't words," said Cooperstown Central School superintendent Mary Jo McPhail. "It hasn't really sunk in yet."

Students in the Cooperstown district, like those across the nation, are grappling with the reality of the events of September 11, 2001.

McPhail said students in kindergarten through third grade were not being made aware of the terrorism at school Tuesday, and anticipates that emotions will be more intense on Wednesday, after students learn about the catastrophe when they return home. Grades four and five had conversations with principal Teresa Gorman, and middle school and high school students discussed the topic in classrooms with teachers.

"We attempted to retain as much normalcy as possible today. Regular schedules were maintained. Where appropriate, some students and teachers with access to cable watched as events unfolded," McPhail said. "There have been a full range of emotions here today."

All students were given a letter to bring a letter home on Tuesday night from McPahil, explaining that the studnens safety and well-being is the primary consideration of the school at this time. Counseling staff is available after school, and all activities have been cancelled.

"I am astounded and appalled and from what I now know, this is clearly a concerted effort by some group hostile to the United States," Mayor Wendell Tripp commented late Tuesday morning. "I am wondering how the U.S. will respond."

Tripp said he believes Tuesday's acts of terrorism will change our lives. Those changes may come in the form of travel restrictions, security at airports and tighter controls over entry into the country.

The mayor said there is nothing that can be done to prevent terrorism unless fundamental changes are made in laws governing freedom of individuals.

Main Street merchant Vincent Russo, who lives in Connecticut, was driving back to Cooperstown when he heard the news of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. Russo said he stopped at a Catholic Church on his way to say a prayer.

"You just don't believe this would ever happen in your lifetime or would be so close. It's inevitable that there's a parent in my son's school who will no longer be with us. This will change our lives forever," he said.

Russo said Tuesday's events make other things seem so insignificant. "This is a time when you certainly want to be with family."

"It is important, he said, for people to now come together to help those people who have been devastated by this and try to see it doesn't happen again," Russo said. "We have to go about our lives and not live in fear."

Earlier in the day, he said, they had the television on in Mickey's Place, but he had to shut it off. "You want to wake up and believe it is some crazed nightmare."

Russo said he believes there should be a response from the United States, but does not want to see more innocent people hurt.

"I'm at a loss for words. It's impossible to comprehend this level of savagery. The targeting of civilians, the use of innocent airline passengers as weapons .... what kind of evil, twisted minds could produce that? This monstrous terrorism has united us as a nation. Part of that unity should be unyielding resolve to hunt down the bastards who did this and those who harbor them," said Otsego Town supervisor and former newspaper editor Bill Gates.

"I have the feeling the American people are hearing what I heard from Roosevelt - that our country is under siege by terrorists," said County Representative Charles Bateman, a U.S. Marine who fought in World War II. "Now we're going to have to get together as a nation and stop this terrorism. I think we should put all efforts into trying to find out where these people are."

Bateman said when he heard the news of the terrorist attacks, memories of Pearl Habor came back as vividly as if it had just happened.

"It brought me back to Pearl Harbor. I never forgot that Sunday. I have the same feelings I had when Pearl Harbor was announced by President Roosevelt," he said. "The American people got together and did something about it and now we have to do something about it. We can't live under that threat."

Bassett Hospital's vice-president of external affairs, Mike Stein, said the hospital is "canvassing its staff," because a sizeable percentage may be called upon for National Guard duty.

"We're determining who might be willing to volunteer should we be called upon. The Health Care Association of New York and the Department of Health are coordinating that effort," Stein said.

A blood drive is being scheduled for Tuesday, October 2 in the Bassett Hospital lobby, but Stein said they are hoping to organize another one sooner.

Bassett issued a Disaster Statement for news media that read, "The administration and staff of Bassett Healthcare are devastated by the tragic attacks on public and government facilities in New York City and Washington D.C. We are investigating any means possible to assit the nationwide rescue and relief efforts. We are gathering the names of available personnel, and are awaiting further notification as to how we can help, whether that be accepting patients at our facility and/or providing staff to treat victims."

The statement also said the hospital has contacted the American Red Cross to "let them know we are available to participate in any emergency blood drive activity." The Red Cross can be contacted at 547-2441.

Dave Lincoln, the assistant emergency services coordinator of Otsego County, said the county had been asked on Tuesday to gather information on available resources, but so far no requests for assistance have been made by the state or the city of New York.

"They're going to need blood," Lincoln said.

"How could anyone choose to turn passenger planes into ballistic missiles? How could anyone wipe out life at such a scale?" asked Dr. James Atwell of Fly Creek, a retired college dean and professor of Ethics and Religion.

"Solzhenitsyn answered thirty years ago. Humans, he said, will do anything for ideology. He meant a deep, even fanatic belief in a social movement or a political one - or a religious one. If you're mindlessly committed to such belief, you'll do anything in its service.

"Worst of all, if it's a religious ideology, you're sure that your enemies are also God's. So to strike out, however savagely, becomes an act of virtue. And to give your life is martyrdom." Atwell explained.

"God save us from those with such a mind set," he said. "God spare us from being in any way like them."