Update 12/29/06:
The story I orginally linked to is no longer available and the latest reports indicate that the band will play in London:
After seven months of controversy and financial hurdles, members of the Fort Myers High School Band are on their way to London.
It seemed that with every turn the trip faced new challenges. But Tuesday, hundreds filled the parking lot at Fort Myers High, packed into charter buses, and headed off on the first leg of the trip across the pond.
The enthusiastic group filled three charter buses to the Miami airport. From there, they are taking three separate flights to Heathrow.
Original Post:
I don’t think I’d have a problem traveling but I can understand a school district playing it safe where 140 students and handlers are concerned.
The threat of terrorism will keep the Fort Myers High School band from marching in London’s 2007 New Year’s Day Parade, despite an invitation from that city and band boosters agreeing to foot the $273,000 bill.
“We’re leery of loading 140 students onto an airplane and flying across the ocean to London, where they just had a terrorist attack,” said Herb Wiseman, who oversees secondary operations for Lee County schools. “We don’t think at this time that it’s worth the risk.”
In July 2005, bombs set by terrorists inside city buses and London’s subway system killed 52 people. The city has been on alert since then.
The New Year’s Day parade in London is billed as the “greatest annual street parade in Europe” and is a giant fundraiser for local charities.
Some estimates put the crowd at 1 million.
I imagine that security for The New Year’s Day Parade in London is going to be extremely tight but you can’t really completely lock down an event like that.
One Hand Clapping: That Islamist terrorists want to do harm to Britain is indisputable. And for sure the Queen’s officers know immeasurably more about the threat there than I. But I’m guessing the attacks, if they do come, will take place not long after New Years Day rather than between now and then.
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Re. your post:
“London Terrorism Fears Nix Fort Myers High School Band’s Trip”
That was LAST year’s news, when the offer first came to the band officials to travel to London. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the Ft. Myers High School Band finds itself in London today, performing for the locals prior to being the lead band in the New Year’s parade.