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The Station Fire Weblog - Aftermath
By SHEILA LENNON - features & interactive producer, projo.com
Link to this page. Seen something this blog should point to? Email Sheila.
(To read chronologically, start from the bottom of this page.)
Week one • Week two • Week three • Week four • Aftermath • Anniversary
Complete Providence Journal coverage (reg. req.)
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December 9, 2003: Chris Farrell walks among the crosses and memorials
at the site of the Station Nightclub fire where his uncle (Tommy Barnett)
died. He and family members were briefly at the site to light candles
and remember their relative and some of his friends.
AP photo |
6,557
Miles To Nowhere by Chuck Klosterman at Spin Magazine:
West Warwick, Rhode Island (Saturday, August 2, 5:25 p.m.): For some reason,
I assumed the plot of land where dozens of people burned to death during
a rock concert would look like a parking lot. I thought it would be leveled
and obliterated, with no sign of what happened on February 20, 2003, the
night pyrotechnics from blues-metal dinosaurs Great White turned a club
called the Station into a hell mouth. Small towns usually make sure their
places of doom disappear. But not this town: In West Warwick, what used
to be a tavern is now an ad hoc cemetery -- which is the same role taverns
play in most small towns, really, but not so obviously....
...A kid pulls into the parking lot and hauls an upright bass out of his
vehicle; it’s one of those seven-foot monsters like the Stray Cats’
bassist used to play. He faces the grave markers, whips out a bow, and begins
to play Eccles’ Sonata in G Minor. Either I am at the Station at the
absolute perfect journalistic moment, or West Warwick is America’s
new Twilight Zone.
“Oh, I used to play at this club all the time,” he says when
I wander over. “I was in a band called Hawkins Rise, and I played
upright bass through an amp. We were sort of like Zeppelin or the Who.”
He tells me his name is Jeff Richardson, that he is a 24-year-old jazz fanatic,
and that he knew five of the people who died here. He was vaguely familiar
with many of the other 95.
“The same people came here every night,” Richardson says. “When
a band like Great White or Warrant would come into town, all the same people
would come out. There was never any pretentiousness at this club. You wouldn’t
have to worry about some drunk guy yelling about how much your band sucked.”
To me, that’s what makes the Great White tragedy even sadder than
it logically should be: One can safely assume that none of the 100 people
who died were hanging out at the Station to be cool. These were blue-collar
people trying unironically to experience rock’n’roll that had
meant something to their lives when they were teenagers. ...
12.10.03
Yesterday a grand jury returned indictments in The Station Fire
case. The club's owners, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, and Dan Biechele,
Great White's former tour manager who set off the "gerbs" (sparklers),
were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal
negligence,
and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor.
Complete coverage at projo.com/stationfire/
(reg.req. - link fixed)
In a story of this magnitude, reporters flood the public events, each talking
to different victims and relatives. Slightly different bits of information emerge,
spread over different publications. Here are some stories worth looking at.
I've pulled out just one section of each:
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch met with more than
300 survivors and relatives of victims at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick
yesterday. The Boston
Herald reports,
...the meeting became combative and heated after Lynch told
them a statewide grand jury had handed down just three indictments, charging
club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Great White band manager Dan
Biechele each with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The crowd unleashed 10 months of repressed anger when Lynch stopped at the
three names, prompting many to curse, cry, scream, demand more indictments
and storm out.
Barbara Magness, who lost her only son and a daughter-in-law in the blaze,
watched it all unfold. She then turned to her husband.
"I said to Doug, `This is a lynch mob - no pun intended.' ''
Like many others, Sweet said he expected at least eight people to be indicted,
including West Warwick Fire Inspector Denis Larocque, West Warwick Town Manager
Wolfgang Bauer, State Fire Marshal Irving J. Owen and members of Great White.
The club turned into an inferno after Biechele allegedly set off unlicensed
pyrotechnics at the overcrowded Great White show. The fireworks quickly ignited
the cheap foam the Derderian brothers had installed as soundproofing. Larocque
had inspected the club just weeks before the tragedy, without noting the illegal
foam.
"I think somebody took a payoff,'' Sweet said. "You walk into a
building, you see that cheap foam sticking off the walls and you tell me it's
safe? He turned his head. My son does not belong in a graveyard.''
And, in a
sidebar,
Paul Vanner, The Station's sound man, believes Russell, who'd used fireworks
before, should have shared the blame.
"Jack definitely had something to do with it,'' Vanner said. "Dan
Biechele can't just go out and OK an expense like pyrotechnics. If Great White's
footing the bill, Jack Russell is going to know about it.
"What the band did in the past should definitely have a bearing on this.''
A gushing September
interview with Russell at Classic Rock magazine doesn't really address
this, but has a few interesting new details, such as,
Jeb: I have followed your career and I know that you have had some drug and
alcohol problems in the past. I was worried that this whole incident may have
fucked you up.
Jack: It did for a while. One day I woke up and decided that I didn’t
want to be a pill head. It was not helping me. I was not grieving; I was just
numbing myself. I finally told the psychiatrist to take all of his medicines
and stick em. I picked myself up and dusted myself off and had to be a man.
Fortunately for me, playing music is very healing.
The
Enterprise at SouthofBoston.com reports,
John Fairbairn, 32, and his wife, Andrea, 35, of Brockton, were among the
last people to be pulled alive from the stack of bodies piled near the front
door of the nightclub.
"I don't think jail time is going to help me heal or move me to feel
elated," Fairbairn said after learning of the indictments. "I don't
think jail time is going to help anybody." ...
...(Fire survivor Paul Bertolo, 45, of Brockton) and John Fairbairn said
the fire has had devastating effects on their lives. Each has survivor's guilt.
Out of work for two months, Fairbairn said he is on the verge of declaring
bankruptcy.
"We were doing great. Bills were being paid. Now we're falling on our
face," he said.
He and his wife, who have three teenagers, a 7-year-old, 1-year-old and 4-month-old
granddaughter at home, were seriously burned in the fire.
John still has "throbbing pain" in one hand. The emotional scars
are also taking a toll. The couple has not received money from any survivors'
funds.
"We're trying not to take money because there's 53 kids that lost parents
and there are people that were burned really bad," John Fairbairn said.
He would rather see the money go to the children and for equipment like air-conditioning
for burn victims who need to be in a controlled climate because they can no
longer sweat. "I think that's more special than any memorial," Fairbairn
said.
Fairbairn said he and his wife received some solace from meeting with Great
White vocalist Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall in Allentown, Pa.,
in September.
He and Bertolo have asked that people who want can make donations at www.stationfamilyfund.org.
Through Nov. 22, the fund has raised $133,899.30 and disbursed $92,226.05.
"It was really awkward. You could actually see the pain in their eyes,"
he said. "They were grieving just as much as us. We haven't seen that
from the Derderians."
From Station
News:
DEC 9TH:
A Message to All Members
With the news of the indictments today, it's become very apparent that the
vast majority of our Members are extremely disappointed at the results, if
not very frustrated. In the opinion of some of you, it also serves as another
example of why the Coalitions are needed. There is no better way to get the
collective voices of all of you out there heard than to do it as a group.
Keeping that in mind, every Member is asked to PLEASE pass the information
about this site to others so that we may make our voices louder. Remember,
the voices of the many will outshine the voices of the individuals. There's
no better time than the present. It's time that the Families of the Victims
and those of the Survivors speak above those of any other. Let's all do our
part to make that happen! It costs nothing to join us, and YOU determine what
this Coalition will stand for by using your votes in our Polls. Everyone is
equal, and everyone's opinion is taken into account. It's also 100% anonymous
-- your information is NEVER released for any reason. The time is now!
11.12.03
Station
News corrects the number of Station Family board members at the Great White show
in Yucaipa, Calif., to three, clarifies that it is at their own expense and reports on the public meeting of The
Station Fire Memorial Foundation last night in Warwick.
Debate
about memorial: Channel 6's account of the meeting.
Former
Great White drummer loses home to Calif. fires: MTV reports,
Great White, whose former drummer Audie Desbrow lost his home in the fire,
will donate half of the proceeds from their November 9 show in Yucaipa,
California, to the Los Angeles County Fire Relief Fund. Funds from the group's
current tour have been donated to the Station Family Fund, which provides
financial assistance to families of victims and survivors of the Station
Fire (see "Great
White Finally See Light At End Of Red-Taped Tour Tunnel"). The
last scheduled date of the tour is December 20 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Roadie.net:
The conversation continues. Roadie Jeff Rader died in the fire; sound man Robert
Rager was hospitalized. 11.10.03
Station
News: A new blog for families and survivors appeared Saturday, to be
updated "as often as new information warrants it." Raw, interesting
stuff.
We are aware of two groups soliciting support for Memorial plans.
One is the Station Family Fund StationFamilyFund.org
The second is The Station Fire Memorial Foundation StationFireMemorialFoundation.org.
Mission statements for each group can be obtained by visiting their respective
websites.
Five Three Board Members of the Station Family Fund are currently
in California attending the Great White show in Yucaipa. They have decided
that they will donate half the proceeds from this show to the victims of the
California wildfires. This has been met with both praise by some who think
its admirable and anger from those who believe they have no right to donate
funds earmarked for people involved with the Station tragedy.
Thom Cahir, Rev. Susan Asselin, and other founding members of The Station
Fire Memorial Foundation will be holding an open meeting 7:00 pm, Monday,
November 10th at the Warwick Public Library, Sandy Lane, Warwick, R.I. All
interested parties are urged to attend. ...
A Coalition
of Survivors and a Coalition
of Victim's Families are forming to address issues surrounding a future
memorial at the West Warwick fire site. Each page includes,
...the scope of this Coalition is extremely narrow in its intent. That intent
is to unite the Victim's Families (in one page; the other says "Survivors")
as one group, to poll the entire group on questions surrounding the anticipated
Memorial (as well as any other questions the Families themselves feel need
to ask each other's opinions on) and to disseminate this information to the
appropriate places as necessary.
Leo Wells of New Bedford, Mass., is the author of these pages. I asked him
why the interests of families and survivors were different. "The survivors
are fans of the band," Wells said.
Contact information for these coalitions is available on each page.
Family Fund donations are now tax-deductible: Victoria
L. Potvin, president of the Station
Fire Family Fund, reports that the group has received approval from the
IRS to operate as a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. This means contributions
to the Station Family Fund are now tax deductible.
More from the press release:
The Station Family Fund was formed by survivors and family
members of victims and survivors to address the need for immediate assistance
and relief to the people directly affected by the fire at the Station Nightclub
in West Warwick, R.I. It is the only organization formed in response to the
Station Fire to receive 501(c) (3) status from the IRS. (Editor's note:
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, created shortly after the Feb. 20
fire, is managed by the United Way of Rhode Island and The Rhode Island Foundation.
The United Way's 501(c) (3) status is of long standing.)
Victoria Potvin, President of the Station Family Fund, said “We are
excited to receive this designation from the IRS. It will allow us to seek
donations from larger corporate sponsors who want to see this IRS approval.”
The Station Family Fund has raised over $121,000 since early May. Of this,
$77,076 has been distributed. These funds have been used to pay for the following:
$30,076 for housing
$4,550 groceries
$9,839 auto payments, repairs and insurance
$6,221 utilities
$9,012 back to school supplies and winter clothing
$1,123 funeral expenses
$970 home health care
$640 Memorial Fund donations,
$2,994 installment loan and credit card payments
$3,198 insurance premiums
$200 gas cards
$205 storage fees
$2186 property taxes
$5,862 toward general household expenses
The Station Family Fund is a 100% volunteer effort. There are no administrative
costs. Every dollar raised by the Station Family Fund will go directly to
address the needs of the survivors and the families of victims. Administrative
and overhead expenses will be paid solely from donations solicited for this
specific purpose.
The Station Family Fund is a year-round organization that encourages significant
participation by survivors and family members.
Contributions may be sent to The Station Family Fund, 300 Quaker Lane, P.O.
Box 214, Warwick, RI 02886, or made online at the group's website, www.stationfamilyfund.org.
Related: Fire
fund doles out $2 million to families. The Providence Journal reports (
reg.req.),
With their goal reached of distributing $2 million in donations, organizers
for The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund say they're refocusing efforts
now on dispensing a remaining $1 million for the 150 children left behind
from the fire and the mental-health needs of survivors.
About $600,000 will go toward those two causes while the final $400,000 will
be used as contingency, such as continuing to pay for the short-term needs
of some survivors, says the Rev. John Holt, executive minister of the Rhode
Island Council of Churches and chairman of the relief fund.
Of the more than 325 families the fund has helped since the Feb. 20 fire,
all but about two dozen victims have already qualified for federal assistance
of some kind.
Since the fire, the fund has helped pay for the funerals for each of the
100 victims of the fire, and helped survivors and their families pay such
basic needs as making mortgages and car payments, rent and food. The fund
also provided counseling services, job training and emergency transportation.
9.05.03
Music
Mayhem interviews Great White's lead singer Jack Russell -- according
to the site's homepage,
it was posted Sept 3, making it very recent. Russell says,
I wear the Station Family Fund shirt every night, then auction it off..
to the highest bidder, and that goes directly to the fund.
...it all goes directly to them we don't touch it.. someone came up to me
the other night w/an envelope w/400.00 bucks, and said here I want to donate
to the fund, and I say no.. there is a fireman right over there.. give it
to him I don't want any misconceptions, ya know what I mean.. this isn't about
us...
Mobilizing the very concerned: The proposed Great White
concert at Odyssey in Weymouth, Mass., was cancelled yesterday after what Channel
10 called "negative public response," noting that, "Concerts
planned in Fitchburg and Leominster were called off earlier this summer."
The families who oppose Great White coming anywhere near the
scene of the fatal fire mobilize their opposition quickly using an email list.
Here's the email I received yesterday afternoon, sent by Dawn Moquin, of New
Bedford, Mass., whose former boyfriend, the father of her son, was injured in
the fire:
Great White
As many of you know, Great White is booked at Odyssey in Weymouth Mass on
September 26, 2003. There are many many families in MA. RI and CT, as well
as other states who lost family members in the horrific fire at The Station
nightclub in RI on February 20, 2003. There are 200 others who were injured
and continue to fight daily to have some sort of life back.
There is a petition circulating to collect signatures of those opposed to
the band returning to the "scene of the crime", for whatever purpose
they may be coming here. This petition can be seen and printed out from http://www.appearingnearyou.com/petition.html
THIS IS NOT ENOUGH...people need to have their voices heard. Please contact
your newspapers, elected officials and you call call Odyssey directly at 781-335-1400.
Their mailing address is 1073 Main St., (Route 18), South Weymouth, Mass.
Let them all know that these families are still grieving and are still very
angry. They deserve thier time and space for healing without having an integral
part of the cause of the tragedy being allowed to perform in their back yard.
Projo.com's
Jack Perry reports (reg.req.), "Moquin and her current
boyfriend, Leo Wells, also of New Bedford, are part of a group, including survivors,
friends and family, pushing an online petition to keep the band from playing
in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Connecticut."
Great White's fee seems to have risen: The Boston Herald, in breaking
the story of Great White's planned concert Sept. 26 in Weymouth, Mass. (link;
alternate
link if this expires), "learned that the band's nightly fee is $6,000,
which is $1,000 more than they were supposed to get paid for the doomed Station
gig."
Upcoming dates: Great White is to play tonight at Jaxx
in Springfield, Va. (a gig that Great
White's tour schedule page reports as both cancelled and "uncancelled"),
on Sunday at C.C.'s Showcase in Middletown, Ohio, on Sept. 8 at Westown in Bay
City, Mich. (story),
on Sept. 20 at the Ice Dome in Havre, Mont. (Havre Daily News has
a story) and Sept. 27 at the Sterling Hotel in Allentown, Pa. The
Easton, (Pa.)
Express-Times spoke to a local victim's family:
"If this is the endeavor that they're taking, to raise funds to help
somebody, I think that's great. And they should be applauded for that,"
said Palmer Township resident Bob Johnson Sr., whose 32-year-old son, Derek
Johnson, died in the February blaze.
Derek Johnson grew up in Harmony Township and spent about eight years living
in Palmer Township with his father before moving to California and later to
Rhode Island.
A week before the deadly fire, Great White performed with the same pyrotechnics
display at Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown.
But,
Derek Johnson's brother, Bob Johnson Jr., said he thinks the band is performing
more for their own exposure than to help victims of the fire.
"I wish they weren't playing anywhere," the Rhode Island resident
said. "I wish they would just go away."
Follow the money:
- The
Station Family Fund website reports that, as of July 10, $77,191.08 had
been collected and $29,278.59 distributed. Great White has so far donated
$27,005.
- Victoria L. Potvin -- a fire survivor who is president of
the Station Family Fund -- emailed what she describes as "the actual
Station Family Fund Accounting Report (Excel
spreadsheet: shift-click to download) for the Benefit Comedy Show held
at PPAC " Aug. 22 that featured Colin Quinn of Comedy Central. This benefit
took in $30,748.68 and donated $22,309.68 after expenses of $8,439.00, according
to this report.
- Channel 10 reports (Nightclub
Benefit Raises Less Than Anticipated) that the April 22 Night
of Healing benefit at the Providence Performing Arts Center "took
in roughly $34,000 and resulted in roughly $3,800 for The Station Nightclub
Fire Relief Fund." Ken Botelho, the former chief executive of Century
Productions, the Warwick company that produced the event, told Channel 10
that expensive airfares for the performers were among the things that broke
the bank. "It's certainly not the bottom line I would have hoped
for for the famlies, that's without question. Was it successful? Absolutely.
It was emotionally one of the most successful events that I have been involved
in," he is reported to have said.
7.30.03
New group: The Station Fire Memorial discussion group at Yahoo "will
update victims' families and loved ones as to the progress of building a Station
Fire Memorial that celebrates their lives and assures they will never be forgotten,"
according to Thomas A. Cahir, the group's president.
Membership in the West_Warwick_Station_Fire_Memorial
group is restricted; email
the group's owner to join it.
7.23.03
Email contact added to Station Fire
Memorial Foundation press release below.
7.22.03
Station Fire Memorial Foundation Formed: Here's the press release, verbatim.
WEST WARWICK - Family members and friends of the Station Fire victims recently
registered with the Secretary State’s office as a nonprofit group in
order to gain ownership of the site of the tragedy, and to build and maintain
a memorial to their loved ones that would celebrate their lives and not their
deaths.
The Station Fire Memorial Foundation officers, Thom Cahir, President, Rev.
Susan Asselin, Vice President, Kimberly Jalette, Treasurer and Lori St. Jean,
Secretary, hope to raise funds to purchase the land at 211 Cowesett Ave. if
it cannot be donated to the Foundation.
At this point the SFMF will be looking to work with other Station related
charities, the Red Cross, and other interested parties, in gaining a consensus
that a memorial at the site is needed. This tragedy has directly or indirectly
affected the entire state, has seen historic fire-prevention legislation passed
in its wake, and needs to be memorialized in a timely fashion, unlike the
Hartford Circus fire which killed 167, but took the city 50 years to remember
with a small plaque.
Plans are in the works to sell bumper stickers, baseball caps and compose
a memorial yearbook of those lost in the fire. The Foundation will also be
seeking out corporate donations and sponsors, willing to raise funds for this
effort.
The Foundation meets on a bi-weekly basis and welcomes any who want to be
of assistance. For more information please call Thom Cahir at 401-826-1312
(thomcahir@att.net) or Rev. Susan Asselin
at 401-232-2063, (SolitaryRev@cox.net).
The fire, Feb. 20 during a Great White concert at The Station nightclub in
West Warwick, killed 100.
6.05.03
Upcoming DVD release party: The release party for A
Call For Action -- a DVD of benefit performances on Feb. 18 by 18 bands
-- will be Wednesday, June 18 from 6 - 1 p.m. at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, Providence.
Eight of the bands that appear in the DVD concert film will play, and there'll
be a live auction of rock and roll memorabilia hosted by comedian Charlie Hall,
with proceeds going to the Station
Fire Relief Fund.
The event will kick off with the reggae band The Psycads, followed
by Mark Cutler and The Schemers (Bob Giusti, Emerson Torrey & Jim Berger),
Mr. Lincoln, Jon Tierney and The Truth, Ricky Valente, Fungus Amungus, The Stereobirds
and Green Tea.
Admission for the event is $10, with proceeds from the sale
of the DVD to benefit the Station Fire Relief Fund. For more information or
to purchase a DVD, go to www.acallforaction.com
or call (401) 861-4756.
Here's a
preview of the DVD; tunes and bands on it are
Comeback, John Tierney & The Truth Four Minute Sneeze, Jim James
Band
Hey Shark, Betty Finn
Some Fun, Dino Club
Blackout, The Stereobirds (Formerly Known As The Mockingbirds)
A Long Song, Some Weird Band
Monkey Boy, Mr. Lincoln
Please Don't Leave Me This Morning, Green Tea
Ain't That Peculiar, Rick Mendes & The Nightbirds
Every Day Is Like A Holiday, Psycads
Uncle Sam, Fungus Amungus
Treat Her Right, Young Neal & The Vipers
I'm Old, But I Ain't Dead, Dave Howard & The Highrollers
Back And Forth, Turning Blue
The Dreamer, Ricky Valente
Victim's life on the Web: There's a website for Joe
Kinan, who remains in Mass. General Hospital in fair condition.
Memorial items: There's a CafePress
shop selling T-shirts, mugs, teddy bears and household items bearing a photo
of the Station fire memorial. "All proceeds will go to one of the fire
burn victims, to help alleviate rising medical costs."
Station
fundraiser: 'great party, worthy cause': From the Narragansett Times
yesterday, "The music of Brass Attack sizzled right along with the
grille late into Saturday evening at Canonchet Beach Club."
More fundraisers:
Concert tonight: Local Bands Remember features The Unibrows, The
Amazing Mudshark and Moments Of Imagination, playing rock at J.R.'s
Bourbon Street Rock House, Mardi Gras Complex, 1500 Oaklawn Ave., Cranston.
463-3080. 7 p.m-1 a.m.
Fallen
Angels bike run:
There's a bike run Saturday sponsored by Maddog Saloon, 98 Main St., Pascoag.
Riders will leave at 3 p.m. for for a small memorial service at the site of
The Station, then ride back to Maddog's for food and music. Donation: $10. For
ticket information, call Mike or Angel, 567-9244 or 678-0571, or Geno or Brenda
at 568-4394.
A Night of Softball, featuring the West Warwick Fire Department and The
Score radio personalities, including Andy Gresh, Scott Cordischi, John "The
Coach" Coletto and John Crowe, will be held today at 7 p.m. at Amby Smith
Field, behind the Maisie Quinn Elementary School, in West Warwick. All proceeds
will benefit The Station Nightclub Victims Relief Fund.
Concert Sunday: Kickin' Brass, rhythm and blues, noon-1:30 pm, 6ft
between, rock, 2-3:30 pm, Mary Day and Terri, 4-5:30 pm, and Rumours,
a tribute to Fleetwood Mac, 6-8 pm, Chelo's Waterfront Bar and Grille, 1
Masthead Drive, Warwick. 884-3000. Donations.
The 11th annual Eleanor Slater Hospital Bike Ride, sponsored by the
"Patients for Progress" advocacy council will be held Sunday. There
will be two rides, both beginning and ending at the Margaret Walsh Park, on
West Road, at the John O. Pastore Campus in Cranston (behind Eleanor Slater
Hospital). Endurance and professional bikers begin at 8 a.m. Beginner and amateur
bicyclists begin at 9:30 a.m. Registration is $20 in advance, $25 the day of
the ride. All proceeds from this year's ride will be donated to a fund benefiting
victims of The Station fire. A memorial tree-planting is scheduled for 1 p.m.
in the park. For information, call Kellie Capobianco at 462-3454.
Friends of Kathy Sullivan will hold a "Cruise Night" with
classic cars at Sam's Club, Route 6, Seekonk, on Friday, June 13, from 5:30
to 8:30 p.m. There will be music and a 50/50 raffle. Admission is free, but
donations will be accepted on her behalf. For more information, call (508) 336-3381.
Rain date is Friday, June 20.
5.15.2003
Celebrity
benefit auction on eBay: The Station Fire page at hereinreality.com
points to a Celebrity Charity Auction going on through May 25 at eBay.
On the block are "items donated by Patti LaBelle, Pete Rose, Jamie-Lynn
Sigler, Arianna Huffington, The Harlem Globetrotters, Mimi Kennedy, Greg Palast,
Dr. James Zogby, Dan Briody and more. Free shipping, no reserves." All
proceeds are to be donated to the Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund.
The actual auction
page is here.
Nightclub
fire victim returns home: The Hartford Courant catches up with Nancy
Noyes:
"Most people went home to a husband or wife, but I went to rehab,"
she said. "It's the first time I regretted not being married in my life."
Her father, 72-year-old Navy veteran Waldo Noyes, has become "her second
half" during her recovery. He drove her home from the hospital, and turned
off her utilities while she was hospitalized. His girlfriend stocked the kitchen
with groceries for her return.
But while the home looks the same as it did, her life will be different.
During the past several years, Noyes took on 40 clients in her housecleaning
business. Because of her injuries, she won't be able to handle it anymore.
Noyes said she will receive $552 in disability payments, just enough to cover
her $535 monthly rent, but it won't cover groceries and other expenses. She
didn't have insurance, and she said she is terrified by the medical bills
that haven't been added up yet.
Great
White Turns To Fans For Legal Defense Help: At antiMusic.com; although
two attorneys have said they won't name Great White in their suits,
...lawyer Ronald J. Rasmini (said),"It would be a huge transgression
not to include Great White. I don't care if they've got five cents to contribute
to this case. If they're negligent, they should be in there."
More lawsuits are expected, so with that in mind, Great White’s attorney
is calling upon fans to help raise money for the group’s legal defense.
According to KNAC.com, Ed McPherson, the attorney who represents the band,
issued the following letter to fans, asking for help:
Dear Music Fan,
We are sure that you were shocked by the events of February 20, 2003 in
West Warwick, Rhode Island, and there are no words that can express how
everybody, especially Great White, feels about it. The loss of life was
beyond any worst nightmare, and the suffering that ensued has affected not
hundreds, but thousands of people.
As the investigations proceed, the music community appears to become one,
with many people offering their support for the members of the band. The
legal proceedings will in reality go on for years, which brings with it
unheard of legal costs for the individual members of the band.
It was suggested that a defense fund be set up that would assist them in
covering the exorbitant costs of dealing with the ongoing criminal proceedings
and the numerous lawsuits that have only just begun to be filed.
This was a very hard working, touring band that has brought a lot of joy
to fans everywhere. When the band is able to perform again, they will be
donating all of the proceeds of their shows to the victims of the fire for
some time. They will not be able to even come close to meeting the basic
costs involved in the legal proceedings.
It is with this in mind that THE GREAT WHITE TRUST was set up. The sole
purpose of this Trust is to allow friends and fans of Great White, music
fans in general, and other musicians to donate to a legal fund, to at least
allow the band to have proper representation so that they can defend themselves.
This Trust is not to be used for any purpose other than covering costs
associated with the criminal and civil proceedings. If any funds are left
after the legal costs are covered, they will be disbursed to one or more
of the charities set up to benefit the victims and their families.
If you feel comfortable contributing to this fund, please send donations
payable to:
THE GREAT WHITE TRUST
c/o 17609 Ventura Boulevard
Suite 203
Encino, CA 91316
USA
Any questions or comments may be directed to Ed McPherson at mclaw@m-klaw.com.
Celebrity turnout: N.Y.
Daily News reported Sunday,
Tony Bennett, who's usually onstage, played the adoring fan the other night
at The Cutting Room, where he showed up, camera in hand, to hear daughter
Antonia sing. She was back at the club, co-owned by Chris Noth, on Saturday
to perform at Stanley Jordan's CD-release party, a benefit for victims of
the Rhode Island nightclub fire ...
Benefits:
A Block Island Music Fest will be held Saturday, May 17 from 7 p.m.
to 1 a.m. at the historic Spring House. Featured performers will be Sweeter
Than Wine, Dave Howard and the High Rollers and Freerange. Amy Hagan, of WHJY,
will be the emcee. Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door and in
advance at Esta's Too, 257 Thayer St., Providence. All proceeds will benefit
victims and their families and will be distributed through the Catholic Charity
Fund of Providence. Checks should be notated: West Warwick Fire Emergency Fund.
Oasis Salon and Spa, 1037 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, will hold a
cut-a-thon Sunday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Haircuts, mini-facials
and manicures, children's manicures, facial waxing and massages will be offered.
The first $1,000 raised will go toward the Gina Marie Andreozzi Scholarship
Fund, named for a founding member of the salon who was killed in a 1996 car
accident. All remaining money raised will go to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief
Fund. For information, call 846-4444.
The West Warwick FOP Lodge 6 presents Power League Wrestling's Power-Fest
2003 on Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. at the West Warwick Civic Center, Factory
Street, West Warwick. Admission is free, but donations to WHJY's Doc Fund can
be made at the door. Featured matches include the World Title match between
champion Dr. Heresy vs. West Warwick's own Gary Apollo.
Kick Start Poker Run in memory of the late Tracy King. Sunday, May 25,
Sal’s R&B Club, 200 George
Waterman Rd., Johnston. Rain or shine. Sign in: 9-11am at Cowesett Inn, 226
Cowesett Ave., West Warwick. $20 for rider, $10 for passenger, all others welcome
for a $20 donation collected at the door. Last stop is at Sal’s 3 p.m.
with music by Loaded Dice featuring Doug James, Sugar Ray Norcia and Mr. Breeze
(a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band.) To volunteer, or for more info, contact Ray
Cappelli, 255-5761, or Jody King, 864-5549.
5.12.2003
Station
fire survivors launch fund to fill gap in relief efforts: Today in The
Providence Journal (reg. req.)
Saying that those involved in The Station nightclub fire are "slipping
through the cracks" of current relief efforts, a coalition of family
members and survivors have formed their own assistance fund.
They are calling their organization
The Station Family Fund, and have applied for nonprofit status, Jonathan
Bell, a Providence lawyer who is assisting the group, said Friday.
The fund will provide "prompt assistance" to victims and family
members for housing expenses, fuel bills, medical costs, car payments, and
groceries, said Victoria Potvin, a West Warwick resident who was named president
of The Station Family Fund. ...
Interesting:
If offered, the group would likely accept money from Great White, which recently
announced a charity tour: "They're musicians first," Potvin said,
"and if this is the only way they know how to contribute, to give back,
who are we not to take the money? People need money."
One of the frustrations of the group has been that money cannot go directly
to survivors and the famlies of the deceased without their potentially incurring
tax liabilities.
Jody King, the vice president of the new Station Family Fund, said the fund
would also, under nonprofit rules, be unable to give money out directly to
families. But the process would be more intimate, he said. If a mother called
and said she needed groceries, "we would take her to Stop & Shop."
King said the Family Fund already has $12,000, which has been kept in a safety
deposit box until it was organized.
There's more info and contact information on The
Station Family Fund website.
5.08.2003
John F.
Van Deusen III, the last of 43 patients admitted to Rhode Island Hospital
after The Station nightclub fire, was released this morning.
It was hell. End of story," he told reporters. He's headed for a rehab
facility in New Bedford, Mass. Story
(reg. req.)
Great
White has trouble donating its tour proceeds: (ProJo, reg.req) Local
nonprofit foundations say they are restricted in the way they handle donations,
and the band wants to give proceeds from its tour to victims and families who
need it.
Interesting story about how hard it is just to give money away.
Great White had planned to give tour proceeds to the Feinstein Foundation
but, by law, the foundation can only give money to other nonprofit organizations.
As an alternative, tour organizers tried to make arrangements with The Station
Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, which is now under the umbrella of the Rhode Island
Foundation.
But the Rhode Island Foundation rejected their proposal, citing the difficulties
and potential pitfalls of handing out cash in the manner envisioned by the
band. For one thing, the foundation noted that cash would be considered taxable
income, and families could be bounced off public assistance.
5.07.2003
In general, I'm not blogging day-to-day developments in the investigation
and litigation; Providence
Journal staff reports (reg. req.) cover these in detail. Selected items
below that relate to these matters are perhaps of wider interest.
Online discussion groups: There are now several
Yahoo groups dealing with The Station fire. One is only for survivors,
another
"a safe haven for people (survivors, family/friends of the injured or just
those who care) to discuss the tragedy." These are moderated, with messages
readable only by members.
I recently learned of two more groups.
A new group, just beginning, is open to all, with its archives public, meaning
you don't have to join the group to read messages, only to post. It's called
WWSFFriends;
click the "Join this group" button on its page to join it:
This is an inclusive open community coalition comprised of all those who
were affected by the West Warwick Station Fire, in Rhode Island on 2/20/03.
Our goal is simply to help each other and preserve the memory of those who
perished in this tragedy.
Another, TyLongley_LA_Benefits:
Celebrating the Life of Ty C. Longley, 1971-2003. Pictures, Videos, Media
Articles, Personal Tributes, and the Song "Mothers Eyes" performed
by Great White's Jack Russell and Mark Kendall at the Ty Longley Benefits
held at the Hard Rock Cafe-Beverly Hills on April 17, 2003 and the Key Club-Sunset
Strip on April 29, 2003; along with Special Tribute Sections to the "guy
who's heart was as big as his hair" Ty C. Longley * If you have anything
you would like to contribute, please send it to stationfire@hotmail.com and
we would be happy to post it for you, with contribution credit attached.
Instructions for joining are at the link above.
Condition updates:
Gina Gauvin:
"4-30-03 Gina starts Rehab and is moved to a new hospital. Please send
her a get well card at
Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island
116 Eddie Dowling Highway
No. Smithfield, RI 02895-0924
Ongoing reports of her medical
progress are here. Here's an excerpt:
It has been a long road and she still has far to go. I have not mentioned
the extent of her injuries out of respect for her privacy. Gina told me
that it was OK to let her friends know. She received burns over 70% of her
body. Unfortunately Gina lost her left arm bellow her elbow, all the fingers
on her right hand were partially amputated. But still has the same smile.
And hasn't lost her sense of humor. Gina remembers what happened the night
of the tragedy. That is something I'll let her share with you. Gina did
say she had on clean underwear! She said "she doesn't have a hand but,
SHE'S ALIVE!" Gina is a talented artist and we know she'll find a way
to express her art. Still Gina's attitude is very positive.
John
F. VanDeusen III: "Not alot to report today, but I wanted you
all to know that John has been upgraded from "fair" to "good"
condition. 'Atta boy, Johnny!!"
You may send encouragement to
John F. VanDeusen III (make sure you put "III")
c/o Jack & Janet VanDeusen
7 Roosevelt Ridge
Carver, MA 02330
 |
Pamela
Gruttadauria |
10
weeks after R.I. fire, 100th victim dies: From the Boston Globe, May 6,
After surviving infections, operations, and the amputation of her hands,
the 100th victim of the Rhode Island nightclub fire died late Sunday, her
condition so grave during the two-and-a-half months she spent at a Boston
hospital that she was never able to speak to her parents.
Pamela Gruttadauria, 33, had lingered in critical condition at Massachusetts
General Hospital since Feb. 21, arriving there just hours after flames gutted
The Station roadhouse in West Warwick, R.I. She died at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Ann and Joseph Gruttadauria, who kept a bedside vigil each day, made the
decision Sunday that after witnessing the steep deterioration of their daughter's
health, and with her prospects for survival so slim, they would disconnect
the medical machinery that had kept their daughter alive. She lived four more
hours.
''I said: `Pam, if you want to stay, stay. If you want to leave, you can,'''
said Ann Gruttadauria, her voice clear and strong a day after her daughter's
death. ''She decided to leave.'' ...
Furor
Over Rhode Island Club Fire Tribute Plan: Originally published in the
New York Post, May 5,
The owners of the land where a Rhode Island nightclub fire killed 99 people
said they'd like to give the property over to the town for a memorial, but
are facing fierce resistance from victims' families who say it's a ploy to
duck future litigation. The West Warwick site where The Station once stood
has been valued at around $300,000, but owner Triton Realty Ltd. has been
in talks with city officials about giving up the land for free so a memorial
can be built, the town manager said.
Several victims' families argue the land should remain in private hands until
the civil actions - which are expected to reach $1 billion - are decided.
"Some lawyers feel it is an asset. If it's contributed at no cost, the
asset won't be there for their clients," Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer
said.
Great
White Dropped From First Nightclub Fire Lawsuit: MTV reports (May 2)
,
A lawyer representing 16 plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in the wake of the
Station nightclub fire that killed 99 people in February has dropped Great
White from his list of defendants.
Brian Cunha, the first attorney to file suit following the February 20 disaster
(see "Victims' Families File Suit Over Rhode Island Club Fire Disaster"),
said he decided not to target Great White because five of his clients are
friends of the bandmembers and requested they not be named, and more importantly,
his clients would have nothing to gain financially from suing Great White,
whose pockets are not terribly deep. ...
Station
fire survivor attends fund-raiser: From the April 28 Fall River Herald
News,
SWANSEA -- Kathleen Sullivan had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling and
she said she felt good Sunday when she entered the Venus de Milo.
The 31-year-old Swansea woman is recuperating from burns and injuries she
suffered in the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I., Feb. 20. She
arrived at the Venus, where a benefit was held for her, in a wheelchair with
her parents, Paul and Mary Sullivan, beside her. A few minutes later she was
out of the wheelchair and walking to a table. Several hundred people attended
the benefit and broke out in applause when Rick Santos of Rick’s Music
World announced that Sullivan had arrived.
In the last two weeks, Santos said Sullivan went from being in critical condition
at Massachusetts General Hospital to being in good condition at Health South
Rehabilitation Center in Braintree. Santos said he couldn’t believe
Sullivan was able to attend the benefit. ...
4.30.2003
Rolling
Stone on last night's L.A. benefit:
It was pretty clear that the haze surrounding the stage arrived via smoke
machine, but it appeared ominous anyway, considering the setting was a benefit
concert for Ty Longley, the late guitarist of Great White. The band is at
the center of the controversy surrounding the West Warwick, Rhode Island,
club fire on March 12th that left ninety-nine dead and many injured. ...
The nearly sold-out Key Club event featured seven bands -- Samantha 7 (a
side project from Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille), XYZ, 5 Cent Shine, Gravy,
Maestro Alex Gregory (featuring Nick of Megadeth), and the Christy Baerle
Band -- many of whom featured Longley at one time.
The show's most anticipated moment, however, was the rumored Great White
reunion, which turned out instead to be a chair-bound, one-song set from Great
White singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. Introducing "Mother's
Eyes," a somber ballad of loss from Great White's 1994 album Sail Away,
an overcome Russell paused frequently, tears running down his face.
"Words could never express the pain and sorrow of losing our guitarist,
Ty Longley, and ninety-eight of our other Great White family members,"
said Russell. "It's been very hard on us, needless to say. If this has
taught me anything, it's taught me how fragile life is. We're going on a benefit
tour this summer to help families of this tragedy, and this is just the beginning
of the help that these people are going to get from Great White. This night
is for the people we've lost, not Great White."
Mother
Wants To Stop Great White Tour: At Channel 10; Diane Mattera,
whose daughter, Tammy Mattera-Housa, 29, died in the fire, wants to circulate
a petition to stop benefit performances by Great White; survivor Laurie Hussey
disagrees.
Benefit: Bike
Run (fixed link)sponsored by Maddog Saloon, 98 Main St., Pascoag,
Sat. June 7, 3 p.m.
Update: John van Deusen III, the last remaining patient at RI Hospital
from the fire, is in fair condition, eating and was able to take couple of steps.
You can follow
his progress here.
Station
fire victim pulls out of coma, talks with family: About Donovan Williams,
in the Westerly Sun.
4.15.2003
Benefit for Donovan Williams (victim of The Station fire)
to be held at the Westerly Elks #678
Sunday, April 27, 2003 1PM to 9PM
Live Bands
Raffles
Buffet from 1PM to 4PM
Tickets $15.00
For tickets, donations or information call 596-9157
(tickets also available at the door)
4.04.2003
All-ages benefit Sunday at Wareham biker bar: Sunday afternoon (April 6)
there'll be an unusual benefit for The Station fire victims -- an all-ages show
at The Raven, a biker bar in Wareham, Mass.
It's the first of several events planned by Matt Moniz of Wareham, whose website,
Rock 'n' Roll Din 4 Skin (http://www.rocknrolldin4skin.com/),
is also the home of a non-profit organization called MAXAM, which Moniz set
up to help pay for artificial skin, pharmaceuticals, bandages and other medical
supplies for those injured in the fire.
Moniz, of Wareham, is a soundman by night at The Raven, a scientist by day,
and a burn victim himself. He works as an analytical chemist at Shuster Laboratories
in Canton, Mass. A year ago, Moniz spilled a container of 95 percent pure nitric
acid in his lap. "My pants melted, the coins in my pocket fused and I watched
my skin rolling off in sheets as I ran to the shower," he recalls. Three
months of treatment followed, which makes him very familiar with the ordeal
The Station fire victims face, and the supplies the treatments require.
The money raised by the Din 4 Skin events will go to a fund that doctors and
hospitals can invoice directly to cover the cost of these supplies for the many
Station fire victims who had little or no health care insurance, as well as
to offset costs not covered by insurance for those that are, according to Moniz.
Here's how Moniz describes Sunday's event on his site:
First Din for Skin event scheduled
The first Din for Skin event will be held where it first come to mind, "The
Raven" on Rroute 28 in Wareham Mass. It will be held on April 6th from
noon to 6 p.m. and will be an all ages show. This first show is more for
the younger generation (high school age) and is geared to give them the
power to help, and the chance come to grips with what happened by allowing
them to take over (not literally) a real-life biker bar that would be normally
be off limits to them, if only for a brief time, united only with the wish
to help and love of music. The tickets at the door are only $10 and there
will only be 150 of them. That is the limit of the club.
Here is the lineup:
R.I.M.A. 12:30-1:00
In My Sorrows 1:10-1:40
Mind Fed Violence 2:00-2:30
Stryk9 2:40-3:10
Down Drive 3:20-3:50
Coldread 4:00-4:30
Six Months Silence 4:40-5:10
Avengeful Heart 5:20-6:00
And, "All proceeds will go to direct aid of those injured and in need
of lifelong treatments."
The Raven is at 2691 Cranberry Highway (Route 28) in Wareham. For directions,
call the club at (508) 295-6666. Moniz hopes to have a map on his site this
weekend. For more information, email Moniz at maxam@rocknrolldin4skin.com.
Other benefits this weekend:
Tonight: Mappari, Labb, Decadence, Missing Joe, Mobius Band, Chauncey,
Drop Out, Averi and No Ones Kind, rock, Merrimack College, Sakowich Campus Center,
315 Turnpike St., North Andover, Mass. (978) 837-5388. 7 pm-1 am. $15, $20.
Benefit for The Station fire victims.
Sunday: The Blues Benefit features The Doug James Big Band, Bad Luck
'N Trouble, The Dave Howard Band, Rackey Thomas, The Lois Greco Band, The Kim
Trusty Band, Fatwall Jack, The Vegas Lords and Minus Linus, rhythm and blues
and swing, Sal's Rhythm & Blues Club, 200 George Waterman Rd., Johnston.
965-0849. 1-11 pm. $20 contribution includes buffet. Benefit for The Station
fire victims.
Sunday: John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band, Steve Smith and The
Nakeds, Young Neal and The Vipers and The Becky Chace Band, rock and rhythm
and blues, Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, Rhodes Place (off Broad Street), Cranston.
5-9 pm. $10; $25 family. Benefit for The Station fire victims. 4.03.2003
Virtual gathering: There is an ongoing
discussion of the Station Fire at Yahoo Groups.
"List owner" Susan Asselin, who lost her cousin, Michael Kulz, in
the fire, describes it: "It's a safe haven for people (survivors, family/friends
of the injured or just those who care) to discuss the tragedy."
If this describes you and you want to join the group, send
an email to Susan.
The ground rules, from the group's description: "Kindness toward each
other is required as many of us have lost family, friends, have relatives friends
among the injured or are survivors of the night of hell."
Two-state tragedy: There are still quite
a few patients at Mass. General, Bob Krasinskas, father of Adrian
Krasinskas, reminded us this week.
Condition updates: Gina
Gauvin, John
Van Deusen III, Philip
Barr. If there are other pages tracking the progress of the injured, please
let me know.
Benefits: In memory of Skott Greene, Sunday, April 13th, 2 - 8 pm, Warwick
Firefighters Club, 750 Warwick Ave., Warwick, R.I. $15.00 donation; proceeds
to Skott's widow, Sandi Greene. Many other local benefits are
listed here at WHJY.
Faraway benefits: Ty
Longley Foundation benefits, including one song by Great
White April 29, Key Club, West Hollywood, Calif. Others, including one in
London, are also listed. (Langley was a guitarist for Great White.) Proceeds
go to his girlfriend, Heidi Perata, and as-yet-unborn child. More info: Great
White Regroups for Benefit.
Memorial
page: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County, Calif., created a
page in honor of the late Derek Johnson.
Previous issues of the Station Fire Web log:
Week
one •
Week two
•
Week
three
•
Week
four
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