Digital Extra: The Station Fire

The Station's former owners and the Great White frontman express sorrow, while a victim's father makes his anguish known.

12:16 PM EST on Friday, February 20, 2004

BY MICHAEL CORKERY
Journal Staff Writer

On the eve of the Station fire anniversary, some people at the heart of the disaster chose their words, and the way they expressed them to the public, carefully.

Nightclub owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian released an e-mail message to news organizations, offering prayers and condolences to the fire victims and families who lost loved ones.

Great White lead singer Jack Russell agreed to be interviewed by a Massachusetts radio station in an effort to promote a fund devoted to helping those hurt by the fire.

And Raymond Mattera hung two signs at the Station site, declaring that the fire which claimed the lives of 100 people, including his daughter's, could have been prevented.

These messages were timed for the first anniversary of the fire -- a day of remembrance, which will be marked in public and private ceremonies throughout the region today. The events culminate at 9:30 tonight, during a memorial service at the fire site in West Warwick.

In a taped interview broadcast yesterday by WKKB-FM in Fairhaven, Mass., Russell said he was invited to some of today's events, but he will not attend.

Journal photo / Bill Murphy RAY MATTERA, father of fire victim Tammy Mattera-Housa, placed signs at the fire site in West Warwick yesterday blaming the disaster on unsafe conditions inside The Station.

"I thought it just wouldn't be right. This isn't about Jack Russell and Great White," Russell told the radio station by phone.

"I am going to church for the first time in 20 years. I will light a candle and pray for everyone."

The radio station billed the interview as the only one Russell agreed to give around the anniversary. Russell said he agreed to the interview to help support The Station Family Fund. The radio station is promoting the fund.

The nightclub owners, who were each indicted on 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter, released their statement yesterday with the help of a former colleague of Jeffrey Derderian, Scott James.

James, a former news director at Channel 6 in Providence, where Jeffrey Derderian once worked as a reporter, said the brothers wanted their statement to come from them directly. Since the first days after the fire, only their lawyers have spoken for the brothers. James now works as a media consultant, based in San Francisco.

In their statement, the Derderians wrote: "Today is a very difficult day. For our whole state and the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut, it is undoubtedly a day of remembrance. For us, the truth is that our feelings of profound sadness overwhelm the power of our words.

"Our thoughts today, like virtually every moment of every day throughout the entire past year, dwell on the sorrow and pain felt by so many people who have a connection to the tragedy of February 20th, 2003."

Journal photo / Bill Murphy Bill Bennell, of Federal Sign in Providence, takes the signs down, after Mattera agreed to remove them for today's memorial service.

The statement continues, "More than anything, therefore, we would like to mark this day by reaching out to send our heartfelt prayers and condolences to those for whom the wound of remembrance is deepest on this day: All of the victims and all of the families of lost loved ones."

The Derderians thanked those who have shown them support. They also thanked rescue and medical personnel for their efforts that night.

Neither Russell nor any surviving band members have been indicted by a grand jury; the band's former tour manager, Daniel Biechele, who allegedly set off the fireworks, was indicted in December.

In the radio interview, Russell spoke about the anger that many people have directed toward the band.

"I can't fault them for being upset," Russell said. "Regardless of all the investigative reports. The facts are the facts. This is what happened and that's not going to be good enough for some people, but that's OK. Not everyone is going to understand. Some people won't see past the first spark."

When asked how he deals with people's anger, Russell said: "Everybody has to grieve in their own way. If they want to blame the band and they want to blame me, if it makes them feel better, that's OK. It kills me inside. There is nothing I can do about it. The fact of the matter is, there is no right or wrong feelings."

He compared the fire to "a big plane crash. There are a lot of things that went wrong."

Russell remained composed until he was asked what message he wanted to send to the survivors and grieving family members.

"I love everyone and pray for them and hope that everyone finds some peace, and I hope that someday the pain will go away. For me, it hasn't. I cry every single . . . day."

At that point, Russell broke down. "You have to understand, these were my . . . friends here, man."

Mattera had his own message for the Derderians, Russell, West Warwick officials and the thousands of people passing the lot every day. Mattera had a sign maker on Federal Hill fashion two signs which he hung at the entrance to the Station site yesterday.

The signs read: "Our daughter's life was no accident. Her death and the death of the other 99 victims was not an accident either. It was a tragic event that could have been prevented."

The signs, donated by Federal Sign of Providence, included two pictures of his daughter, Tammy Mattera-Housa, and a pair of American flags. In September, his wife, Diane Mattera, stirred controversy when she removed a memorial dedicated to Great White guitarist Ty Longley from the site.

Mattera said he came up with the idea for the signs after hearing the Derderians' recently hired lawyer, Richard Egbert, describe the fire as an accident.

"Doors that open in, not out. Exit signs that didn't work. People packed into the club, like sardines; this was no accident," Mattera said yesterday.

"We are just telling the state that this was no accident. This was a tragedy waiting to happen."

By yesterday afternoon, the signs had come down. Thom Cahir, president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which is organizing tonight's memorial service, was alerted to them by the West Warwick police.

Cahir said the police worried that Mattera's message could incite people converging there today.

"I sympathize with him greatly," said Cahir, whose friend died in the fire. "I think he has the right idea; I just don't think it's the right time."

Cahir asked Mattera to take down the signs for tonight's service. Mattera agreed, saying he didn't want to hurt anyone.

"I have a distinct feeling that he will put the signs up at a later date, which is fine," Cahir said.