The Shelburne Falls Fire of 2007

So here’s the long-overdue update: Businesses are moving forward (slowly); the owners of the property seek to rebuild. Of course, we all still look at the vacant lot with sadness, sorrow, and disbelief.

The holiday season came and went, and somehow, around the time of the new year, Shelburne Falls as a community moved from shock to a phase of healing.

I’ve learned blogging is a habit that’s quickly acquired and lost; with very limited Internet access during our holiday travels we lost momentum, and when we returned it somehow seemed that continuing a blog that concentrated on the fire — indeed, predicated BY the fire — emphasized the sadness and looked back at a time when we should all be looking forward.

By serving citizens hungry for news about a shocking small-town catastrophe and aggregating the good efforts of our media colleagues (who cheerfully put aside any professional competitiveness and helped make it a universal and equal effort), we served our purpose here, and I think were in the right place at the right time. But that time has passed.

So we will keep this blog live for posterity, at least until the domain name expires. We might do an update or two, along the lines of “where are they now” notes before the closing credits of documentary movies.

Also — and most importantly — we’re leaving this live because you can still donate to help those who were displaced. Visitors to this site raised hundreds of dollars (not sure how many it’s been to date). That in the end was its most tangible contribution toward healing.

We did love the blogging experience and see the promise of the medium. Perhaps you’ll see us doing something new and with a more permanent premise to complement our newspapering efforts at the Independent.

All the best,

Jeff Potter

Today’s Recorder has some more updates.

I haven’t had a chance to read today’s West County News, but it’s on the stands, and Patrick O’Connor’s lead story points out that police are questioning persons of interest in the arson investigation.

You can drop off Christmas gifts at the Bank of Western Massachusetts lobby for children who lived in the building.

This press release just in: State Rep. Denis Guyer (D-Dalton) and State Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) have requested that Governor Deval Patrick “issue a certificate declaration, which would allow the Small Business Administration to offer financial assistance to the affected businesses.”

How this works is not all that clear to me, but it sounds like a good resource for the area economy. Stay tuned!

Shelburne Falls potter Steve Earp  writes:

 I’ve donated some pots to the raffle that was postponed to January.  However, I’m putting on an open studio this weekend with a percent of sales to go to the fund.

Stephen Earp Redware
Last Chance / Last Minute
Pottery & Seconds Sale
10% of sales go to the Fire relief fund

Saturday and Sunday
December 22 _ 23 2007
10:00am _ 5:00pm

15 Masonic Avenue
Shelburne Falls, MA
413_625_0015
steve@stephenearp.com

From north and south:
I_91 to exit 26.  Take Rt. 2 West/Mohawk Trail, 8.5 miles.  Turn left onto 2A/Shelburne Falls at the Sweetheart Restaurant.  Take first left onto Bridge St.  Take first left onto Masonic Ave.  Stephen Earp Redware is at the end, behind the big red house.  Park on the street.

OK, folks, here’s where I (Jeff Potter) say that I’ve been maintaining this blog more as a citizen than as the publisher and editor of one of the papers. I think an event like this fire, in a town like ours, breaks down that old competitive spirit. I just felt that a blog that aggregates everyone’s reporting on this fire was the best use of our time and resources … I still do. And for their part, the other papers have unstintingly promoted our efforts to collect everybody’s news here.

With that said, our own every-other-week newspaper, dated tomorrow, reports on the fire, too. Our managing editor, Ginny Ray, wrote a first-rate piece and has broken the news that the cause of the fire has gone beyond being “suspicious.” State Fire Marshal Gerald Perwak specifically told her that the fire that destroyed the Stebbins Block was intentionally set — that it was out-and-out arson. She’s tried to get some different information that complements the fine work that our friends at the other papers have done to advance this story.

And I did a little sleuthing at the Greenfield Public Library and have a story on the fire of 1876 that destroyed the Buckland side of our village and its aftermath. I found it haunting to look at stereoscope photos of that whole side of the village — an entirely different streetscape existed prior to that night. No McCusker’s building, no Buckland Pizza building, no Buckland Town Hall. What was there — the Woodward House Inn, the Anawansatt Block, and the Methodist church — they were all gone, in just hours. (The moral of the story: don’t get turpentine for your customers while holding an oil lantern, especially when most of your firefighters are out of town on a picnic.)

Our small gift to the community: we will give access to this issue of the paper free on our Web site; usually it’s subscriber-only. Watch for the Web updates tomorrow (Thursday). In the meantime, you can download the PDF version of the paper here.

Now, back to being a citizen, at least until 2008! Keep watching here for more news and links to the good work of our other papers. I’m proud that together, we’re being a good first rough draft of history. And since on a blog I can be completely subjective, let me say: let’s catch the sick SOB who burned down that building.

This just in from Buckland Librarian Pat Leuchtman:

Recognizing the great loss suffered by individuals and businesses from the fire that destroyed the 33 Bridge Street block, the Trustees of the Buckland Public Library have decided to donate the profits of their planned Woolens and Wine fundraiser to the fire relief fund.   “We are a community and we know we have to support each other in a time of need,” said Karen Harmon, Trustee chair.
The third annual Woolens and Wine will be held at Stillwater’s on Sunday, January 27 beginning at 4:30 pm with time for wine  supplied by the Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant, and cheese, visiting with neighbors and participating in a silent auction. At 6 pm a turkey dinner will then be served; a vegetarian option will be available. Tickets at $40 will be available at the Buckland Library during library hours: Tuesday 2-8 pm; Friday 1-6 pm and Saturday 9-1 pm. For more information about this event and other library services logon to www.bucklandpubliclibrary.org.

Thanks to our friends Lynn and Don at Starstruck Design and ShopWesternMass.com, we have the means to get your donations. This will go to the Fire Restoration Fund at Greenfield Savings Bank.

So here’s the link. Thanks for your patience.

The dining room at McCusker’s Market in Shelburne Falls will be filled with the sound of music this weekend to raise money for the Shelburne Falls Fire Relief Fund.  Throughout Saturday and Sunday, musicians will gather in the dining room at the market to perform for tips which will be donated in their entirety to the relief fund.  Children and musicians of all ages are invited to stop by and play a tune.  An electric keyboard will be provided for all the pianists.  Already scheduled on Saturday is Philippe Simon performing solo drum and comedy at 1:00.  On Sunday at noon, the sensational jazz band comprised of 3 sets of teenage siblings from Conway—KWAJMAL—will be performing.  Then at 1:00, Abdul Baki will accompany his daughter Jamila Roth on violin and afterwards perform solo piano and Nyabinghi drumming and chanting.  More musicians are scheduling and will be showing up in support of the Shelburne Falls Fire Relief Fund.  The public is encouraged to stop by and show their support too by contributing tips and spreading some Christmas cheer and shopping in Shelburne Falls.

For more information: Anne Kaplan 625-0123

This just in:

Mocha Maya’s will be hosting a Christmas Party on Saturday, December 22nd at 7:30pm. It is open to the public and we will be featuring a special Christmas reading. We will be accepting donations for the Shelburne Falls Fire Benefit. We hope many will join us for this important cause while partaking of this festive time of year.

Thanks to Chris and Bruce King for their efforts!