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Post by Clipper on Sept 20, 2009 12:18:48 GMT -5
Wow, I am reading on the OD page about a fire on James St with people missing and two victims found in the rubble. My ex wife and my oldest son lived in that building in the mid 70's. It was owned at that time by Benny Julian, the former mayor's father and the owner of the laundromat on Oneida St at that time.
That was a fairly nice place to live at that time, and it was great because my son had only to walk next door to the Kemble St School for school and a playground.
They say that the fire started in the rear apartment on the first floor. Well there are two first floor rear apartments and my ex and son lived in one of them.
I also rented from Ben Julian at the time over on James near Brinkerhoff. He was a good landlord and his apartments were well maintained and kept to code standards.
My ex and I were on friendly terms and I knew several of her neighbors at the time and have been in several of the apartments. It is kind of a weird and spooky feeling, knowing that people are laying dead in the ruins of that building that I had visited often to spend time with my son or to pick him up or drop him off.
I would be afraid to live on the upper floors of any of those old frame houses any more. Many of them are balloon construction and even with attempts to bring them up to a safe condition, they would burn like a paper bag. An easy escape route is all that would save upper floor residents in many of these old structures.
My thoughts are with those who were lost and with their families.
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 20, 2009 14:10:53 GMT -5
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Post by fiona on Sept 21, 2009 13:16:21 GMT -5
Dave: can you post a map of James Street in the late 1890's? showing the cross streets where the fire was? I want to see when this place was built. I know our old buds Northrup and Latcher had buildings on James Street, but I don't know where. It would make sense that they were right in the area of this building in the 1890's, as I don't think James Street was very much built up back then. I remember this building when I went to Kemble School for 2nd grade, and then for 8th grade. It was old-old then and spooky. Timothy Klotz is a perfect example of what I call Uti-trash and the Mayor... he should just resign. The man is a fool. I read where Klotz got fined $100. 00 for his codes violations. That and four deaths in his building makes each life worth about $25.00 each. What a waste. And , Klotz will walk! Make no mistake about that! The man is a beast, a feral animal, who feeds off the misfortune of others. Utica, as it is, is a sponge, a perfect petri dish for this type of bacteria!
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Post by Clipper on Sept 21, 2009 14:47:31 GMT -5
Fiona, having been inside this building many times when my ex wife lived there, I would hazard only an "educated guess" judging from the woodwork and staircases that it was more likely built in the 20's or 30's at the earliest. I also always suspected that the addition that you can see on the rear of the building, which houses the rear staircases and back hallways to the apartments, was added to replace outside porches and stairwells that most likely deteriorated over the years, or simply because owners decided to provide inside, sheltered access from the rear side of the building. I can envision porches much like on the front of the building, except with clotheslines and trashcans being replaced by the addition.
Maybe Dave will be able to find something to confirm the actual age. I am also curious now that you have brought it up.
I hope you are enjoying your new digs, and happier than with the accommodations and environment at the Olbiston. It was really a pleasure meeting you in person at the picnic. I was telling Kathy shortly thereafter that you were truly the genteel and classy lady that I had envisioned you to be. I am glad that you are a part of the membership here. Your contributions are appreciated and interesting.
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 21, 2009 16:32:05 GMT -5
Hi Fiona.
Nothing there but the school in 1883. I don't, but maybe Jon has a later map from around 1900. 
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Post by jon hynes on Sept 22, 2009 0:00:43 GMT -5
Flam Guido's house on the southern corner of Oneida and James (still standing). Going West on James street is the 12 unit apartment that just burned. Next Kemble School playground, and going South on Kemble was Kemble School much larger than shown in the old map. It went to the next block at Davis street where Ben Julian's Laundry is on the corner of Davis and Oneida. East across Kemble street was the Oneita Knitting Mill 1900.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2009 3:43:26 GMT -5
What a shame that 4 people had to lose their life in that dump. I'd like to know how Klotz got away with those codes violations for so long. One of the tenants said on WKTV that there was only 1 exit in the building. One exit? In a 3 story housing unit!? How was that codes violation allowed to exist? Talk about a fire trap! And it was nice of Roefaro to show up at the scene 24 hrs. after the alarm was called in to show his support for the loved ones of the victims & the firefighters that risked their lives fighting this fire. Must be the Sunday pasta & meatballs were served late that day. Unbelievable.
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Post by fiona on Sept 22, 2009 13:38:41 GMT -5
As a resident of Utica NY, I am enraged about the recent deaths on James Street. I am disgusted and repulsed with our city administration and the cavalier, uncaring and debased attitude shown by our Mayor and his minions to both the families and the general public alike. There is absolutley no way that the Mayor and the head of codes could have not known about this entrenched ,long standing problem with Mr. Klotz. Furthermore, knowledge of such incidences and refusal to act upon them makes the Mayor an accessory to this crime. And make no mistake, it is a crime. Therefore, I call upon Mayor David Rofaro to resign his post at once, and I also call upon the penal system to investigate, charge and prosecute the Mayor for dereliction of duties. I also request that Mr. Klotz be charged with the murder of four persons and persecuted nto the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Klotz was fined a mere $100.00 for codes violations. Four persons died because of these violations. Surley a human life in Utica, New York is worth more than $25.00.
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Post by fiona on Sept 22, 2009 13:44:14 GMT -5
The above is a copy of a letter I am sending to both the OD and to hizonners office. Please feel free to use it in any way you like if the spirit moves you.
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Post by fiona on Sept 22, 2009 14:20:07 GMT -5
you can contact mayor spinney at mayor@cityofutica.com
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Post by fiona on Sept 22, 2009 14:43:02 GMT -5
Mabye our Mayor Spinney was busy blow drying and fluffing his chest hairs and couldn't make it to the fire on time...
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Post by rodwilson on Sept 22, 2009 15:26:17 GMT -5
As a resident of Utica NY, I am enraged about the recent deaths on James Street. I am disgusted and repulsed with our city administration and the cavalier, uncaring and debased attitude shown by our Mayor and his minions to both the families and the general public alike. There is absolutley no way that the Mayor and the head of codes could have not known about this entrenched ,long standing problem with Mr. Klotz. Furthermore, knowledge of such incidences and refusal to act upon them makes the Mayor an accessory to this crime. And make no mistake, it is a crime. Therefore, I call upon Mayor David Rofaro to resign his post at once, and I also call upon the penal system to investigate, charge and prosecute the Mayor for dereliction of duties. I also request that Mr. Klotz be charged with the murder of four persons and persecuted nto the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Klotz was fined a mere $100.00 for codes violations. Four persons died because of these violations. Surley a human life in Utica, New York is worth more than $25.00. Good piece. I'm eager to see/hear his response. |
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Post by fiona on Sept 22, 2009 19:26:59 GMT -5
I don't think he will respond. I don't think he has the capacity to really understand the context of the letter. I just read a piece in the OD. 48 hours later and "the Mayor can't/won't comment", Klotz doesn't return phone calls, but is due in court Monday. Zecca, can't/won't comment, the Commish of Codes is lost in the ozone: he can't/won't comment. Seems as if the only ones who can/would comment can't/won't comment. I call them the Silent Four.
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Post by rodwilson on Sept 22, 2009 19:58:13 GMT -5
Unfortunately I agree. It's sad when local officials can't and won't reach out to the community and to the very people he's been sworn to do right by. The fact that he didn't show up until hours after the fact is testimony to his level of care and concern. I think it goes without saying that they were ALL told to shut up as the legal fall out from this will be enormous, both politically and financially. If Dave was a real man, he'd step up anyway. I hope that this haunts those involved EVERY DAY of their lives. Their inaction cost the LIVES of four people. I can't even begin to imagine where the families and the survivors even begin to start healing. Your "silent four" at the very least should be giving the shirts off their backs to these people. SHAME on all four. Maybe if Codes did their friggin' job instead of going after Roefaro's political opponents and making excuses these people would still be alive.
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Post by Ralph on Sept 23, 2009 1:40:11 GMT -5
My condolences go out to all of those that lost someone in the fire.
The saddest part of the New York State Codes laws, which Utica must follow, is their lack of “teeth”.
The courts can fine them, jail them and close the building in some aspects…..but cannot make them “fix” them.
When he was fined for not registering the building there should have been follow up to insure that the order handed down by the court was followed, but it wasn’t……..why?
I can not believe that there was no one in there that either had not reported a violation or was not receiving some type of aid from Social Services that would have prompted Codes to do a dwelling inspection.
If a dwelling inspection had been done the Codes Officers would have looked at and noted the available manners (or lack of) of egress from the building. Knowing most of the Inspectors as I do, they would have raised questions about it and written a report on it. Where it and the original order from the court wound up would have been at the Codes Commissioners hands.
At some point I have to blame the Codes Commish and the Courts. They both know that Klotz keeps his buildings in a sub-standard manner to say the least. One of my sons lived in one and I couldn’t get him out of it fast enough! The place was a DUMP.
The problem with closing a building down like that can be seen from the fallout of closing the apartment building on Steuben Street between South and Rutger a few years ago. No matter how bad the place was (and it was bad) the City was seen as the “bad guy” throwing folks out on the street with nowhere to go. But the place was horrific and needed to be closed. James Street may be a different story if it had not been inspected in a while.
This is the problem with enacting new legislation and handing it off to departments that are already overburdened, underfunded and under equipped. And despite the articles about the new tablet PC’s and the data base the Codes Department uses……they suck, even the Codes Inspectors have told me that.
This will be a long drawn out game of “hot potato”, it will be interesting to see who gets it in the end.
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