Tuesday, September 20, 2011
3rd Alarm - Boston - 27 Melcher St
Took a quick ride out to the 3rd alarm on Melcher St in Boston. This building was the scene of a falling death a few weeks ago. A young woman fell 6 floors down a shaft to her death.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Remembering 9/11/01 Ten Years Later
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning in 2001. I had just started my junior year at Braintree High School. I had just entered my third class of the day, Mr. Walsh's American Government class. As I sat there with my classmates, a teach entered the room with a concerned look on her face. After a brief, private conversation with Mr. Walsh, he immediately moved the television he had in class to the center of the room and turned it on. At that moment, just as the picture came up on the screen, the second plane struck 2 World Trade Center in New York City. There was a collective gasp from the class, and then silence. Nobody spoke, just sat there in utter amazement and disbelief. How could this be happening? What were we watching unfold? The rush of emotions that came over the class is indescribable.
By now, word had spread throughout the entire school. Teachers were bringing students into Mr. Walsh's classroom to watch the news coverage, as he was one of the only teachers in the school with a live cable connection and television. I stayed in that classroom for over 2 hours, as my next class was next door and our teacher Mr. Flanagan had already brought his other class into the room.
As we sat there, everything happened right in front of our eyes. The attack on the Pentagon, the collapse of both World Trade Center Towers, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. We were watching the way we live our lives change with each passing minute. Life as we knew it would never be the same.
Walking through the halls of Braintree High School, I noticed an eerie silence. Some students were talking with each other about what had happened, others kept to themselves. Some of our teachers wouldn't allow us to talk about what happened. Mr. Kay was one of those teachers. It wasn't until the next day that we were allowed to talk about it. Come to find out, a relative of Mr. Kay worked in the World Trade Center, however, hadn't gone to work that day and was safe at home.
It was a day that has been etched into the memory of all Americans throughout the country. The events of September 11, 2001 are to my generation what the events of the Kennedy Assassination are to our parents. For as long as I live, I will carry the memory of that day in my mind, a memory so clear it's as though it happened yesterday. The images, the videos, the first hand accounts of responders to Ground Zero, will stay with me forever.
The innocent victims that worked in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. The heroes aboard Flight 93 that overtook the plane and crashed it into a field in Pennsylvania before it could make it to it's intended target. The Police, EMS, and firefighters who raced into the chaos as people were running for their lives. Their memories will live on forever.
All of the troops overseas, those that have given their lives in the wake of 9/11, will be forever honored by the way I live my life, a life that they have fought and died for.
By now, word had spread throughout the entire school. Teachers were bringing students into Mr. Walsh's classroom to watch the news coverage, as he was one of the only teachers in the school with a live cable connection and television. I stayed in that classroom for over 2 hours, as my next class was next door and our teacher Mr. Flanagan had already brought his other class into the room.
As we sat there, everything happened right in front of our eyes. The attack on the Pentagon, the collapse of both World Trade Center Towers, and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. We were watching the way we live our lives change with each passing minute. Life as we knew it would never be the same.
Walking through the halls of Braintree High School, I noticed an eerie silence. Some students were talking with each other about what had happened, others kept to themselves. Some of our teachers wouldn't allow us to talk about what happened. Mr. Kay was one of those teachers. It wasn't until the next day that we were allowed to talk about it. Come to find out, a relative of Mr. Kay worked in the World Trade Center, however, hadn't gone to work that day and was safe at home.
It was a day that has been etched into the memory of all Americans throughout the country. The events of September 11, 2001 are to my generation what the events of the Kennedy Assassination are to our parents. For as long as I live, I will carry the memory of that day in my mind, a memory so clear it's as though it happened yesterday. The images, the videos, the first hand accounts of responders to Ground Zero, will stay with me forever.
The innocent victims that worked in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. The heroes aboard Flight 93 that overtook the plane and crashed it into a field in Pennsylvania before it could make it to it's intended target. The Police, EMS, and firefighters who raced into the chaos as people were running for their lives. Their memories will live on forever.
All of the troops overseas, those that have given their lives in the wake of 9/11, will be forever honored by the way I live my life, a life that they have fought and died for.
Never Forget
9/11/01 - 9/11/11
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Boston Police Chase & Shooting
Just before 11:00am, Boston Police were engaged in a vehicle pursuit that started in Roxbury and ended at Exit 14 on Rt. 3 in Rockland, some 20 miles away. Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz confirmed to media reporters that the suspect sustained a gunshot wound and later died at South Shore Hospital. The officer involved shooting is currently under investigation by the Mass State Police. Several police officers were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained during the chase, or while responding to the chase. It has been confirmed that during the pursuit, the suspect rammed a police car in an attempt to evade capture.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Hurricane Irene
Due to having to make sure that the WMSFirePhoto1 Compound was safe from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene, I wasn't able to get out and capture the storm at it's peak, however, I ventured out a little later in the day and captured some damage photos around the south shore.
Damage was extensive to one home in Holbrook when a massive tree collapsed onto the front of the home, crashing through the roof and narrowly missing a woman sitting in the living room. According to her son, she had been watching TV when she got up to go into the kitchen seconds before the tree came down. She was taken to the hospital and received 3 stitches in her head, and is expected to be ok. No other serious injuries were reported in the area due to the storm. Crews were out in full force during the storm, and clean up may take days. Electric companies have their hands full with power outages throughout the state, some areas not expected to have power until the weekend or even later.
Damage was extensive to one home in Holbrook when a massive tree collapsed onto the front of the home, crashing through the roof and narrowly missing a woman sitting in the living room. According to her son, she had been watching TV when she got up to go into the kitchen seconds before the tree came down. She was taken to the hospital and received 3 stitches in her head, and is expected to be ok. No other serious injuries were reported in the area due to the storm. Crews were out in full force during the storm, and clean up may take days. Electric companies have their hands full with power outages throughout the state, some areas not expected to have power until the weekend or even later.
Town St - Braintree
Quincy St - Holbrook
Spring St - Holbrook
Spring St - Holbrook
Bradford Rd - Braintree
Town St - Braintree
West St - Braintree
Overlook Rd - Quincy
Monday, August 15, 2011
2nd Alarm - Richardi Drive - Braintree
Braintree Fire responded to a reported house fire on Richardi Dr. A 2nd alarm was struck for manpower, as crews found heavy fire in the basement of the home. Crews from Randolph, Quincy, and Boston responded to the scene to assist.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Photographing a town devastated by a tornado....6/1/2011
In the three and a half years since I starting freelancing as a photojournalist and working as a general photographer, I have come across a lot things. Some good, some bad. I have photographed moments of sadness and loss, and also moments of happiness and celebration. From house fires and car accidents, to weddings and newborn babies.
However, I have never seen anything as devastating as the damage caused to a western Massachusetts community by a tornado that tore through the center of town on the evening of June 1, 2011. Monson, Massachusetts sits about 15 miles east of Springfield, and was one of the hardest hit areas during the hours that spawned 4 confirmed tornadoes that caused damage in 10 different communities. Standing on a hill that overlooked the center of town, the path the tornado took was very clear to see. Main street runs down the center of the small valley that the town is located in, and standing in front of the First Church of Monson, you could see where the tornado came down the hill on the right, across town, and up the other hill on the left.
My mission when I arrived in Monson on Thursday morning, June 2, 2011, was to tell the story of devastation through pictures. When I arrived, Governor Deval Patrick and Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown were wrapping up their press conference in front of the church. Walking down Main St on their way back to the helicopter that brought them in, they paused to talk to residents and snap pictures of the damaged buildings with their cell phones. 20 minutes later, the helicopter took off and it was time to work.
As I walked down State St, most of the damage was trees that had been ripped up and tossed around, some landing on people's houses. It wasn't until I made the turn onto Bethany Rd that the severity of this event really started to sink in. As I made my way down Bethany Rd towards Stewart Ave, the damage got worse. It stated with broken windows and shingles torn from the roof, then it was holes in the walls and sections of roof missing. Then I came to 11 Bethany Rd, or at least that's what the broken piece of door resting against a torn out shrub told me. The house was gone, reduced to splinters. The same with the house next door. Absolutely nothing left but the foundation.
I found myself, at this point, standing in the middle of Bethany Rd with my camera down by my side, just looking around in every direction. I was in awe. Just like everyone else, I have seen the footage on TV about the tornadoes in the southern states. Never have I walked through it first hand. I have always had a respect for the forces of Mother Nature, but this brought on a whole new level of respect for what she can do.
As I walked, I noticed something that was somewhat of a relief. There was no panic, no screaming, and almost no crying. The residents of this town were very composed and focused on the task at hand, claiming anything they could from the wreckage of what used to be their home. I wasn't there to stick a microphone in anyone's face and ask them "what did the tornado sound like?". I was a silent observer. They had enough to deal with. As I walked, I listened. Neighbors reconnecting with each other for the first time in over 12 hours. Tears of joy streaming down their face once they knew that they were ok. Residents were digging through the rubble, collecting clothes, furniture, anything they could get their hands on that could be salvaged. A few people sat where their front steps used to be, with a blank stare, just looking out into the neighborhood at all the devastation. My heart felt for all of them.
I slowly made my way back towards Main st, quietly taking it all in. I was speechless. There are not enough words to describe what I was seeing for the first time with my own eyes. Living in Massachusetts my entire life, this is something I would never experience in my own home state. Through the sadness they were feeling of what had happened, everyone I encountered remained positive. Happy to be alive and to see that their neighbors had made it through.
As I started to leave town, I thought to myself how lucky I am to have what I have. It also made me realize that it can all be taken away in a matter of minutes.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the deadly tornadoes that have hit this country in the last 2 months.
However, I have never seen anything as devastating as the damage caused to a western Massachusetts community by a tornado that tore through the center of town on the evening of June 1, 2011. Monson, Massachusetts sits about 15 miles east of Springfield, and was one of the hardest hit areas during the hours that spawned 4 confirmed tornadoes that caused damage in 10 different communities. Standing on a hill that overlooked the center of town, the path the tornado took was very clear to see. Main street runs down the center of the small valley that the town is located in, and standing in front of the First Church of Monson, you could see where the tornado came down the hill on the right, across town, and up the other hill on the left.
My mission when I arrived in Monson on Thursday morning, June 2, 2011, was to tell the story of devastation through pictures. When I arrived, Governor Deval Patrick and Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown were wrapping up their press conference in front of the church. Walking down Main St on their way back to the helicopter that brought them in, they paused to talk to residents and snap pictures of the damaged buildings with their cell phones. 20 minutes later, the helicopter took off and it was time to work.
As I walked down State St, most of the damage was trees that had been ripped up and tossed around, some landing on people's houses. It wasn't until I made the turn onto Bethany Rd that the severity of this event really started to sink in. As I made my way down Bethany Rd towards Stewart Ave, the damage got worse. It stated with broken windows and shingles torn from the roof, then it was holes in the walls and sections of roof missing. Then I came to 11 Bethany Rd, or at least that's what the broken piece of door resting against a torn out shrub told me. The house was gone, reduced to splinters. The same with the house next door. Absolutely nothing left but the foundation.
I found myself, at this point, standing in the middle of Bethany Rd with my camera down by my side, just looking around in every direction. I was in awe. Just like everyone else, I have seen the footage on TV about the tornadoes in the southern states. Never have I walked through it first hand. I have always had a respect for the forces of Mother Nature, but this brought on a whole new level of respect for what she can do.
As I walked, I noticed something that was somewhat of a relief. There was no panic, no screaming, and almost no crying. The residents of this town were very composed and focused on the task at hand, claiming anything they could from the wreckage of what used to be their home. I wasn't there to stick a microphone in anyone's face and ask them "what did the tornado sound like?". I was a silent observer. They had enough to deal with. As I walked, I listened. Neighbors reconnecting with each other for the first time in over 12 hours. Tears of joy streaming down their face once they knew that they were ok. Residents were digging through the rubble, collecting clothes, furniture, anything they could get their hands on that could be salvaged. A few people sat where their front steps used to be, with a blank stare, just looking out into the neighborhood at all the devastation. My heart felt for all of them.
I slowly made my way back towards Main st, quietly taking it all in. I was speechless. There are not enough words to describe what I was seeing for the first time with my own eyes. Living in Massachusetts my entire life, this is something I would never experience in my own home state. Through the sadness they were feeling of what had happened, everyone I encountered remained positive. Happy to be alive and to see that their neighbors had made it through.
As I started to leave town, I thought to myself how lucky I am to have what I have. It also made me realize that it can all be taken away in a matter of minutes.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the deadly tornadoes that have hit this country in the last 2 months.
First Church of Monson
BEFORE
Photo Credit: Ann Kovitch(2009)
AFTER
Photo Credit: Kevin Wiles, Jr(WMSFirePhoto1)
Monson, MA Tornado Aftermath 1/2
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