This Week: North End Fire, Students Return

After a relaxing Labor Day weekend with several residents and officials complimenting the smooth transition of students moving back, this week and left its tenants without a home.

During a morning interview with the North End Patch on Tuesday, Sept. 4, State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz remaked on the how the holiday weekend ended in one of the best clean-ups he has ever seen. At a 7 p.m. meeting of the North End/Waterfront Residents Association meeting that evening, a number of people reiterated the same sentiments.

Yet four hours later, tragedy struck when on 26 Cooper Street, requiring 100 firefighters to put out the blaze. One tenant was taken to the hospital where she was treated for serious injuries and a number of students -- although unharmed physically -- were dazed and dismayed by the sudden prospect of having no place to live.

Yet good news came along with the bad.

Volunteers from the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts showed up at the scene at about midnight and provided the victims with emergency relief including food, blankets, toothbrushes and -- perhaps most important -- a sympathetic ear.

When EMTs were looking for a place where the volunteers could talk to the tenants, a guardian angel appeared. not only offered to keep Cafe Pompeii open until everyone was sorted, but served meals and drinks to 20 people.

It was the human thing to do, Pezzano said. Nothing like that has ever happened in his family restaurant, but he would do it again whenever necessary because he firmly this is a community that takes care of its neighbors.