Heart Of Fire 1997 Patrick Duffy
Harel Akridge
He was born on September 4, 1997 in Burlington to Mary Wright of Burlington and Paul Miller (who raised him as his own) of Winooski. Frank attended Colchester Schools where he excelled in sports. Frankie enjoyed spending time with his family. He was truly a big brother to Jayden by getting involved and playing sports with him. In addition to being a big brother to his little sister, Jessa, he was her hero and protector. Frankie was well liked and loved by anyone who knew him. His smile will never be forgotten. He had a big heart and was willing to help anyone that needed it.
November 26, 1910 will always be remembered as a sad day in the annals of the Newark Fire Department. On High Street, just across from the quarters of Engine Company #4 stood an old factory building occupied by several tenants whose products were of a varied nature. The structure was four stories in height and the top floor was crowded with young women employed by a firm which manufactured undergarments. Side by side they sat on this fateful day busily performing their duties. A lower floor was used by another company which manufactured lamps. Carelessness in their use of gasoline caused a sudden fire. Upstairs the girls, happy in anticipation of the usual Sunday holiday, were startled to see a thin snake-like streak of flame dart through the floor and then an inferno. Material remnants, strewn on the floor in heaps, roared up in a fierce blaze. As fear gripped the hearts of every person in that room reason fled. The gaunt hand of death stretched forth and claimed its victims. Blindly, madly the girls fought for the windows and once there without hesitation they lept, one by one to the street below. Many were unable to reach the windows, so fast did the fire accomplish its work and perished miserably in the flames. For those who jumped it was a merciful quick end. Before the first engine and truck companies could even wheel into position the worst was over. Twenty six lives were lost in the catastrophe, the most awful Newark has ever experienced. When Chief Astley arrived he saw in front of the building a scene of indescribable gruesomeness. Dead bodies and broken life nets were scattered in the streets.
Friday 3 January 1997
There was a report in the Irish Times which indicatedthat the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) were considering endingtheir ceasefire officially if the Irish Republican Army (IRA)continued to carry out attacks. [The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP)denied that there was any truth in the report.]
Sunday 5 January 1997
A bomb, estimated at 250 lbs, was left near Cullyhanna, CountyArmagh. The device was defused by the British Army. [It was believedto have been planted by the IRA.] 'Punishment' beatings were carriedout on two men in north Belfast, and there were three 'punishment'shootings in Portadown.
John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party(SDLP), wrote an article in the Sunday Independent newspaperwhich responded to approaches from Sinn Féin (SF) for anelectoral pact. Hume stated that the SDLP would only enter sucha pact if there was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire andif SF dropped its policy of abstention from the Westminster parliament.[These conditions were rejected by SF.]
Monday 13 January 1997
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out a 'rocket' attackon a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Landrover patrol in KennedyWay, west Belfast. There were no injuries in the attack.
Patrick Mayhew, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,paid a visit to Derry and stated that he considered the Loyalistceasefire to be still intact.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)and the United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) called for the expulsionof the smaller Loyalist parties, the Progressive Unionist Party(PUP) and the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), from the Stormonttalks.
Bill Clinton, then President of the United States of America,called for a renewed IRA ceasefire.
Friday 17 January 1997
A British television news programme, Channel 4 News,carried a report which presented evidence that soldiers, otherthan those of the Parachute Regiment, had opened fire on those takingpart in the civil rights march on 'Bloody Sunday' in Derry on30 January 1972. It was suggested that members of the Royal AnglianRegiment could have been responsible for the deaths of three ofthe 14 victims. Relatives of the victims renewed their call fora fresh inquiry into the events of 'Bloody Sunday'.
Saturday 18 January 1997
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fired two 'horizontal typemortars' at a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Landrover patrolin Downpatrick, County Down. There were no injuries. An attemptedmortar attack in Derry was foiled by the security forces in Derry.
John Hume, then leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party(SDLP), confirmed that he would be the SDLP candidate for Foyle(in Derry) at the next general election. [There had been suggestionsthat he might stand aside in favour of one of his colleagues.Hume at this time was both a Member of Parliament (MP) and a Memberof the European Parliament (MEP).]
Tuesday 28 January 1997
A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Landrover patrol was attackedon the Springfield Road, Belfast. Two 'rockets' were fired atthe patrol but there were no injuries. [It was believed that theIrish Republican Army (IRA) was responsible for the attack (?).]
Michael Mansfield, then a Queen's Council, claimed that the escapeby IRA prisoners from Whitemoor Prison in England on (day?) March1995 was assisted by British Intelligence involvement in an attemptto "scupper" the then IRA ceasefire.
Thursday 20 February 1997
There was a report in the Irish News that a Catholicwoman who worked at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) had receiveddamages for sectarian harassment by an aide of Baroness Denton.It was revealed that the Catholic woman had been moved from herpost while the aide responsible for the harassment had been allowedto remain in her post as Denton's Private Secretary. This wasin clear breach of Fair Employment guidelines on such circumstances.
In an article in the Irish News John Hume, then leaderof the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said that ifthe Irish Republican Army (IRA) were not prepared to call a newceasefire then he would "look elsewhere" for politicalprogress.
The parades committee of the Northern Ireland Forumturned down a request by the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalitionto make a submission on the issue of parades and marches in itsarea. The reason given was that the deadline for submissions hadpassed.
The 'Bloody Sunday' Justice Campaign met with the leadersof the Republic of Ireland government as well the leader of FiannaFáil (FF).
Edward Heath, former British Prime Minister, was criticised byNationalists for comments he made about the late Chinese leaderDeng Xiaoping and his part in the Tiananmen Square massacre in1989. Speaking on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programme Newsnight Heath said that "we can criticise it [themassacre] in exactly the same way as people criticise 'BloodySunday' in Northern Ireland, but that isn't, by any means, thewhole story."
Saturday 22 February 1997
An Irish Republican Army (IRA) mortar was found by the RoyalUlster Constabulary (RUC) near Caledon, County Armagh, followinga car chase during which the driver escaped.
Gerry Adams, then President of Sinn Féin (SF), stated inan article in the Irish Times that any new ceasefire bythe Irish Republican Army (IRA) would be "genuinely unequivocal".
The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) held its first annual conferenceduring which Gary McMichael, then leader of the UDP, called fora security crackdown on the IRA. Statements read at the conferenceon behalf of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) and the UlsterDefence Association (UDA) prisoners were critical of the politicsof the main Unionist parties.
Republican Sinn Féin (RSF)held a conference in Derry. RSF were critical of Sinn Féin's(SF) desire to enter the Stormont talks and of SF's tactics duringthe Drumcree crisis in July 1996.
Monday 24 February 1997
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) announced itslist of candidates for the forthcoming general election. BertieAhern, then leader of Fianna Fáil (FF) address a publicmeeting in south Belfast and told the audience that any new IrishRepublican Army (IRA) ceasefire could not be "conditionalor tactical".
Monday 3 March 1997
A bomb was found outside the office of Sinn Féin (SF)in Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. The bomb, which contained twoand a half kilos of Powergel (a commercial explosive), was defusedby members of the Irish Army. [There was no claim of responsibility,but the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was believed to be behindthe attack. The UVF have used Powergel on a number of occasions.Representatives of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) insistedthat the Loyalist ceasefire was intact. Later it was believedthat this was one of a series of 'no claim, no blame' incidents,whereby paramilitary groups which were officially on ceasefirecould carry out attacks without their political representativesbeing removed from the Stormont talks.]
There was a meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary body heldin Dublin. At the meeting Kevin McNamara, a former Labour Partyspokesperson on Northern Ireland, said that Roisín McAliskey,then being held in prison awaiting a decision about extradition,had been strip-searched 75 times between 20 November 1996 and16 February 1997, despite being pregnant. McNamara called forher release on bail.
Saturday 8 March 1997 or Sunday 9 March 1997 (?)
The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) planted firebombs in the officesof the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) in Banbridge andNewcastle, which caused serious damage. [The attacks were believedto be a response to the marketing of the whole of Ireland as atourist destination by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in conjunctionwith Bord Fáilte (the tourist board in the Republic ofIreland). Many Loyalists are opposed to cross-border co-operationof any kind.]
There were demonstrations in support of Roisín McAliskey,then being held in prison awaiting a decision about extradition,in Dublin, London, New York, Washington, and a number of othercities.