30 years ago

I received snail mail from my dad the other day. He sent an article from the post that talked of the upcoming(Memorial Day) 30 year anniversary of the tragic fire at the Beverly Hills supper club. 165 people died that night.

At the top of the article dad wrote "Sandy, we were taking our evening walk that night. Do you remember?"

I do remember.......I remember making myself visible to my dad that evening in hopes that he'd invite me to join him on his walk. Shortly after we left the house I remember hearing sirens from the fire trucks and hearing the city siren that notifies volunteer firemen and women that their asst. is needed..............the sirens seemed to go on forever.The Cincinnati Post - The Beverly Hills fire: Indelible tragedy

Dad and I walked our usual route.........but this evening was different. Neighbors were gathering on their front yards and porches.........and I could tell that the adults were tense........dad stopped to talk briefly to some of those neighbors.......... as we continued our walk dad told me that Beverly Hills was on fire.................................We walked to Highland Ave. and crossed to a then wooded hillside that overlook the supper club.....We watched as firemen and others fought the fire. I'll never forget the flames shooting out through the roof and then up towards the firemen poised on their ladders over those flames.......................But

The thing that stands out most in my mind about that night was when dad and I reached Highland Ave and I observed a man running down the Ave., towards the supper club, with a look of fear, and panic on his face. The fear I saw on his face scared me............................and for all of these years my thoughts have been of him, & wondering if his loved one survived.