Investigators determined the gas leak blast was equivalent to multiple tons of TNT exploding. He told me later when I asked was the car a total loss. They lived in Cary Woods, and the blast woke me up. Morris admits that, before returning to the restaurant, she got so distracted by her own job and kids that she didnt make enough time for her father. Lawrence, too, remembers details of the scene, especially the cold. When Penny calls during our interview to find out what time Morris will pick up her dad, the conversation is half in Greek, half in English. Click here. Like most children of Charlottes Greek community, she attended Greek school to learn the language and culture, and shes made trips to Greece to meet extended family. When her dad, George Karnezis, had a stroke in 2014, she stepped in to run her parents restaurant, Kopper Kettle, until they were back on their feet. "My office will aggressively pursue businesspeople who operate in such an illegal manner," McSwain said. Long ago, the Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant put Morristown on gourmets' list from coast to coast as a stop on Route 52 where a fine meal may be enjoyed in a delightfully restful setting. Auburn had made the national news. Thats a loaded one, she says, pausing to think it over. It had a liquor license and a lively bar, but by the late 1990s, George and Penny decided to serve just breakfast and lunch. Morris laughs as she recalls that when she originally convinced her dad to create a non-smoking section, he designated two booths in the smoke-filled room because they were nearest the door. McCord worked on top of the ladder truck for about three and a half hours before being relieved. They have the best snapper soup in the region! On a regular work day, not Sunday when this happened, I wouldve been at work long before 8:00 AM! That place is disgusting. I was preparing a sermon at FBC and after the boom, felt The Lord saying dont worry about it. The Copper Kettle opened as a bar in the late 1930s. I lived on W Magnolia at Lambda Chi house. The destruction was amazing, but it was also amazing to see all of the things from the store that were unbroken. Cloudy. I remember the one at Brookwood, too. They're still open. The Original Smash Pot is, er, a heart-healthy heap of potatoes, cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sausage or bacon. We look forward to making your everyday meal or your special moment extraordinary! It rocked us! So I did it. Funny 1. The lot was still vacant when I arrived at Auburn, for Fall of 1978. (SUN/Julia Malakie)A couple chairs down, 63-year-old Luis Velazquez clutched a Michelob Ultra. The blast left more than 70 businesses damaged, and one small town reeling. Jan. 15, 1978 was a quiet Sunday in downtown Auburn. Thanks! Auburns 1908 team went undefeated despite losing to professional LSU team, Mustache Guys church pays prankish tribute to its famous youth minister during Sunday service, Well remember too, this season of great joy and hope. Oh, and now we have video.). While the devastation to downtown Auburn shocking, that no one died or suffered a serious injury from the explosion was the most remarkable thing about that day. Don't Threaten. I was a teenager at the time. A birds-eye-view picture of the restaurant and the land around it that was taken in 1971 hangs on the wall near the cash register today, and it shows just how isolated the Kopper Kettle was three residential trailers are all that can be seen nearby. Its Pronounced Jordan: Time to rebrand the Auburn-Georgia rivalry? Notice the new Lincoln Continental still with dealer tag on it. I was asleep in my apartment on West Magnolia, about a mile away, and the boom shook the whole building. She expected the role to last a year at most. Delivery & Pickup Options - 445 reviews of Kopper Kettle "If for some reason you find yourself driving through Yucaipa, and trying to decide between Denny's, Domino's or Del Taco, do yourself a favor and pick this place instead. In the 90s, after Morris had her first child, George decided to close for dinner, and today it remains only a breakfast and lunch eatery, with no liquor or beer on the menu. You have permission to edit this article. All Rights Reserved, On Sunday, October 28, 2018, Terri Stacy and Mel McMahon. I was one of the first Uniform Police Officers on the scene. The place used to get so packed that we used to have a line outside, Richard Kapala said. I managed a gift shop, the Tiger Lily, next door to Waldrops. Hmmm. And had it happened 17 minutes later when everyone was arriving to hear Britt's sermon at Auburn United Methodist Church just down and across the street from the Kopper Kettle, a lot of people probably would have been killed or at least seriously injured because the blast shot shards of 90-year old stained class into the walls like throwing stars. https://discord.gg/kJdJq5BRH5, Press J to jump to the feed. An AU student from the Plainsman took my photograph as I was walking through the intersection at Gay and Magnolia. Think I have some color photos somewhere. See the differences between multiple units in the same complex and find the best rates. An hour later and people would have been going to church. I was sleeping late that morning as usual. I thought my 1 1/2 year old fell out of bed when it blew. The explosion made national news that night in 1978. I love this place.. Don't forget to call and make your reservations for the holidays! If everyone in the world would stop and listen, she says, it would be a better place.. and au jus (!!). I get emotional just talking about it, Morris admits. The photo after Nancy Edwards Eldridge (#86)photo shows Det. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. I was the dispatcher for the City of Auburn the morning this occurred. And it got up to like 27 degrees that day," he recalls. McCord said he later went to the top of the ladder's fly section, which was extended some 70 feet in the air, to spray water on the blaze. Thank you for signing in! They were only open for takeout for a few months, then reopened with half the seats taped off. He sleepily said, "Must be somebody lighting dynamite in the parking lot." "When I came through the intersection there at Gay Street and Mag, I could smell a little natural gas.". Sorry the owners got greedy. It remains one of Charlotte's most famous unsolved murders. Get our Weekly recap with the latest news, articles and resources. The Battle of Campaldino was a battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines on 11 June 1289. I was also throwing papers for the Auburn bulletin before the explosion, and came through town I could smell the gas is really strong went home to tell my father about the gas downtown since we were running the newspaper thought something crazy was going to happen and it did.I made it downtown right after the explosion I was reaching of the window at the drugstore to call my boss to tell them I would secure the store until someone got there about that time I found myself with handcuffs against a brick wall ,thought I was trying to steal the money out of the cash register but was later released what a crazy morning. Mixed bands of pro-papal Guelf forces of Florence and allies, Pistoia, Lucca, Siena, and Prato, all loosely commanded by the paid condottiero Amerigo di Narbona with his own professional following, met a Ghibelline force from Arezzo including the perhaps reluctant bishop, Guglielmino degli Ubertini, in . One of which is about the Kopper Kettle. People really appreciate it when you listen. Now the Kapalas hire a DJ to spin tracks on Friday and Saturday nights. Your email address will not be published. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Then about five months in I was like, Theres no way I can sell it. "I just heard the explosion," McCord said. !< I work days and he works nights, Laurel said on a recent Wednesday. (Photo by Ryan Pitkin) A bird's-eye-view picture of the restaurant and the land around it that was taken in 1971 hangs on the wall near the cash register today, and it shows just how isolated the Kopper Kettle was three residential trailers are all that can be seen nearby. We serve anything from wings. Later that evening, I was amazed to see photos of our downtown Auburn on the NBC National News television broadcast. Nobody was blown up and nobody was hurt on the fire scene.". Ells have been added, porches attached, stairways built, and patios and gardens laid out. Keep it Clean. After breakfast, our family drove as close to downtown as possible to see the damage. This is the second post in a three-part series commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the day the Kopper Kettle blew up (and celebrating the scores of injuries and deaths that miraculously did not occur remember the song The Kettles Gone? After 55 years of ownership, Richard Kapala and his wife, Laurel, are selling the building and with it, the business. For example, theres Rum and Coke Jim, Laurel said. Its since gone back and forth between being designated as a Pineville or Charlotte address, but changing identities is nothing new for the restaurant. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the location served as a wholesome family diner by day and a bar and lounge by night. It was a miracle that it happened when the damage was to property not people. Specialties: Over 150 Years of History Full of Beautiful Antiques Serving Indiana's Best Chicken, Filet Mignon Seafood Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 8:30 Sunday - 11:30 - 6:30 Established in 1858. She never left. I just thought he was getting me too close there. I was in my second story apartment at the corner of Ross and Glenn (several blocks away) when this happened. The Kapalas hope to travel with their free time, but plan to visit the bar even after the sale. The Lincoln Continental in one of the photoshad just been purchased by Larry Parker. A gas leak caused the explosion in January 1978 that destroyed the Kopper Kettle restaurant and several nearby businesses. Thank you for reading! When the apartment started getting cold, I got up to find that all of our gas heaters had gone out (I guess the city had cut off all of the gas lines) and the door on the side facing the Kettle had been blown open. Kopper Kettle is located at 1985 Bridgetown Pike. We are a family style dining restaurant, known for our famous pan fried chicken, delicious filet mignon and fresh seafood. Description: Restaurant La Bucaccia is housed in a beautiful historic building of Cortona and is distinguished by quality, local and seasonal ingredients used to prepare exquisite traditional dishes of the Tuscan cuisine. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. We were going to the office after church to do a filling on my mother! On Halloween, they would arrive dressed in costume. Charles Britt of Auburn United Methodist Church barely made it through the red light at the corner of Magnolia and Gay before the blast. The bar no longer serves food, but the regulars keep coming. It was owned by John Brooks, Laurel Kapalas great-uncle. You just dont move around a whole lot doing that, and I didnt realize my pants had gotten stuck to the sidewalk. What about the t-shirts? FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. One of her main reasons for staying is the time she gets to spend with her dad. Holy crap---a house blew up couple streets over from us! For Morris, its a precious chance to savor her dads company. There comes a time in every persons life when they have to grow up and settle down a bit. I had just bought my 1st camera. Stephen Eckler, 68, of Ivyland, pleaded guilty on. 13,909 were here. 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