BRIDGEPORT — It’s probably safe to say that if you were in or around Bridgeport on Thursday, April 23, 1987, at 1:36 p.m., you remember where and when you were when you first heard of the L’Ambiance Plaza collapse, the worst construction accident in Connecticut’s history, instantly claiming the lives of 28 workers.
For thousands living, working and going to school within a half-mile radius of the lift-slab collapse, the news was announced by the shaking of ground followed by the rumble of huge prestressed concrete slabs pancaking on top of one another.
Then there was silence, a “deafening silence,” as recalled by the Rev. Michael A. Boccaccio who, in 1987, was assigned to St. Augustine’s Cathedral, which became a source of comfort to the scores of people left adrift by the loss. The cathedral, and its school, Kolbe Cathedral High, were less than 200 yards from the disaster and its acres of twisted beams and broken concrete.
It was in Kolbe’s gymnasium where scores of family members waited, hoping against hope in the days that followed that their husbands and fathers would somehow be found alive. They were being counseled by social workers and clergy of all faiths. But there was no good news to be had; all 28 had died within a second or two.
“When a deceased worker was found, the silence was tangible, deafening, and I dare say it was almost beautiful to see everyone coming together in that moment of sadness,” Boccaccio said. “We was so taken by this experience, my respect for civil servants was multiplied by one million.”
He was speaking at the 30th anniversary ceremony of the L’Ambiance collapse, the worst construction accident in Connecticut’s history. Speaker after speaker reminded the audience, gathered around the south steps of City Hall, that the cause of safety in the workplace is one that requires constant vigilance. “We all know where we were on that day, and families had just celebrated Easter, a celebration of renewal, and when that building collapsed, their world collapsed as well,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. “There are still workplaces just as dangerous. I’ll be going back to Washington today to consider a budget submitted by the president that would cut workplace safety enforcement by more than twenty percent.”
The senator read from a letter from a construction worker who was at the site on that fateful day. “He wrote: ‘I served in Korea. In combat you know that there’s a chance you might not go home. That shouldn’t happen when you go to work.’ ”
Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier agreed. “Every sixteen hours, a worker dies on the job,” she said.
It was easily the largest turnout that the annual remembrance has seen in years. Last year about 40 turned out for the 29th anniversary observance. Monday’s gathering saw about five times that number. The fickle weather of spring has sent many of these ceremonies inside City Council chambers, but Monday’s weather cooperated; it was seasonably cool without wind nor rain.
“The pain never quite goes away,” said Paula Gill, of Somers, who with a quivering voice spoke in honor of her father, Richard McGill, who died in the collapse. “It was a terrible day, but one thing my father taught us was to do what you love and I’m sure if he had to do it all over again, he would have done the same thing.”
Gill was accompanied at the lectern by her sister, Patty Charette, of Ellington; both were little girls when their father died.
Another child left fatherless in attendance Monday was Anna Maria Andarowski of Torrington who was 11 when her dad, Angelantonio Perugini, died. Now, one of her daughters is that age.
“There was the call — someone from the worksite called,” she said. “Then I heard my mom scream. My brother wasn’t there — I ran to the neighbors to get help.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Next phase of Route 15 ramp work underway in Wallingford
WALLINGFORD — The state Department of Transportation is moving into the next phase of work to relocate the Route 15 northbound Exit 65 on-ramp.
Colleges often talk to local companies to gauge their future workforce needs, searching for opportunities to build new programs to help fill the gaps and attract students amid a competitive higher-ed market.
The latest focus has been on the state's energy industry, as evidenced by new degree programs at Farmington's Tunxis Community College and Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
The fledgling programs, which each have their own niche and were designed based on discussions with utilities, energy companies, business associations and others, were created because of a perceived growing demand for energy efficiency and concerns that companies won't be able to find enough qualified replacements for an aging workforce. Besides traditional college-age students, both schools' programs are also targeting continuing education for those already working in the industry.
"We can always use good people who are well trained in this area," said Dave Bebrin, a senior engineer at Eversource who teaches part-time in the Tunxis program. "I don't think there's a lot of training around the energy-efficiency area."
Tunxis' two-year energy management associate's degree program focuses on the skills needed to work in the commercial and industrial efficiency sector, in positions such as energy auditors, who assess energy consumption and prescribe ways to reduce it, and facilities managers.
They're careers that pay somewhere between $40,000 and $60,000 a year, according to the program's marketing materials.
Meanwhile, SCSU's program is a business administration bachelor's degree with a specialization in utility management, meant to prepare students for utility company positions in risk management and accounting, among others.
Looking for traction
Tunxis launched its energy management program, spearheaded by director Eric Gribin, in the fall 2016 semester.
Gribin invited a reporter to meet with students and teachers earlier this month at the campus. There were traditional college-aged students like Kyle Kalisz, 20, of Newington, who started at Tunxis as a business administration major but decided it didn't suit his personality.
"I wanted to do something more engaging," Kalisz said.
He hopes to become certified as a home energy auditor to work between semesters, and is toying with the idea of pursuing a higher degree afterwards.
Nearby was Torrington resident and fellow student Brad Charron, 57, a project manager at Southbury's USA LED Energy Solutions, where he oversees commercial lighting projects. Charron said he hopes to use his new knowledge to achieve his "certified energy manager" (CEM) credential, which is a key hiring benchmark for a number of big companies, according to the Association of Energy Engineers, a certifying body for CEM. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier agreed. “Every sixteen hours, a worker dies on the job,” she said.
It was easily the largest turnout that the annual remembrance has seen in years. Last year about 40 turned out for the 29th anniversary observance. Monday’s gathering saw about five times that number. The fickle weather of spring has sent many of these ceremonies inside City Council chambers, but Monday’s weather cooperated; it was seasonably cool without wind nor rain.
“The pain never quite goes away,” said Paula Gill, of Somers, who with a quivering voice spoke in honor of her father, Richard McGill, who died in the collapse. “It was a terrible day, but one thing my father taught us was to do what you love and I’m sure if he had to do it all over again, he would have done the same thing.”
Gill was accompanied at the lectern by her sister, Patty Charette, of Ellington; both were little girls when their father died.
Another child left fatherless in attendance Monday was Anna Maria Andarowski of Torrington who was 11 when her dad, Angelantonio Perugini, died. Now, one of her daughters is that age.
“There was the call — someone from the worksite called,” she said. “Then I heard my mom scream. My brother wasn’t there — I ran to the neighbors to get help.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Next phase of Route 15 ramp work underway in Wallingford
WALLINGFORD — The state Department of Transportation is moving into the next phase of work to relocate the Route 15 northbound Exit 65 on-ramp.
As part of the $4.3 million project, the Exit 65 on-ramp will be moved to allow access from Hall Avenue instead of River Road. The ramp will be lengthened to improve safety. Motorists will be able to accelerate and merge onto the highway instead of entering from a stop. Work is 90 percent federally funded and 10 percent state funded.
DOT announced in a statement Monday that as part of the next phase of construction, a shoulder will be closed along Route 15 northbound to allow for the new on-ramp to be installed north of the bridge. The project, which began in April 2016, has been broken into 10 phases, the DOT said. This phase is expected to be complete by early June. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by August, DOT added.
Matthew Vail, who is managing the project for the state Department of Transportation, has said the new lane will prevent accidents.
“Now you’ll have a proper acceleration lane to gain speed and match the speed of the traffic on Route 15,” he said. “We’ve had quite a few accidents on Route 15 northbound with that on-ramp. You have people going from stop to high speed” leading to more rear-end accidents.
In July, several trees were taken down along Route 15 north to allow for the construction of a new ramp.
The latest focus has been on the state's energy industry, as evidenced by new degree programs at Farmington's Tunxis Community College and Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
The fledgling programs, which each have their own niche and were designed based on discussions with utilities, energy companies, business associations and others, were created because of a perceived growing demand for energy efficiency and concerns that companies won't be able to find enough qualified replacements for an aging workforce. Besides traditional college-age students, both schools' programs are also targeting continuing education for those already working in the industry.
"We can always use good people who are well trained in this area," said Dave Bebrin, a senior engineer at Eversource who teaches part-time in the Tunxis program. "I don't think there's a lot of training around the energy-efficiency area."
Tunxis' two-year energy management associate's degree program focuses on the skills needed to work in the commercial and industrial efficiency sector, in positions such as energy auditors, who assess energy consumption and prescribe ways to reduce it, and facilities managers.
They're careers that pay somewhere between $40,000 and $60,000 a year, according to the program's marketing materials.
Meanwhile, SCSU's program is a business administration bachelor's degree with a specialization in utility management, meant to prepare students for utility company positions in risk management and accounting, among others.
Looking for traction
Tunxis launched its energy management program, spearheaded by director Eric Gribin, in the fall 2016 semester.
Gribin invited a reporter to meet with students and teachers earlier this month at the campus. There were traditional college-aged students like Kyle Kalisz, 20, of Newington, who started at Tunxis as a business administration major but decided it didn't suit his personality.
"I wanted to do something more engaging," Kalisz said.
He hopes to become certified as a home energy auditor to work between semesters, and is toying with the idea of pursuing a higher degree afterwards.
Nearby was Torrington resident and fellow student Brad Charron, 57, a project manager at Southbury's USA LED Energy Solutions, where he oversees commercial lighting projects. Charron said he hopes to use his new knowledge to achieve his "certified energy manager" (CEM) credential, which is a key hiring benchmark for a number of big companies, according to the Association of Energy Engineers, a certifying body for CEM. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE