Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
SILVER SPRING, MD (WMAL) — A “solemn vigil” is being held at 7:30 tonight to commemorate a deadly explosion that killed seven and injured more than forty one year ago.
The vigil, organized by CASA and a tenant association that was formed after the blast will include the families of the deceased, displaced former residents, county government officials, and current residents of the other three buildings in the complex that still stand.
It will take place on the property of the Flower Branch Apartment Complex in Silver Spring.
The vigil is open to the public, but George Escobar, Senior Director of Human Services at CASA says the number of people who show up is unimportant:
“The important people that are expected there – the VIPs of the event – are definitely the tenants.”
That’s not to say that others in the community won’t show up, however, as Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker is on the Agenda to speak tonight.
Hucker spearheaded legislation after the tragedy that created more stringent inspection requirements, but Escobar insists that was not enough:
“The underlying problem of mismanagement of these slumlords, I’ll be honest…[they] do not address complaints and do not have aggressive inspections,” he said.
A lawsuit against the Flower Branch apartments, of which CASA is listed as co-council, is still waiting to hear back from D.C. courts as to whether the plaintiffs have standing, or a right to sue, in order to move forward.
“The wheels of justice are very, very slow – they run very slow,” Escobar said.
Its not all bad news for the tenants however, as Escobar revealed that all of the money and items that were donated to displaced residents had been given “within the first few weeks” after the explosion.
The Montgomery County Housing Partnership distributed cash donations and CASA handled item donations.
Yet, a year after the blast, Escobar set out a blunt reality for residents of the County’s poorest areas:
“I think if things had significantly changed, we wouldn’t be looking at litigation.”
A year anniversary, then, seems both too long and too short of a time for closure.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Heather Curtis)
