There's No Joy In Westville

If the before picture isn't a visual metaphor of the tornadic emotions swirling through my mind right now, then shit, nothing is.

But like a tornado, it hit. Instead of winds, though, it was in the form of swift moving flames.

This was my view yesterday, from my parking lot, when I returned home from work. Burning in the distance, just beyond those buildings and across the street, is Delaney's Tap Room & Restaurant. I heard from a friend that there was an electrical fire. I got a play-by-play actually, for my friend was there drinking on the patio with his dog after a long walk when it broke out. So I knew there was a fire, but nothing could have prepared me for this.

The scene on the street was apocalyptic, when I hurried over. I hoped, even prayed, that maybe that smoke was just a sign that the fire was on its way out, that Delaney's would be spared. Call me selfish. But that place is like a second home of mine. Luckily, though, no one was killed. But two firefighters were injured, tenants who live above lost everything, good people are out of a job, and the great neighborhood of Westville lost its Anchor.

For at around 7:40 pm, the entire building collapsed.

It's going to be tough to see Delaney's a smoldering pile of rubble, when I pass it shortly on my daily jog.

"I'd love to rebuild, but we'll see," said the owner, Peter Gremse to News 8.

For the sake of an entire neighborhood, let's hope he can do the former.

The horror. The horror.