You have permission to edit this article. FEASTERVILLE, PA One of the owners of the Kopper Kettle bar and restaurant in Feasterville has pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. Thanks! There are niches with marble and alabaster statuary, Dresden china, and Chinese chests. Click here. On one occasion about 15 years ago, Laurel cut off a young man who had too much to drink. According to other reports, Lt. Tamp McDonald was dispatched in the captain's El Camino to investigate the smell. The anniversary and a sermon given shortly after the blast by the Rev. No one even thought about looting or taking something that did not belong to us. 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. It remains one of Charlotte's most famous unsolved murders. At 8:13 a.m., the Kopper Kettle, a restaurant located in the heart of downtown Auburn, exploded due to a gas leak, taking out several neighboring businesses and shaking the town to its core. The Battle of Campaldino was a battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines on 11 June 1289. People are also reading Its Pronounced Jordan: Time to rebrand the Auburn-Georgia rivalry? Oh, and now we have video.). The streets were empty as Jim Patterson, an Auburn student, made his way from his apartment on Thach Avenue to St. Dunstans Episcopal Church on nearby Magnolia Avenue to catch the morning worship service. We hope that you enjoy our free content. The dining room (below) opens for breakfast at 5 a.m. Much to everyones relief, not a single person was killed that day and no life-threatening injuries were sustained. Our guest tell us this charm is unmatchable even by the most beautiful restaurants in all of Europe! And those were mine and my sisters dental records that got blown up. Saradina Morris didnt plan to spend her life running a small caf surrounded by warehouses and industrial parks outside Pineville. A family style fine dining restaurant, known for its famous pan fried chicken, delicious. Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. I just thought about it. "I just heard the explosion," McCord said. Downtown looked like a war zone. https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/feasterville-trevose/1985-bridgetown-pike/pid_31709455/, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/bucks-county-bar-and-restaurant-owners-charged-tax-offenses. We'd love to hear eyewitness Funny 1. chat with Leigh Langkable, owner of Kopper Kettle Inn Restaurant in Morristown, Indiana. 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. It BLEW UP!" Checking back? I got up to go to church and had pretty much forgotten about it. The couple has listed the building and business on the market, and hope to finalize a sale later this year. Kopper Kettle Bistro Unclaimed Review Save Share 2 reviews #46 of 51 Restaurants in Beaumont 1518 Four Seasons Cir Beaumont, CA, Beaumont, CA 92223-3100 +1 951-845-3550 Website Open now : 07:00 AM - 7:00 PM See all (5) Enhance this page - Upload photos! I was in Magnolia Dorm cafeteria for breakfast. Jan. 15, 1978 was a quiet Sunday in downtown Auburn. The Kapalas guess that the wall is as old as the bar, possibly dating back to the 1930s. Rod Sinclair was preparing for the 8:30 a.m. service when the explosion happened, knocking him to his knees. You can help keep more like it coming by becoming a TWER patron. She had a perfectly good career already, as a counselor. It was kind of a wild place for dinner back in the day, recalls Sara Morris, the Karnesis daughter, born just four months after the restaurant opened. The explosion made national news that night in 1978. Soggy potato. Shes got a whole sheaf of notes in a drawer by the cash register with things her father, now 84, tells her. Keith K. CA, CA. 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. Low 66F. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the location served as a wholesome family diner by day and a bar and lounge by night. About 40 frames later must be a young Andy Gentry in center w/ glasses w/ the fire Chief. So I dozed back to sleep! Its great to be a part of their (the customers) history, Laurel Kapala said. "The Kopper Kettle explosion was the big event while I was at Auburn. If your scrolling finger is limber enough, here are 78 photos most of which have never been seen until now taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast by former Opelika-Auburn News photographer Brad Ashmore. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The jukebox is gone, and the smoke clouds have long since cleared out, although that took some time. And it got up to like 27 degrees that day," he recalls. You just dont move around a whole lot doing that, and I didnt realize my pants had gotten stuck to the sidewalk. Richard Kapala was discharged from the air force that year, and took over his fathers share of the bar. I was just 3 years old when this happened but believe it or not ive got a good memory of it happening because i recall listening to my mom and dad have conversations with their friends about it . Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, left, with customer Daniel Correa of Lowell, right. But some longtime customers arent ready to move on. "I have to think it was divine intervention that nobody got hurt," said McCord. These photos bring back so many memories! Greek immigrants George and Penny Karnesis opened Kopper Kettle on Nations Ford Road in what was then southwest Charlotte in May 1971. Everyone in the community really came together that day. Photo #85 is me! Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Now she can do both. Three sides had glass. Be Nice. The large, quaint house is a veritable art museum - housing fascinating collection of art objects from many parts of the world - all tastefully displayed from beautiful antique furnishings and artifacts. On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, several businesses on East Magnolia Ave in downtown Auburn were destroyed in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak beneath the restaurant. Built by Col. [] in the late 70s a restaurant in downtown Auburn, AL blew up because of a gas leak. The room was about 20 x 10 feet. He threatened to tell the owner, she recalled with a chuckle. They hope to finalize the sale this year. He told me it was. "It was just like, Holy moly. You look there, and theres this whole section of the block thats gone," he said. It was his (Karols) lifelong dream, Richard Kapala said. They've been there forever. Thanks for listening! Frank DeGraffenreid w/ hat. The Original Smash Pot is, er, a heart-healthy heap of potatoes, cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and sausage or bacon. We are a family style dining restaurant, known for our famous pan fried chicken, delicious filet mignon and fresh seafood. I was working at the old Spur station on the corner of Gay and Glenn. He had no idea that I was married to him, she said. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute tax fraud with our law enforcement partners.". When I saw the bricks and wood flying in the air above the buildings at Gay and Magnolia. Dick Kapala, bartender and co-owner of Cappys Copper Kettle, center, with customer and fill-in bartender George Saba of Lowell, left, and Luis Velazquez of Lowell, right. Bucks County is a county located Southeast in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I heard that a dentist had his office on the upper floorthat they found his diploma in his mother's yard, two miles away. 2 Player of Year, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds. Thats a loaded one, she says, pausing to think it over. For this speech, Patterson will talk about what he witnessed at both the Kopper Kettle explosion in Auburn, and on 9/11 when he worked in Washington D.C. as a diplomat. "The bank thermometer there said 25 degrees. It was owned by John Brooks, Laurel Kapala's great-uncle. It was an event that I will always remember. He owned the business directly across the street from the explosion. Her second creation is for those with a sweeter tooth: French toast biscuits. Thank you for reading! Richard and Laurel Kapala both work about seven days per week. 12/30/2022. I was at the corner of Mitcham Ave. and North Gay St. going over the railroad tracks when this happened. It is the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Multiple strokes have affected his short-term memory, but his recollections of the restaurants beginnings and Morris childhood are as strong as ever, and she values the time she can spend listening to his stories. Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, Larry P. Pelullo, Retired Carpenter with over 30 years Experience, Open Houses Planned In The Bensalem Area: Here Are The Latest 3 Listings, State Sen. Farry Launches Satellite Office Hours In Bucks. "When you ask anyone that was there, the first thing that theyll tell you is it was damn cold. The Kopper Kettle made national headlines that night as word spread about the freak accident in a small Alabama town. Thats what it kind of looked like, what you might expect from a bomb or auxiliary round that may have hit the building and blown it up. 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 . Kopper Kettle in Feasterville is up for sale, plus owners charged with tax evasion Pretty sad news. Low 66F. Kopper Kettle is located at 1985 Bridgetown Pike. The Copper Kettle opened as a bar in the late 1930s. Photos of smiling customers line a wall behind the DJs booth. The photo after Nancy Edwards Eldridge (#86)photo shows Det. "The defendants' practice of paying their employees in cash, concealing this from the IRS, and failing to collect and pay federal employment taxes, undermines the integrity of the federal income tax system and harms those who play by the rules.". Not bad for a small bar, Laurel Kapala said. According to prosecutors, Eckler and co-owner Robert Yost did not report $263,340 in cash wages that they paid to dishwashers at the Kopper Kettle from March 2012 through at least September 2016. I was one of the first Uniform Police Officers on the scene. person will not be tolerated. In 1964, Richards father, Karol, and a co-owner bought the bar. Our paper and website are always free, but if youre feeling kind, you can contribute to our journalism efforts here. I thought my 1 1/2 year old fell out of bed when it blew. Photos courtesy Auburn University archives. An AU student from the Plainsman took my photograph as I was walking through the intersection at Gay and Magnolia. 104. I remember the blast. My pals and I spent many a wee hour sobering up in that building. He comes here and he drinks coffee and he eats, and thats part of the reason that I decided to stay, because that is priceless to me, she says. One elderly white couple tries to keep up as she explains the restaurants annual celebration of International Jorts Day, which the Kettle staff celebrates on May 24. I managed a gift shop, the Tiger Lily, next door to Waldrops. "I went up there on the top of that on the fly section and the people had hand lines down there on the other buildings because there was about a quarter of a block that was burnt up," he said. So how is being a counselor similar to running a restaurant? 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. The Kapalas hosted road races to raise money for the fund. (And if youd like to help us keep the obsession with Auburn lore unhealthy and the lights on through the winter, click here.). Jan. 15, 1978 was a quiet Sunday in downtown Auburn. that is degrading to another person. It was an attorney's office, not a dentist. The information alleges that Eckler and Yost, owners of the Kopper Kettle Bar and Restaurant, located in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, did not report $263,340 in cash wages that they paid to dishwasher employees at the Kopper Kettle Bar and Restaurant during the period March 2012 through at least September 2016. Rod Sinclair at the Episcopal College Center were recently recognized and read into the Congressional Record by Rep. Mike Rogers. Ells have been added, porches attached, stairways built, and patios and gardens laid out. Students were away from their apartments, cars were halted at just the right stoplight, and churchgoers, like Patterson, were just beginning to emerge. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. Dang I dont remember it looking that devastated. They're still open. They are down to two prospective buyers, both of whom plan to run a bar in the space. Rubble to places? . And then theres the St. Patricks Day tradition: Each year, Richard Kapala cooks about 500 pounds of corned beef, and serves it at the bar with cabbage and either rye or Irish soda bread. Though generational favorites like the fried pork chops or livermush remain top sellers, Morris has introduced new adaptations that have in short time become hits among newcomers and longtime customers alike. It rocked us! Hello, Great photos of the Toomers explosion. 82. LOWELL It may soon be last call at Cappys Copper Kettle. In April of that year, her father suffered his first stroke. Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! On Sunday morning, January 15, 1978, half a block of businesses on East Magnolia Avenue in downtown Auburn blew the hell up (kapow, boom, war-zone), chief am. 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. Always wanted to check them out. As much time as she spent in the smoke-filled diner, however, she never imagined shed one day be running it. Uncover why Kopper Kettle is the best company for you. Just amazing that no one was killed. I thought a tornado was coming through but I didn't see anything outside. racist or sexually-oriented language. Then about five months in I was like, Theres no way I can sell it. The restaurant's owners are facing federal tax charges after the allegedly failed to report employee wages. A gas leak caused the explosion in January 1978 that destroyed the Kopper Kettle restaurant and several nearby businesses. Perhaps it suffered for our sins. Kopper Kettle, Morristown: See 94 unbiased reviews of Kopper Kettle, rated 4 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #1 of 5 restaurants in Morristown. 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