THIS IS "CHRONICLE" ON WCVB CHANNEL 5 NOVEMBER 21, 1982, HYDE PARK'S GARRETTY LUMBER YARD IS BURNING.
VETERAN NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER ARRIVES ON THE SCENE AND STARTS ROLLING ON THE INFERNO BUT SOMETHING DISTRACTS HIM, A PECULIAR SOUND IN THE DISTANCE.
>> AS I WALKED AROUND THROUGH THE PILES OF LUMBER, I COULD HEAR A GROUP YELLING, ALMOST LIKE THEY WERE CHEERING, WHICH WAS VERY UNUSUAL IN A FIRE.
>> AS WHITTAMORE SWINGS HIS CAMERA TO THE CROWD, THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, ONE OF THE MEN DRAWS A GUN.
>> I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I BETTER TAKE COVER BUT I HELD MY POSITION AND HE RAISED IT UP IN THE AIR.
I THOUGHT IT WAS TO TRY TO INTIMIDATE ME TO STOP VIDEOTAPING.
THAT WAS MY FIRST THING.
AND I THOUGHT, TO HELL WITH HIM, I'M NOT GOING TO BE INTIMIDATED.
I'LL HOLD MY POSITION.
>> IN THE EARLY 1980'S, GREATER BOSTON WAS ON FIRE.
264 BUILDINGS SET ABLAZE IN A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.
FEAR WAS IN THE AIR.
>> YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BACK THEN, YOU HAD THE TYLENOL SCARE, WHITEY BULGER IS THE BROTHER OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT.
KEVIN WHITE AT THE TIME IS THE MAYOR, HE'S SPRINTING THROUGH THE SWAMPS AT THE U.S. ATTORNEY CHASING HIM FOR VARIOUS CORRUPTION OFFENSES.
YOU HAVE A CITY THAT HAS ITS SCHOOL DEPARTMENT UNDER FEDERAL RECEIVERSHIP, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS UNDER RECEIVERSHIP, BOSTON HARBOR IS AS POLLUTED AS IT COULD BE.
>> IT WAS REALLY A TALE OF TWO CITIES.
MASSIVE CAPITAL WAS PUT INTO PLACES LIKE FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE.
IT WAS A DESTINATION CITY.
THIS WAS CALLED THE NEW BOSTON AND IT WAS A NEW KIND OF BOSTON.
THE PROBLEM WAS, IF YOU GO OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AND THE OFFICE BUILDINGS, IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
IT WAS THE OLD BOSTON.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE DECLINING, HOUSING STOCK WAS POOR.
IN FACT, BOSTON RATED, IN TERMS OF OVERALL MEDIAN INCOME, AMONG THE LOWEST OF ALL THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE COUNTRY.
ALSO, THERE WAS BOSTON JOINING A NATIONAL TAX REVOLT.
PROPOSITION 2.5.
>> THE BALLOT INITIATIVE PASSED STATEWIDE IN 1980, CAPPING INITIATIVES AT 2.5% ANNUALLY UNLESS VOTERS APPROVED AN OVERRIDE AND LIMITING PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IN CITIES AND TOWNS.
>> BECAUSE OF PROP 2.5, THERE WAS FEAR ON THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON CITIES AND TOWNS AND AS HAPPENS WHEN TAXES GET CUT, TEACHERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFTEN GET CUT.
PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOBS.
BOSTON ITSELF LOST IS 600 FIREFIGHTERS OUT OF 1700.
SOME THROUGH IMMEDIATE ATTRITION, AND 300 OR 400 POSITIONS LAID OFF AND FIRE HOSES AND FIRE COMPANIES CLOSED.
>> AS THOSE CUTBACKS PROCEEDED, BOSTON MAYOR KEVIN WHITE FELT THE HEAT OVER SPENDING AT CITY HALL.
>> THE RENOVATION PLAN IS REPORTED TO INCLUDE AN EXECUTIVE DINING ROOM.
>> IT'S PART OF A RENOVATION OF CITY HALL THAT HASN'T BEEN RENOVATED OR IMPROVED IN 13 YEARS.
>> WHAT PART OF CITY HALL IS THAT?
>> THAT'S THE FIFTH FLOOR, PART OF MY OFFICE.
>> IN VIEW OF THE POLICE LAYOFFS AND FIRE LAYOFFS, COULDN'T THIS MONEY BE BETTER USED TO KEEP MEN ON THE STREET?
>> I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN A GUESSING GAME OVER WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO RENOVATE A CONFERENCE ROOM.
THAT'S NOT AN EXPENSIVE.
THAT'S A RENOVATION.
THE MONEY INVOLVED IS INFINITESIMAL.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAYIN AROUND WITH NUMBERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE AND TEACHERS WERE THE VICTIMS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
>> IT WAS AGAINST THAT BACKDROP THAT FIRE STARTED TO PEPPER THE CITY IN 1982.
WAYNE MILLER, RETIRED SPECIAL AGENT WITH THE A.T.F., DOCUMENTS THE TIME IN HIS BOOK "BURN, BOSTON, BURN." >> LISTEN TO THE RADIO CALLS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS COMING
SAYING THERE'S ANOTHER ONE DOWN THE ROAD, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE.
THEY WERE RUNNING FROM ONE TO THE NEXT.
THEY WERE POPPING UP IN MINUTES FROM EACH OTHER.
>> FIREFIGHTERS WERE STRETCHED THIN.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR.
MOMS AND DADS DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO SLEEP.
PEOPLE WERE AWAKENED BY SIRENS WAILING THROUGHOUT THE CITY NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE HIT OVER AND OVER.
>> MILLER SAYS FRUSTRATION BOILED OVER AFTER 22 FIREFIGHTERS WERE INJURED ON OCTOBER 2, 1982, IN SOUTH BOSTON.
>> THE ROOF COLLAPSED WITH FIREFIGHTERS ON THE ROOF AND THEY COLLAPSED INTO THE FIRE WITH SEVERAL SEVERE INJURIES, BROKEN BACKS, BROKEN LEGS, BURNS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE WORST EVER.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT GAVE US ALL A FOCUS THAT WE HAD TO DO MORE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE.
>> WHAT WAS GOING ON CONNECTED BACK TO THE MEN MATT WHITTAMORE HAD FILMED ON THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 21, 1982.
>> NOVEMBER 21, 1982, THE FIRST BREAK THAT WE GOT.
>> AND WAYNE MILLER SAYS THE FIRE STARTED IN THE BACK BAY DOWN ALLEYS BEHIND BROWNSTONES INSIDE OF THE DUMPSTERS.
>> BEFORE LONG THEY MOVED THROUGH UNOCCUPIED BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
DORCHESTER, JAMAICA PLAIN WERE HIT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
RESIDENTS WERE MOVING TRASH CANS AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES.
THERE WAS A REAL FEAR IN