Richards Avenue: One Year After December 9 Gas Explosion

By TERESA WINCHESTER and ROBERT BENSEN
ONEONTA

December 9, 2024 marked the one-year anniversary of the gas explosion at 18 Richards Avenue in the Town of Oneonta. The house was blown to smithereens and took the life of its sole resident, Desmond Moan. Other homes and lives were also shattered that December night.

Just after 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 10, via a media release, Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. announced that the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control, assisted by his own office, had determined that the cause of the explosion was accidental, resulting from human error. At a public meeting held Monday, December 18, at the Town of Oneonta’s town hall, Otsego County Undersheriff Cameron Allison shared the determination that Moan had discharged a firearm within the house, damaging a branch of the residential gas line and resulting in a gas leak. The ignition source was said to be the furnace in Moan’s basement. Most Richards Avenue residents interviewed doubt that claim. No one heard a gunshot.

The investigation is now in the hands of the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Four pages of records released to Iron String Press in April revealed no substantive information. The requested $8.00 payment for a 32-page report was sent to DHSES on December 5 but, at this writing, the report has not been provided to representatives of this paper.

Between 15 and 25 people were displaced immediately after the explosion, according to Patricia Leonard, executive director of Family Services Association of Oneonta. Some took refuge at a motel for a few days; others were displaced longer, and some have still not returned to their homes. Insurance, contracting, and inspection issues have delayed repair and reconstruction for all impacted by the disaster.

According to Paul Neske, codes officer for the Town of Oneonta, all homes have now been reoccupied except for 10 and 17 Richards Avenue. Neske was not sure about the status of 19 Richards Avenue.

The 16 Richards Avenue home of Barbara Doyle, as well as Clare Anderson’s home at 20 Richards Avenue, were so heavily damaged that they had to be razed. This took place on March 25 and 26.

Moan’s home was razed on September 3. Moan’s property—along with Doyle’s and Anderson’s—have been purchased by Habitat for Humanity of Otsego County. According to Jerry Blechman, president of the organization’s Board of Directors, building at any of those properties will most likely take place in 2026.

Leonard expressed appreciation both to those who had offered support after the explosion and to those who were affected by it.

“Oneonta is such a great community to work in. In response to the explosion, we received donations from businesses, food cards, gas cards, checks…It was absolutely wonderful.”

In all, approximately $20,000.00 was raised for the relief effort, Leonard said, also praising the victims of the explosion.

“Those individuals that have been impacted are some of the most resilient and strongest people. They have endured something nobody should have to go through yet they remained the kindest, most modest people. They did not want to take things they did not need. It was a pleasure to help them and aid in their recovery,” she said.

Polly Bailey was among those impacted by the explosion. When interviewed in March at her temporary residence on Ceperley Avenue, Bailey, having been evacuated from her home at 15 Richards Avenue, was still dealing with the effects of a double trauma. Not only did the December 9 explosion force her, her husband Charles and grandson Tyler Coffin out of their home indefinitely, her daughter Leia died of cancer three days later. Bailey expressed frustration in dealing with insurance companies, code and building regulations, and work permits, stating at that time, “Nobody seems to know the process. I wish there was a guidebook.”

Much of Bailey’s worry was relieved when she was put in touch with the Nolan Group of Syracuse. The company navigated the insurance process for her. In particular, it was able to get costs for asbestos removal covered—a $40,000.00 expense Bailey had initially thought would have to be paid from her own pocket.

“There was a cost involved [to procure this service], but it was well worth the extra money,” Bailey said.

In March, Bailey was discouraged about finding a contractor.

“Contractors are booked out until the end of the year. Out of five contractors, only two have returned our calls,” she said.

Nevertheless, Bailey eventually managed to find a contractor with whom she was very pleased, John Perry of Oneonta.

“He worked hard and stayed on extra,” Bailey said.

In March, Bailey had stated, “There was no Christmas [2023].” Things will be different this year. By Sunday, December 8, Bailey and her family were fully moved back into 15 Richards Avenue.

“Everything is completed. Everything has passed inspection,” Bailey said.

Bailey’s two dogs, Princess and Bella, both Havanese, had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the explosion. Lately they have been visiting the house.

“They recognize it,” Bailey said, adding that the dogs next door were excited about the return of their playmates.

Before moving back in, Bailey had an unpacking party. Friends and neighbors helped her put away items from 250 boxes that had been in storage. On Monday, December 9—one year to the day after the explosion—Father Paul Hamilton of Oneonta’s St. James Episcopal Church presided over a house blessing attended by approximately 35 friends and neighbors. Bailey is also planning a housewarming party after the holidays.

Despite these positive developments, Bailey says that she and Tyler, who will begin studies at SUNY Oneonta in the spring, are still experiencing PTSD.

“I get upset when I see NYSEG trucks,” Bailey said.

Bailey also feels a change in her neighborhood.

“It’s unsettled. We lost some good neighbors. 14 [Richards Avenue] is for sale and two houses are boarded up. I don’t know what’s going on, where they went,” she said.

Bailey is particularly grateful to Cathy Carrington Greenblatt, who offered her house to Bailey and her family until they were able to return to Richards Avenue. She also expressed gratitude to the community, which “really stepped up.”

“Patricia Leonard and her staff were right there for us every minute—and Catholic Charities, as well. To this day, people are still asking what they can do for us,” she said.

Months earlier, Bailey, who had served as an Episcopal pastor at St. Matthew’s Church in Unadilla, admitted that the incident had shaken her faith. As time went by, however, her faith was restored by “the Christian family and the community.”

“I can’t imagine not having a Christian community. There were prayer chains. People don’t speak enough about the power of prayer,” she said.

Bailey’s next-door neighbor, Melanie Castine, also had to vacate her home, located at 17 Richards Avenue. Since the explosion, she has been living in a tiny walk-up apartment on Parish Avenue, which she shares with her dog, Frodo, and cat Samwise. She hopes to be back in her refurbished house in March.

Castine was first a victim of the explosion, then of her insurance company’s dithering for eight months on the first step toward rebuilding—asbestos removal. Four different Liberty Mutual adjusters “bungled” that initial claim, Castine said. Plus the company was five months behind in reimbursing her for the rent that she paid her landlord out of a $15,000.00 personal loan she had to take out for expenses.

Much remains to be done before she can move back in. The house still needs new drywall. Floors need to be refinished or vinyl plank flooring installed. Plumbing and fixtures in the kitchen and bath also must be redone. The entire water system may need an overhaul, as the house was improperly winterized. She has located a contractor and the insurance company has finally approved the rebuild.

However, the front yard is still full of glass shards from the gas explosion that first blew in and then sucked out the windows. On a sunny day, the yard dazzles with thousands of shards. The topsoil needs to be scraped and removed, and new topsoil and grass installed. Castine’s adjuster told her that the homeowner’s policy does not cover the land. And she has yet to locate anyone who can do the work.

The explosion has caused Castine both physical and emotional harm. Still, she says, “I look at each day as a gift. I try to live more intentionally and surround myself with good people. I have less tolerance for nonsense. And I realize I have to take care of myself and protect myself.”