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First Responders’ Quick Thinking Makes Headlines In 2021

Joseph Pollaro, an employee of the city of Jamestown for 15 years, points to the second story of a multi-unit residence following a fire that broke out early Tuesday. Pollaro caught two occupants who jumped to safety. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Editor’s Note: This is the second of five stories highlighting some of the most-read stories in The Post-Journal during the past year. Today’s series focuses on breaking news and police news.

The selflessness of police officers, firefighters and a city Public Works employee took center stage in a year full of breaking news.

Take, for example, Joseph Pollaro, a 15-year employee of the city Public Works Department who came across a woman screaming into a phone and pointing down Washington Street early one Tuesday morning this summer.

After circling the block in his dump truck, Pollaro saw flames shooting from a multi-unit residence on the corner of Washington and West Seventh streets.

“I saw that the front of the house was in flames, so I parked the truck and I jumped out and asked if anyone was still inside,” said Pollaro, who soon spotted occupants of the residence come running down the stairs. That entryway was filled with smoke and flames, likely preventing anyone else from leaving uninjured.

City firefighters are pictured on Crescent Street after fire broke out at a former furniture manufacturing plant Friday P-J photo by Eric Tichy

“There was no going up or going down that way,” he recalled of the fire, reported around 6:40 a.m. “Then I heard people inside screaming for help.”

Pollaro ran to the back of the property, where he saw two people at a second-story window attempting to get fresh air. Realizing their exit was full of flames, the city employee advised the pair that they would have to jump to safety.

“It was the only way out,” Pollaro said. “The woman, she almost came out face-first, so I told her to get out feet-first and hang onto the ledge.”

The young woman then let go and fell into Pollaro’s arm, forcing them both to the ground. The man came out next, again bringing the pair to the ground.

Jamestown firefighters arrived shortly after, dousing the flames that had begun on the first floor before spreading to the rest of the residence.

“They only had so much time,” Pollaro recalled of the two occupants.

Pollaro, meanwhile, believes anyone in his position would have done the same thing, brushing aside notions that he was a hero. “Any one of the great guys I work with would have done the same thing,” he said. “Like I said, I was just in the right place at the right time.”

CONKLIN’S QUICK RESCUE

Not to be outdone, Jamestown Police Officer Mark Conklin’s story went viral after he spoke with The Post-Journal following a July rescue of a family from a house fire.

A lot went through Conklin’s head as he came across a fully engulfed house fire in Jamestown. But when it became clear there were people still inside the 116 1/2 William St. property as flames consumed the front porch, his thinking instantly became focused.

“Only objective is to make sure everyone gets out,” said Conklin after helping a mother and her daughter jump to safety and before that grabbing another — all from their burning home. His life-saving actions were later broadcast to the masses after the department released his body camera footage. In it, the 2013 Jamestown High School graduate can be seen following another individual who had been gesturing in the air to black smoke and a nearby structure fire. After hopping a fence, Conklin soon comes across the two-story home with its porch fully ablaze and quickly alerts dispatch.

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time, Conklin told The Post-Journal in an interview. The four-year veteran of the department — the first two in court security and the last two as a patrolman — was returning to his vehicle on Baker Street after completing a service call when notified of the possible fire.

Within moments of JPD posting the video to Facebook, Conklin received praise for his efforts to help the family escape the fire. Some of that praise came from Police Chief Timothy Jackson.

“I can say that I have seen many examples of heroism over the years by officers,” he said. “After watching the video of this incident and speaking to others involved, I can say that the actions of Officer Conklin were, to say the least, one of the most outstanding examples of bravery, heroism, and exemplary service I have seen. We, the Jamestown Police Department, are honored to have officers such as Mark Conklin working in the Jamestown Police Department.”

ABDUCTION THWARTED

Quick thinking by several officers from local police departments may have saved a woman’s life in August.

In a news release, the Ellicott Police Department said it was notified to be on the “look-out” for a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That vehicle, police stated, had reportedly been forced off the road by a Black male with two passengers being removed a third “abducted.” Police learned that the vehicle was possibly headed to the Falconer area. Around 3:10 a.m., the Jeep was located behind a home on Richard Avenue, located west of downtown Falconer near the city of Jamestown line. Officers observed a man open a back door at the property before slamming it shut.

The Ellicott Police Department was assisted with setting up a perimeter around the property by the Jamestown Police Department, New York State Police and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

A short time later, authorities were “able to call four subjects out of the house,” Ellicott police said.

Quick actions from officers at the scene most likely saved the life of the victim,” said Det. Kevin Pierce of the Ellicott Police Department. “The combined quick response from Ellicott, Jamestown police, New York State Police and the Sheriff’s Office took a very dangerous individual off the streets today.”

JAMESTOWN ROYAL BLAZE

Despite their best efforts, there was nothing Jamestown firefighters could do to save the former Jamestown Royal Upholstery plant on Crescent Street.

Two teenage girls, one 14 years old and the other 15, were later found to be responsible for starting the June fire. The two juveniles were seen on surveillance video entering the four-story brick building prior to the fire starting and then exiting as it started to burn.

The juveniles, after the fire started, fled the area east on the railroad tracks and “past several surveillance cameras at area businesses.” After their identification, both were interviewed and released to a parent; arson charges via Chautauqua County Family Court were expected.

Battling the blaze cost the city about $20,000 in overtime for the 284 overtime hours needed by firefighters to douse the blaze along with between $400,000 and $500,000 to demolish the plant.

Firefighters were called around 6:45 p.m. and remained on scene for almost 27 hours. A bevy of mutual aid assisted in the city.

Nestled along the narrow Crescent Street, the plant was among several in Jamestown that produced high-quality furnishings for the public, businesses, schools, and a variety of public and private organizations. But this company, dating back to 1913, may be best known today for creating chairs sold to some high-profile clientele — mostly notably the White House and U.S. Supreme Court.

The company has been documented in The Post-Journal for decades and was noted by author Clarence Carlson in a book: “The Jamestown Furniture Industry: History in Wood, 1816-1920.”

The company was established in 1913 as Jamestown Upholstery Co. As Carlson wrote, its first officers included John Prather, president; Fred Nelson, vice president; and Louis Olmsted, secretary and treasurer.

Upon its opening, Jamestown Upholstery Co. employed about 25 workers, growing to about 40 by 1920, Carlson wrote. He also noted the following in his book: “During the First World War, the company manufactured fine leather cushions for U.S. Navy torpedo boat destroyers.”

Shortly before 1930, the company purchased Royal Upholstery, located nearby on Scott Street, with the name officially changing to Jamestown-Royal Upholstery Corp.

The company manufactured “fine living room upholstered furniture” that was sold by dealers throughout the country.

A June 1953 article in The Post-Journal detailed the production of a French Provincial style chair for Mamie Eisenhower, wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, to be kept at the White House. “The chair was selected from the firm’s line of chairs by the Republican Women’s Club of the city of Philadelphia and was presented to Mrs. Eisenhower by that organization two weeks ago,” the article stated.

Decades earlier, Jamestown-Royal was selected to build nine leather chairs for U.S. Supreme Court justices. The order was placed during the construction of the U.S. Supreme Court building, which opened in 1935.

GRIM DISCOVERIES

Two days in late September brought the grim discovery of human remains off of Woleben Road in Portland. The area where the remains were discovered is close to the Alison Wells Ney Nature Trail of the Chautauqua Rails to Trails system.

“Someone was looking for lost items and saw something off the trail,” Sheriff James Quattrone told The Post-Journal. “That’s when they saw what appeared to be a human skull.”

A follow-up search revealed the discovery of a second set of remains in the same area. Quattrone did say that “foul play” was suspected regarding the second set of human remains found but did not elaborate. “The first (set of remains), we are awaiting some forensic reports,” Quattrone said of a possible cause of death.

The second was identified as Marquita Mull, 50, of Buffalo.

“Even though she had her issues, she was a great person,” Wendy Mull said of her sister in an interview. “I loved her with all my heart. She was just so sweet, and when she died, my heart died.”

The family remains baffled on what may have led to Marquita Mull’s death. They are pained by the thought that her body was dumped in rural Chautauqua County, just over an hour away from her home in Buffalo. The family knew Marquita Mull had likely been located when investigators asked of a description of the missing woman.

“She wasn’t this piece of property you throw away like garbage,” Wendy Mull said. “She was a loving person who did community service. … My sister was the most beautiful person in the world, even with her issues, she showed compassion. She tried to contain the mental health issues, and she still had a heart of gold.”

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