[Dixielandjazz] Dave Cotter (Banjoist Extraordinaire) house and collection destroyed by fire

[David Richoux]

http://jazzdance.org/cotterfund.html

Fire damages Dave Cotter's Home & Belongings

Fund established for donations

Sunday, November 17, 2002, around one a.m., banjo player Dave Cotter 
discovered that his house was on fire. As reported in the Santa Cruz 
Sentinel, it took fifteen firefighters and five pieces of equipment 
twenty minutes to bring the blaze under control. The Sentinel also 
reported estimated damages of $225,000 to the home and $100,000 to its 
contents, that the house was unlivable and that Cotter was taken in by 
neighbors.

Dave is a member of Toot Sweet, Midnight Rose and Alcatraz Angels, yet 
he finds time to help other bands.

An e-mail from drummer Tony Poligono reports that the house is a loss 
along with Dave's old record collection, furniture and clothes. 
Fortunately, Dave's banjo was in his car and was not damaged.

Tony also reports that insurance will not cover $50,000 of the loss so 
he has set up a fund at the Cal Fed Bank in Greenbrae. As Tony notes, 
"Dave has shared his gifts of music and humor with us all for many 
years, and here's our chance to show how much he is appreciated by the 
music community".

Contributions can be sent to:

Cal Fed Bank
attn: Tony Leaf
230 Bon Air Center
Greenbrae, CA 94904

Checks should be made payable to: "Cotter Fire Fund". The account 
number is 913-4097014 and the bank's phone number is 415-461-3273.
=======================================
(a potential nightmare for all of us collector/musicians - be sure your 
insurance is reasonably sufficient - but money cannot ever really 
replace our prized tools and resources. I have played with Dave in many 
different bands over the last 20 years and I can really feel his 
loss...   Dave Richoux)