As Springfield residents work to pick up the pieces of their lives following Wednesday's tornadoes, city officials are stepping-up efforts to help them out.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno walks down Judith Street in the city's devastated East Forest Park neighborhood on Saturday. He said the neighborhood looked nothing like he remembered it only a week ago but that the "determination and resolution" of the residents is
what will help the neighborhood recover and rebuild.SPRINGFIELD- As utility crews worked alongside local, state and federal agencies on the streets of Springfield on Saturday to deal with the aftermath of the tornadoes, the people trying to enter the shattered neighborhoods complicated things for the police and the residents trying to salvage their homes and possessions.
"This is not Disney World- it's a disaster site," said Mayor Domenic Sarno. "The people who are coming into the city to see the destruction are making it harder for everyone that is working to clean it up for the people who live here. We are asking them to please, stay away."
In the heavily damaged East Forest Park neighborhood, homeowners picked up the pieces as Sarno and Communications Director Tom Walsh walked the streets talking with residents.
"We had a complete stranger come and cut a tree off of our house and random people stopping by to see if we were alright," said Carol LaValley, who lives on Surrey Road with her husband Jeffery in a house which sustained heavy damage in the tornadoes. "And we can't thank the city enough. The people here really appreciate everything you guys are doing."
LaValley wasn't the only person thanking Sarno for the collective efforts of the city's employees. As he and Walsh walked down Island Pond Road, several drivers stopped to express their appreciation while many people cleaning up their properties followed suit.
Some residents expressed frustration that their houses were condemned, or questioned the mayor about other pressing issues, such as neighborhood security and debris removal.
"These people have been through so much and its important that they know we are here with them," Sarno said. "The good or the bad, I want them to let me know what's on their minds."
THE STABILIZATION PHASE
The city has joined with state and federal forces to attack the various aftermath issues. At a news conference Saturday, Sarno said that the recovery effort has moved from the triage stage to one focusing on stabilization.
"Starting on Monday, there will be two teams from MEMA and FEMA moving through the affected areas of the city," Sarno said. "One will be a public assistance team that is focusing on businesses and schools and the other will focus on individual assistance on the worst hit streets."
Determining which buildings are stable and which ones are entirely unsafe is one of the highest priorities, according to the mayor.
Building Commissioner Steven Desilets said that city residents with condemned houses, designated by an "x" spray-painted on the front of the building, can call the Building Department to request an inspection.
"Our number one goal is safety," Desilets said. "In many cases buildings are marked with an "x" for good reason."
The Building Dept. is open for business from 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and can be reached by calling 413-787-6031.
ELECTRICITY RETURNS, BRINGS INCREASED RISK OF FIRE
The Springfield Fire Department is urging people in affected areas to turn off the main switch on their electrical breakers or remove the fuses in order to reduce the risk of a fire when the juice is turned back on.
"Turning off the main switch reduces the risk of a surge in your home and if you have a generator hooked up to your house, it reduces the risk if fire from that," said Dennis Leger, public information officer for the city fire department. "We have also had two fires caused by people lighting with candles, so we are reminding everybody that flashlights are much safer."
There are currently 30 crews with National Grid and Western Massachusetts Electrical Company working in the city. As of Saturday afternoon, a majority of the affected households had their electricity restored.
Anyone looking to replace electrical lines in their home is reminded that under city code and for their own safety, a licensed and insured contractor must perform the work and sign off on the job. If a house is only missing the "drop," the line that runs from the house to the utility pole, they can call 311 and get contact information for their electric provider and request a reconnection. Otherwise, a reconnection will take place when crews perform such repairs on the entire street.
SPRINGFIELD SCHOOLS SHIFT SOME STUDENTS
Classes will resume on Monday at public schools in Springfield, with the exception of the heavily damaged Mary A. Dryden Veterans Memorial School and Elias Brookings Middle School according to Henry Figueredo, the chief operating officer of the school district.
He said that pre-school for both of those schools is cancelled for the rest of the year and students at Dryden are asked to show up at Frederick Harris School, located at 58 Hartford Terrace.
Students from Brookings are asked to show up to the J.C. Williams center at 116 Florence St. at 8 a.m. where children in kindergarten through second grade will be shuttled to Edward P. Boland School on Armory Street. Brookings students in third, fourth or fifth grade will be shuttled to Rebecca Johnson School on Catharine Street.
The Parochial schools in Springfield are reportedly closed Monday.
In the neighborhoods damaged by the tornadoes, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army have mobile units providing food and water to residents and workers. There are also several student, church and community groups making their way around to make sure the victims have whatever they need.
Additionally, there are three feeding sites set up around the city that are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to anyone in need.
The gym at Holy Cross Catholic Church at 21 Plumtree Road, Milton Bradley Elementary School at 22 Mulberry St., and the St Anthony Maronite Church at 375 Island Pond Road are the three feeding halls. More information is available by calling 311 from a landline phone or 736-3111 on a cell phone.
City residents with housing needs are being cared for at two locations. families are being housed at Central High School while individuals are being cared for at the new Friends of the Homeless shelter.
Any landlords with vacant apartments can call 787-6500 to register with the city and assist the displaced.
PROTECTING CITY RESIDENTS AND THEIR PROPERTY
City and state police officers are blocking the entrances to affected areas and checking the identification of anyone trying to enter to ensure they are either recovery workers or residents.
Although there have been scattered reports of looting from Springfield and across the region, Sgt. Paul Browne said that such reports have been the exception rather than the rule.
"We have had some reported break-ins and made some arrests," Browne said. "I'd say overall, there have been less than ten instances. We've seem more neighbors helping neighbors but anywhere you go, there is always that element of society that wants to take advantage of a situation and its victims."
Additionally, Sarno warned residents not to sign contracts or give checks to any contractor before they are sure it is a legitimate operation.
"It's sad but there are people out there trying to pray on the elderly and anyone who they can scam out of money," he said. "People need to check them out first."
Anyone with questions about a contractor's legitimacy can call the Better Business Bureau or the mayor's Office of Consumer Information and report scams to the police as well as the attorney general's office.
Mayor Domenic Sarno and Communications director Tom Walsh speak with Loretta Street residents in the devastated East Forest Park neighborhood of the city. Although the cleanup and recovery efforts will continue until the job is done, according to Sarno, the city will begin stepping up its efforts this coming week.
Residents are asked to separate tree debris from building materials and move both to the treebelts in front of their house and along the edge of streets. If possible, residents should place building materials in 35-gallon barrels or trash bags. The City is working with MEMA to have members of the National Guard assist elderly and disabled residents with the clean up in affected areas.
Beginning this week and continuing until the cleanup is complete, city crews will be removing the debris.
The city is also spearheading a number of efforts to assist business owners in reopening and rebuilding if necessary.
"If you have a business that was affected by the tornado, please call us," Sarno said. "We have a number of assistance and incentive programs to get them open and keep them in Springfield."
Business owners are encouraged to visit the city's website at www.springfieldcityhall.com or call (413) 787-6020 to reach the Planning & Economic Development Department.
The U.S. Postal Service's unofficial moniker of delivering in rain, sleet and snow is proving difficult as mail carriers find that several houses on their route ore heavily damaged or destroyed.
Residents who are not receiving their mail in area codes 01103, 01109, 01119, 01129, 01105, 01107 or 01104 can pick up their mail at the city post office.
Anyone temporarily relocating can fill out a temporary change of address form at their local post office.