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Aftermath
of the Storm .... photos by Jeremy Cole
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By the Greenhouse
in the Park
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Along the ballfield
in the Park
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Photos and Tornado Related StoriesBill Dusty's Boston Globe Story, A Woman, her little dog, and a twister by Kevin Cullen. The story is about Katie Orellana and Maureen Lessard and what happened to them during the tornado. Boston Globe Panoramas MassLive's Stories: NASA satellite image shows trail of tornado devastation by S.P. Sullivan Monday tornado resource roundup: Food distribution at 2:30 p.m., Dakin offers animal care and more by Greg Saulmon Farmer's Market in Forest Park Starts
on Tuesday, May 3rd
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Forest Park Branch Library
Advisory Committee
The Forest Park Branch Library Advisory Committee meets every first Monday of the month at the Branch Library at 7:00PM. - Contact person: |
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To contact library commissioners and/or read minutes of library commission meetings, log onto their website. |
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Forest Park Public Library Schedule
MON: CLOSED |
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FPCA Board Votes to Request that the City Council Revoke the Special Permit Given to Palmer Renewable Resources for the Biomass Plant
At its March Board Meeting, the FPCA Board voted to request that the City Council revoke the Special Permit granted to Palmer renewable Energy for the Biomass Plant in Springfield as they are gchnaging the sopurce of their fuel from Building debree to green wood chips.
Here are some links to information on this issue:
- The Conservation Law Foundation’s letter describes the City Council’s grounds and legal rights to revoke the Special Zoning Permit that was issued to the biomass plant in 2008.
- The second file is the Valley
Advocate’s investigative article that outlines the issues
with this development, and how we got to this point.
License Commission Approves Petition for Liquor License for Racing Mart Gas Station/Convenience Store Located at 685 Sumner Avenue
Petitioner, Rizk Abiassaf, who wants to use a 20 by 30 foot space inside the store to sell beer and wine had his petition approved at the August 12th Licence Commission meeting. Only Chairman, Pete Sygnator voted against it.
Residents who live near or across from the Racing Mart attended the meeting and spoke of the noise and litter that the current gas station / convenience store generates and were extremely concerned about the additional problems that a liquor store would bring to the neighborhood. The liquor store will be open for normal liquor store hours from 8 AM to 11 PM six days a week along with Sunday hours. It was noted by many of the attendees that we already have a large number of stores that sell liquor in the neighborhood and do not need another one. Tom Rooke, the petitioner's lawyer, asserted that there is only one, Forest Park liquors. Chairman Sygnator countered by displaying a map of the neighborhood and then explained to the other commission members that there are seven liquor stores within a mile and a half radius; more than enough to serve Forest Park residents.
The License Commission voted to approve the petition, even though the FPCA board and the Planning Commission voted to oppose it. No reason was given for the approval. It was obvious to this participant that the members are now business oriented and not neighborhood friendly. The new appointees made no effort to hear and work with the neighborhood on this issue.
....FPCA Web Editor
Listen
to the FPCA Special Board Meeting
(The meeting is in progress for about 30 seconds prior to the start
of the recording. The primary petitioner's voice heard
is that of lawyer, Tom Rooke)
(mp3 file)
Short
Version for people who are fed up with an unruly neighbor, and
have decided to do something about it.
Form to Request an Emergency Order from Housing Court.
Know a Landlord Who is Having a Problem Managing their Property
Tell them about the
Housing Allowance Project's New
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT MANUAL AVAILABLE NOW
The how-to book that even seasoned landlords use as their best reference is now available. This practical guide covers all aspects of property law and practice, including:
For those who have used the HAP manual before, this new edition has extensive updates, ranging from lead compliance laws, lease clauses and new regulations to ready-to-use forms in print and on CD. It also includes the complete text of important rental housing regulations and a chapter-by-chapter study guide.
Copies cost $34.95 each.
Email landlordbook@haphousing.org
or call 413-233-1612.

This house stands
proudly in the center of the Forest Park Heights Historic District.
The Oak paneled front door features a beautiful stained glass window.
The interior is spectacular with a leaded glass inner door, oak and
cherry paneling, and mahogany fireplace mantels, stairs banisters
and crown molding. Spacious rooms and fine details invoke the pride
in homeownership and prosperity at the time it was built in 1898.
A sad and complex series of events converged
to bring this house to a deteriorated condition. The sole owner
of the house passed away suddenly in August, 2008 in New York
State. The heirs essentially abandoned the property and the bank
which holds the mortgage waited a year to initiate foreclosure.
During this period two people who had broken into the house,
lived as squatters and used the house as a stash house were arrested
and the house continued to deteriorate.
After a year of neglect, neighbors unhappy with the overgrowth
put in a day of clean up. When a foreclosure auction was set for November
12, 2009, Concerned Citizens for Springfield, Inc. (CCS) contacted
the bank’s attorneys to inquire about purchase. The bank’s
attorneys were unaware that the owner had passed away, a circumstance
which requires that a different foreclosure process be followed.
While the bank’s attorneys searched for a death certificate and
heirs, both legally required to hold a valid foreclosure auction, little
was done to secure or care for the house. CCS filed complaints with the
Springfield Code Enforcement Department. Orders to correct code violations
were ignored. The City filed for a Receivership in Housing Court. This
too was delayed by this same lack of a death certificate and notification
of heirs.
Finally a hearing to review the appointment of a Receiver, a person with legal authority to correct the code violations, was set for November 18, 2010. The attorney for the bank opposed the receivership and committed to make the necessary repairs to comply with the code enforcement orders. They did not complete the work.
The bank’s attorney did not appear at the January court hearing but informed the City’s Law Department that the bank was “writing off” the loan which would relieve the bank of any responsibility for the property. The Receiver was authorized to bring the property into code compliance. The large task of securing the house, repairing plumbing, the roof, much less clearing the sidewalk of snow started.
A dangerous Silver Maple was removed from a side yard along with other overgrown trees and bushes.
On July 22, 2011, CCS took ownership of the property. Painting the house, removing excessive macadam from the driveway, and extensive landscaping has been done to the exterior. .
CCS‘s goal is to return this grand home to owner occupancy.
On Sunday October 23rd, CCS held an open house so the public could see the house and over 500 people came out for the event, a terrific turnout.
The City Council also honored CCS for their good works in the City with a tribute at their Monday, October 24th Meeting.
....Bill Malloy
Information For People Interested in the Leete Street / Forest Park Avenue Traffic Issue
There is a lot of information on the web about traffic claming techniques and what other communities have done to make their neighborhoods more pedestrian friendly.
On the issue of traffic calming liability issues.
Here is a link to the basics of traffic calming.
Here is a brochure from the City of Cambridge on the issue.
A plan on traffic calming for Berkshire street in Cambridge.
Document published by the PVPC.
LOCATION:
Forest Park Apartments Community Room, 89 Longhill Street, Springfield
DATE/TIME:
12pm on Wednesday, July 28th.
We are pleased to inform you that construction at Forest
Park Apartments (fka “Longhill Gardens”) is complete and
the property has achieved full occupancy ahead of schedule. The Project
looks terrific and is a perfect example of how a troubled property
can be turned around into a community asset. We truly appreciate the
City’s and the Community’s support to help convert this
site from boarded up, blighted, inhabitable units to quality, attractive,
safe mixed-income housing.

Paul & Margaret Martin's Solar Addition
...Photo by Bill Devlin
Oxford Street neighbor, and former FPCA President, Paul Martin and his wife Margaret have taken going green to a new level. They have done over their garage and installed solar panels on the garage roof to provide them with electricity and hot water. They are producing enough power to sell some back to the power company. Of course, they must sell it back at the wholesale rate, not at the rate user's pay, but every little bit helps and some of the time they are off-the-grid. The Martins are working hard to lower their carbon footprint.
For the technically inclined, their electricity generating system consists of 16 Evergreen (a Marlborough, Massachusetts company) photovoltaic panels rated at 180 watts each for a total max output of 2,880 watts (newer ones are now available at over 200 watts each). This is direct current, so there is an inverter which converts that to alternating current at the correct voltage and frequency to match the current from WMECO. Paul says that he has "a net-meter which means that when the system is producing more than the house is using, the excess goes out to the street and is delivered to other houses in the neighborhood and I get credit on my bill; at night or on a cloudy day, I draw from WMECO. "
The hot water system has three flat panel collectors and a 105 gallon tank. The tank and controls are German, Stiebel-Eltron, and their subsidiary in Hadley, MA manufacturers the panels and distributes the complete systems. Ethelyne-glycol (anti-freeze same as in a car) circulates through tubing in the panels back to a coil in the bottom of the tank to heat the water. Water from the tank passes through an electric on-demand water heater that will heat the water from whatever temperature it is up to the setting for use in kitchen and bath.
"Electric production for the year has been 3,480 KWH", Paul said, "over half my annual average. The hot water system provides most requirements about 80% of the time. A sunny day even this time of year gets the water in the tank over 100 degrees F, requiring only another 10 or 15 degrees of heating for use. May through October was almost 100% of hot water use. It still needs a backup system since a couple of cloudy days in a row will drop the temperature significantly. "
The Martins installed 16 electric panels and three hotwater panels. Take a look at the specs and photos for his new green addition done with the help of architect, Bill Devlin. You could do one too! Read Bill's write-up on the project.
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FOREST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 80708 Springfield, MA 01138-0708 www.forestparkca.com |
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| © Copyright , 2011 -1999
Forest Park Civic Association |
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