SOUTHWICK – The groundbreaking event for the official announcement of the new salt shed took place at the DPW on Wednesday morning.
As the salt shed will be located right behind the DPW garage, the official announcement took place at that location with NEL Corporation working on the salt shed in the background.
Select Board Chief Administrator Karl Stinehart, Chairman Russ Fox, and member Doug Moglin were present as well as Rep. Nick Boldyga and Sen. Don Humason.
Along with DPW Director Randy Brown, each of the local officials dug into a dirt pile with a shovel in hand in order to make the opening of the new salt shed official.
“The salt shed is a capital item that we’ve been trying to pursue for many years,” said Stinehart.
Southwick Select Board members, Sen. Don Humason, Rep. Nick Boldyga, and DPW Director Randy Brown all had their shovels out to mark the official announcement of the new salt shed right behind the DPW. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
Brown can attest to the several years the DPW and town officials have been attempting to have a new salt shed.
“This is a long time in the making,” said Brown. “I have papers and records in the office going back to the mid 1980’s talking about a need for a new salt shed.”
The DPW has had an issue in the last few years with shortages of salt. Brown vividly remembers making several phone calls a day during the winter to try and get deliveries for salt.
According to Brown, NEL Corporation is expected to complete building the salt shed in a month and will be open just after that.
As the old salt shed was located behind the Southwick Fire Department, it could only handle up to three snow storms in the winter. The upgrade will hold enough salt for a full year.
Working with the state administration, Rep. Boldyga and Sen. Humason were able to get $450,000 through the executive office that was specifically for the use of a new salt shed for the Southwick DPW.
“It’s actually very rewarding when you can do something for a town like Southwick,” said Sen. Humason.
Since Humason took visits to the old salt shed and saw the deplorable condition it was in, Boldyga too, has seen just how desperately the Town of Southwick needed a change.
Being on the Southwick Select Board in the past, Boldyga has had the proper experience locally to deal with these type of needs for a town.
“Local experience makes a huge difference when you talk to people at a state level,” said Boldyga. “Becoming a state rep, I’ve tried to get some movement.”
