After watching several tied, 6-6, votes at Thursday’s City Council Meeting can the Mayor please tell Ward 2 residents when he is going to appoint someone to the City Council to represent Ward 2? He should be keen on Ward 2 representation being a resident of the Ward. The mayor is still considering his available options.
Southwick Conservation Commissioners, state Conservation Commissioners and to whom it may concern: a while ago there was a big article in the paper about the property owned by Mr. Whalley of Southwick, the old M&B Ranch on College Highway just south of the Southwick Country Club – how he was moving earth to change the direction to a brook without state approval and he was shut down by the town and the state for doing it. He’s up to it again. I guess when you have a lot of money you figure you can do whatever you want, legally or illegally. He may be one of the nicest guys in the world but when does things that are illegal, especially changing the direction of a natural brook, I don’t believe it should be allowed. Maybe somebody with authority could check into this. According to Dennis Clark, Conservation Commission Coordinator for the town of Southwick, Mr. Whalley has been under a DEP Consent Agreement to restore the disturbed area. The work that has been taking place on the site is the restoration process that has been approved by the DEP and is nearing completion. There is a sign visible from College Highway with the DEP Consent Agreement number on it. Please let your subscribers know that if anyone has any questions or concerns they should call the Conservation Office. We do not routinely check the PulseLine, masslive, or any other publications for complaints.
About six years ago at the start of the biomass controversy a group of Concerned Citizens of Russell ran for our planning board. They ran on a very slick handout and called themselves THE DREAM TEAM! In the past six years they have managed to kill the biomass project that would have given us $1,300,000.00 in tax revenue for 20 years! In October of 2011 they got an anti industry bylaw passed! This prevented Texon Paper Co. from burning wooden pallets! Texon’s Manager, Mark Reardon, said that without this cheap form of heat the company would have to move out of Russell, where they have been for the past 70 years! Texon is keeping its promise and will move to China this January 1. On November 29, 2012, Country Journal Mike Donovan states that selectman Kieth Cortis blamed the anti industry reputation by “citizens protests” against the biomass project to make Boston believe that the town is anti-industry. The state has recently refused to fund completion of a water main project and the funding for the repair of The Carrington Road that is sliding off the mountainside! This road is a vital link from Russell to Montgomery and Huntington! There is plenty of state money available for roads! Recently 2.5 million dollars was granted Westfield to upgrade Westen Ave. A state grant of 2.4 million dollars was given to Westfield to finish the hiking, bike trail to Southwick! Maybe Russell’s Dream Team has become our nightmare team?
