Local News Briefs & Tidbits: 02-27-09
by Bill Dusty
 “We Didn’t Burn Them” – First National Women’s Conference, Houston, TX 1977 Copyright © Diana Mara Henry |
WOMEN’S HISTORY EVENT COMES TO WESTFIELD
WESTFIELD – The Feminist Movement comes to Westfield State College on March 2, 2009, as photographer Diana Mara Henry stops by to talk about the First National Women’s Conference, held in 1977. Henry was the official photographer at the Conference, and she will be the keynote speaker at the March 2 event, which will go from 6:30 – 8:30pm at Scanlon Hall at the college.
The event is being presented by the college’s Women’s Studies Program.
LONGHILL GARDENS NOTIFICATION DO-OVER
SPRINGFIELD – Last fall, the City of Springfield issued a public notice in the Springfield Republican announcing the release of HOME funds to WinnDevelopment for their plan to redevelop the Longhill Gardens project into 100% affordable housing. The civic group Springfield Forward protested the notice, saying it was posted at a suspect date – the Friday after Thanksgiving, when they asserted few people would take note of it – and that their group, as an “interested party,” was never given a copy of the notice.
Their complaint has apparently been heard, as the City re-posted the public notice in the Springfield Republican this week. According to the notice, a “Public Comments” and “Objections to Release of Funds” period is in effect with deadlines set for mid-March. Below is an excerpt of the public notice that appeared in the Republican:
PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Office of Planning & Economic Development at the above address or to DHCD at its address above. The City of Springfield and DHCD will consider all comments received by March 16, 2009 prior to authorizing submission of requests for release of funds…
…OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Springfield and DHCD’s certification for a period of fifteen (15) days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (b) the RE has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD/State; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58) and shall be addressed to U.S. Department of HUD, Office of Community Planning and Development, Thomas P. O’Neil Jr. Federal Building, 10 Causeway Street, Boston MA 02222. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.
BENEFIT SHOOTOUT AT THE TEE-2-GREEN
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The new indoor golf club, Tee-2-Green, is hosting a “$10,000 Hole-in-One” competition & shootout running from February 1 thru April 18, 2009. A donation fee of $20 will give each contestant three chances in a “closest to the hole” competition that runs from February to March 31. The top 50 golfers from the competition will then advance to an April 18, 2009, shootout, where each player will have one shot to get a hole-in-one.
Tee-2-Green will be using the 17th Green at Ocean Course on Kiawah Island (HD simulated) for the competition and the 17th Green at Pebble Beach for the shootout.
All proceeds from the event go to the Special Olympics of Massachusetts.
T-2-Green is located at 1010 Memorial Drive, West Springfield (right next to the Monte Carlo restaurant).
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11 Responses for “Local News Briefs & Tidbits: 02-27-09”
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If you think Longhill Gardens can be something better than a 100% low-income only, Section 8 warehouse, if you want to help save this City, if you want to keep City HOME Funds for use by Springfield residents in Springfield, rather than giving it money to an billionaire, absentee landlord developer, NOW is the time to send your objection letter to Mayor Sarno at 36 Court Street, with a copy to the Office of Economic Development at 70 Tapley Street, Springfield. You need to get this to them either by hand or by certified mail by March 10th. For all you folks who complain and say nothing works here in Springfield, here is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to actually do something. Write and say you object to millions of dollars in State and Federal tax dollars, along with $550,000 of City Home Funds, going to build yet another Section 8 warehouse in Springfield. Stop complaining and DO something about it! Here is your chance.
We have been given a chance to voice our opinion against Longhill Gardens becoming low-income housing for the next 30 years.Once it is done it cannot be undone. This is your chance to save Forest Park!!The sneaky way it was done has been exposed now we must fight for Forest Park. Winn is in big trouble. FBI and his “donation” of $10,000 to Dianne Wilkerson should be enough to stop this..but ….We cannot wait on the wheels of justice. It is our city and we must save it! Please join the fight!
Remember we pay the taxes and we are entitled to our say on how the politions spend our money.
P.S. time to look for better opinions on the use of this jewel piece of land. Remember Winn will own it for 30 years as LOW-INCOME when it could be something the city could be proud of..True elderly housing is still a good choice….Winn says no to elevators because it would cut into his 5 million dollar profit. What a sad excuse ……………
Not to mention that the $550,000 City Home Funds this year and who knows how much more each year for the next 30 years, should be going to OUR NEIGHBOROODS and OUR CITIZENS in need, not to some absentee landlord developer who cares not one whit what happens to our City. All those boarded up buildings, all those derelict properties .. this money should be used to fix THEM – not to enrich a billionaire developer while giving us another low-income only mess.
Shame on you Mayors Ryan and Sarno. Shame on you FPCA and CCS.
Anyone who thinks we can do better than this with this money needs to write to the Mayor and the Office of Planning and Development NOW.
Thumbs up to the Republican for finally printing the story on Winn and Longhill Gardens and the fight taken to save Forest Park from warehousing 109 families by Springfield Forward.
When is City Hall gonna start realizing that drawing and courting poverty does nothing for the residents that have worked hard and made some kind of frugal life in Springfield. Downtown is a wash with warehouses of poverty and growing. Who do Springfields politicians value more? Creating jobs and encouraging people to be independent? These are values! Warehousing people and not challenging them is called “A saftey net for politicians”.
“No” on LongHill Gardens! It’s the right thing!
I just read NoPol on Masslive. This person is smoke screening the truth and insulting Bill.
1. Springfield Forward does have other things they work on in the community.
2. Longhill Gardens is next to our homes and we have every right to be involved in our neighborhood and our city as a whole. The Constitution allows for that….
3.Longhill was not market-rate there were section 8 tenents
4. Who had a chance to look for other options when FPCA and CCS had forged a secret deal with Winn…and were threatened with a law suit by a city employee if they interfered and found a better deal? Answer that NoPol?
5.Don’t question Bill’s honesty when yours is the one that should be questioned. FPCA and CCS will make money off this deal and if they lie it will come out.Winn is famous for romancing civic asscs. Ask about Dianne Wilkerson being a member when Winn gave $550,000.00 to Boston Connects
6. Ask about code inforcement and who worked there during the time Longhill was being coded?
7. Ask how much CCS paid for their units? A mere 1000.00 and what what will their “good friend” pay them? good question….
8. How did they meet Winn? and where?
9. How does NoPol know so much? Does she/he post on the Boss’s time?
10Longhill was not a problem for 20 years . I have lived here for 30 years and it was when Twin Reality began running it when the downslide took place so quit making it worse than it was.
P.S.It has been so much better here without any life at Longhill..it has not created any problem for us as it stands.People and businesses are leaving but not because of Longhill being empty but because of the way this city is run..pure and simple.
I read the article in the Republican about Gilbert Winn’s outrage. Where is his outrage about the number of Northern Heights’ tenants arrested in January for drug and weapon charges. Is he actually saying that work will begin at Longhill Gardens regardless of the environmental impact. This shows that to Winn Longhill Gardens is just about profit-they have no concern about the well being or health of Springfield residents.
http://www.springfieldmedia.com/SpringfieldToday.html
Gilbert Winn has expressed outrage at a Springfield City Council who dares speak up against Longhill Gardens on behalf of the community. Where is his outrage about the numerous Northern Heights tenants arrested in January on drug and weapon charges.
Ran into some folks who have watched Winn work his deals in the past and have seen the results. Could not say one good thing about him or his company. Hundreds of lawsuits, bad press, builds garbage. Now turning our city into a slum. Go build in Boston.
well the truth came out today!!!!50% of the people in Springfield do not work!!!!!