Agreement reached on Spruces mail

By Linda CarmanPrint Story | Email Story
WILLIAMSTOWN — Frail, ill and disabled residents of The Spruces mobile home park, many of them elderly, will be spared the ordeal of walking up to a quarter mile to retrieve their mail, thanks to an agreement worked out late last week. Richard T. Delmasto, congressional aide to U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, confirmed the agreement yesterday, and Spruces Tenants Association President Susan Fabregas said she was pleased with the outcome. “Based on the fact that we’ll never get home delivery back for everyone, the agreement seems to provide for the needs of those handicapped and disabled residents, but it is yet to be seen if they follow through on that,” Fabregas said. The agreement specifies that Fabregas will determine which tenants qualify for medical “hardship’ waivers, which will allow them to have mail delivered to their doors rather than to a central mailbox bank in the community center. Tenants will submit their applications to her, she will make the determination on who qualifies, then pass on the list to the Postal Service, she and Delmasto said. “I already have a list of those people who are qualified for home delivery,” Fabregas said, “and I know who can manage without danger to themselves. We’re being very judicious about the way we do it.” Tenants had appealed to Olver, saying the U.S. Postal Service’s discontinuance of home delivery and its denial of hardship waivers to some seriously infirm residents, placed those residents in danger and imposed a severe hardship on them. Some residents recounted their health issues which clearly restricted and, in some cases, prevented them from ordinary mobility, much less a hike to the bank of communal mailboxes. Olver’s Sept. 30 letter to Postmaster General John E. Potter described the conditions of several Spruces residents who, despite manifest handicaps and illness, were denied waivers. Yesterday, Fabregas said all those tenants “who are still alive and living at The Spruces, will get waivers.” Of the anticipated three dozen who originally applied for waivers over the past year, she said, “about eight have passed away or are in nursing homes now.” She said disabled residents who have able-bodied relatives living with them will not be granted waivers, because the relatives can get their mail. And for some, she said briskly, “Walking is healthy.” Fabregas said some residents will be on the list only during the winter months, and those recuperating from an injury will have temporary delivery. Last Thursday Michael Powers, Postal Service district manager based in Reading met with Williamstown Postmaster John Bourdon and Fabregas in Williamstown, meeting later with Delmasto at Olver’s Pittsfield office. According to Delmasto, Powers said Fabregas would have “complete discretion” in compiling the list. Efforts to reach Bourdon for comment were unsuccessful.
Share
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
View Full Story

More Stories

Sports
image description

Lee Executes Game Plan to Perfection in Quarter-Final Win

Sports
Sports
image description

Lenox Volleyball Reaches State's Final Four

Sports
Sports
image description

Mount Greylock Boys Win 3rd Straight Regional Crown

Sports
Sports
image description

Mount Greylock Girls Again Top Monson in Western Mass Final

Sports
Sports
image description

Lenox Sweeps Its Way to Western Mass Crown

Sports
Community News
image description

North Adams License Commission Sees Little Need for License...

Community News
Latest Stories
Previous Next

What's Trending?