Patrick Calls for 'Swift' Response for Spruces Residents / Williamstown.com

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I hope the FEMA money comes fast and is used to relocate the Spruces residents and their belongings somewhere else. It will be throwing good money after bad to rebuild this community in a flood zone that is not able to be insured.
from: hopeful	on: 09-01-2011 05:56PM I Agree (37) - I Disagree (16)

My house has a black tag, I can't even enter it. Does anyone know what I have to do for FEMA help. Is the govener doing something or do I have to do something on my own. I dont know what to do.
from:	on: 09-02-2011 06:52AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)
Editor: Go to the Disaster Assistance Center at the Williamstown Elementary School. There are multiple agencies that should be able to direct you.
I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

Hopeful, nice comment, just what the people who don't have a place to stay now need to read, the home they have is not "Worth it to rebuild". I always love how easy it is to make this type of comment from a computer, as my grandfather used to say if you don't have something useful to say don't say anything. I only hope nothing like this happens to your home, I may have to post that your home is not worth fixing.
from: Nice	on: 09-02-2011 06:57AM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (7)

For years everyone knew that sooner or later there would be disaster at the Spruces. However, it seems like no one, including Town government, ever did anything about it. Perhaps nothing could have been done, but with all the technology available to us, that seems unlikely. Could some sort of flood control chutes have been built? Would they create other problems? Can we get the U.S. Corps of Engineers to assess the situation and see if there is a solution?
from: Flood Control Chutes	on: 09-02-2011 07:30AM I Agree (12) - I Disagree (3)

I really appreciate the Governor ALWAYS coming to the Berkshires and caring for Western Mass. It cant be solved overnight but just the general concern and effort he shows goes a long way. Thank you also to Ben Downing and Gail Carriddi.
from: Governor Patrick	on: 09-02-2011 07:45AM I Agree (18) - I Disagree (4)

Thank you Governor Patrick for being here in the Spruces hour of need. You have our votes and support in the next election.
from:	on: 09-02-2011 08:15AM I Agree (17) - I Disagree (10)

Any pictures of the flooding while it was happening? It would be helpful to make people understand the magnitude of the situation. Thx
from: John Frit	on: 09-02-2011 09:36AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (0)

We are lucky to have a caring Governor. He really wanted to listen and hear peoples concerns. I hope he gets reelected as well. The SPRUCES will get thru this, we are a strong group of people who will make it happen.
from: Thankful!	on: 09-02-2011 09:02PM I Agree (10) - I Disagree (6)

Hopeful: Maybe you can explain why we, the Spruces residents, are any different then others that live in flood plain areas. Look at New Orleans, how many years have they been rebuilding? How many times have people along major rivers rebuilt in flood plain areas? These rivers flood every year. This is the first time in the 20 years I've been there the area flood this bad. Don't we deserve the same treatment as others? How can officals break their own rules? I hate to think it's because we live in mobile homes and we're not worth their efforts. We're just a burden on the community. So for all of you who were hoping we would be relocated, stay tuned, you may get your wish.
from: Judy G	on: 09-04-2011 04:27AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (3)

The governor has a little cottage, a 7500 sq. ft. home in the Berkshires - Richmond. Maybe that's really why he made it to the Spruces. http://www.boston.com/realestate/gallery/0727deval/
from: Deval Patrick	on: 09-04-2011 07:42AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (3)
Editor: It's no secret the governor has a home in Richmond. He considers himself a resident of the Berkshires.
I Agree (5) - I Disagree (0)

If you want to solve the Spruces' flooding issues, it will take a couple million cubic feet of fill dirt to raise it up above the 100 year flood line. While they are at it, they could put in proper sewer and water. It'll never happen and we'll be having this conversation again in 5, 10 or 50 years.
from: Fill Dirt	on: 09-04-2011 02:45PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (1)

As landlord to The Spruces, we are deeply saddened by the devastating loss by flooding to the manufactured homeowners’ property at the park following Hurricane Irene. We have also been a bit dismayed by the inflexible stance of the Town of Williamstown and the accusatory language and tone taken by some of the anonymous bloggers in the aftermath of the storm. At www.iBerksires.com yesterday, Governor Patrick was reported to have called on the federal government (FEMA) and our company (Morgan Management, LLC) to “step up” to get the residents of The Spruces back into their homes. While it’s unusual for a governor to call on a private company to step up for the public good, here’s what we did in the week following the storm to assist the residents of The Spruces: 1. We asked all our local and regional managers in the area to do whatever they can to assist the residents of The Spruces, the manufactured homeowners, and the community with the situation following the storm, and we authorized unlimited overtime to do so; 2. We hired a security company to protect the residents’ belongings from looting at night since the Town has decided that the manufactured homes cannot be accessed; 3. We contacted Peter Fohlin, the Town Manager, but unfortunately our regional manager was not allowed in the Town’s meetings as they discussed – we presume – their plans to assist The Spruces (we’re not sure why such a meeting would ever be “closed-door”); 4. We spoke with the Donna Toupin of the Red Cross as well as other organizations to confirm that the immediate on-site needs of the residents are, in fact, being met as assessed by those trained and equipped to respond to such a situation; 5. We cooperated with the Town and State authorities who tell us when and where we may escort the manufactured homeowners to their own property to reclaim limited belongings; 6. We brought in dumpsters and arranged to bring a work crew, plus equipment, to help clean up next week or whenever we and the manufactured homeowners will be allowed back on site; 7. We repaired and will continue making repairs to the electrical systems in the park; 8. We asked our own employees, company-wide, to consider making donations to the Red Cross to help with their assistance to the manufactured homeowners of The Spruces and others throughout the East in aftermath of Hurricane Irene; 9. We contacted FEMA to apply for assistance in repairing The Spruces; and 10. We sent our CFO/Business Manager to The Spruces to review the situation. When we say we are the landlord to The Spruces, that is to say we own the land, minor infrastructure and the underlying concrete slabs upon which the residents place their manufactured homes. We do not own the manufactured homes themselves. Nevertheless, we were disappointed to learn that the Town apparently removed the skirting around each manufactured home with the use of claw hammers or crowbars in order to inspect underneath the homes. A simple screw driver at the access panel might have saved each homeowner about $1,000 in skirting alone. In a case such as this, in additional to the huge personal loss and disruption to the homeowners, the landlord typically loses all value in the underlying property, plus some tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars in goodwill assistance to the homeowners. The property typically goes back to the bank which also prepares for a significant loss. The likely recipient of the property will be the Town of Williamstown as it will presumably make its interest known again in the not-too-distant future. Since it appears that the Town will likely end up with the property – arguably a several million dollar value – at little expense to itself, the question becomes: What is the Town’s commitment to the manufactured homeowners who are losing everything? And what will the Commonwealth do, if anything, for these homeowners and citizens? We would very much like the residents of The Spruces to gain access back into their homes so that we might be able to help them clean up, dry out and develop The Spruces back into the quiet little community that it was before the storm. We hope that the Town will become more flexible and realistic and let the residents of The Spruces back into their homes to begin this process. With time running out, however, and access continually denied, it appears that we may not, any of us, get the chance to do so. -Morgan
from: Morgan Management, LLC	on: 09-06-2011 08:02AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (5)

Morgan, the only way "the Town" ends up with the property is if you sell it to them OR if you cease paying your mortgage on it, the bank forecloses, and the BANK sells it. Frankly, given your business record, foreclosure is the more likely scenario. In a bank sale ANYONE could buy it. I could buy it, your competitors could buy it, the Tenant's Association could buy it. You, or the bank, can sell it to whoever will give you the most money. That's what private property means! In any case, as of now, this is YOUR property and YOUR problem. Stop playing victim and step up to your customers or get out of the way.
from: reality check	on: 09-07-2011 11:39AM I Agree (3) - I Disagree (1)