New plan for EMS
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The price tag for a new EMS building, which serves Putnam and Thompson, came in at $6 million. The idea to lease space from the East Putnam Fire Department wouldn’t work because it would put EMS too far away from Thompson.
What the ad hoc EMS committee then settled on was a plan to place two manufactured homes in the space between the Putnam Fire Department and the current EMS facility.
Town Administrator and committee member Elaine Sistare said the 1,200 square foot combined building would contain three bedrooms, a kitchen area and a shower area. It would measure 27 feet wide and 44 feet long. She said one of the bedrooms would be turned into an office. There would be nice clean modern space for sleeping, showers, cooking, a conference space and bathrooms.
It has only been in “recent years,” she said that the EMS crews have moved to 24/7 shifts and the department’s needs have changed.
The emergency vehicles would stay in the current building. That building was built in 1960 and saw a modest upgrade in 2000. But it does not meet regulation. The crews do not have a good place to “decontaminate” after returning from a call. The shower in the current building is being used for storage, Sistare said.
The total cost would be about $300,000, she said. The cost of the homes is between $100,000 and $120,000 but with the site work, foundation, utilities and fees, it might hit $300,000.
The two homes would be craned into place and then joined together.
Sistare said the building would sit the same distance from Church Street as the current buildings do now. Traffic would have to be reworked with vehicles either going around the left side of the now-long set of buildings or to the right around the police station.
EMS parking would also have to be reconfigured, she said.
She said the town would use state Local Capital Improvement Program (LOCIP) funding it has on hand.
More than a year ago, the town applied for a $250,000 federal grant through Senator Richard Blumenthal’s office. But $160,000 was awarded and then not approved. “It’s tentatively approved,” Sistare said. It hangs in limbo.
A new application cycle is coming in a couple months so the town intends to put in for a grant again. If that is successful that grant will be used plus whatever part of the LOCIP money is needed for the balance. She added that recently the town’s Board of Finance approved the use of the LOCIP funds.
She hopes to put out a Request For Proposals for the project in a few weeks. And that would mean a decision on the proposals sometime in May. The manufactured home requires three to four months lead time so if all goes well, the town might have a November completion date.
“This will give us a solution for a couple years or maybe even 10,” she said.
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caption, page 5:
The new EMS quarters would be between the current quarters, left, and the Putnam Fire Department building. Linda Lemmon photo.
McGee Toyota of Putnam is open!
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
The words “wide open” would apply — on many levels.
The long-anticipated McGee Toyota of Putnam opened its doors April 14.
The dealership moved from Dudley into its new modern, soaring building after months of site work, construction and all the finishing touches.
Everything is modern, expansive and every tiny detail that would add to the customer’s experience was thought out and achieved. For kids that might get antsy they even have a coloring book set for the kids.
The service entrances on the left side of the building on Rt. 44 in East Putnam are spacious entries to 20 service bays, according to General Manager Richard Geremia.
The doors open automatically and the customer drives in — appointments not necessarily needed. The car would pause on a piece of equipment embedded on the floor that would take a measure of the depth of the tire tread and check alignment and more. Other modern equipment would help the service staff recognize that the vehicle is already a customer. It's all for providing the best service experience.
The 20 service bays run the width of the back of the building and Geremia said they have 17 techs including three master techs. Next to that is an extensive parts department
“There shouldn’t be much wait at all for customers,” he said.
For their short waits customers settle into a massive lounge complete with a coffee bar plus, a two-story stone fireplace, a large TV and comfortable chairs and couches. Everywhere in the dealership — every table and space is wired with phone chargers.
The entire width of the front building is a showroom with 12 sales desks and a soaring brightly lighted ceiling and top to bottom windows. One small section of the front space is for car delivery in case it happens to be raining.
The service area and the showroom and the lounge are two stories tall.
Tucked behind the showroom are offices. There about 15 salespeople. That combined with the service department employees and others, about 60 people work there, he said.
Geremia said the goal is to sell 250 to 300 vehicles a month. He characterized the Toyota brand as exciting.
The McGee family picked East Putnam because of its proximity to three states and the visibility from a major highway, I-395. All together, it took about three years to bring the idea into reality.
Outside, he said they have about 150 vehicles, 50 percent new and 50 percent pre-owned.
Geremia said the whole focus is the customer experience. “If we can do that well, then everything else takes care of itself, falls into place.”
He added McGee Toyota of Putnam is looking forward to supporting local businesses, even down to buying the coffee in the coffee bar locally. Local businesses, he said, “support each other, grow together and become good neighbors.”
For additional photos, including photos of the building's progress from March 2024 through today, go to our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger.
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McGee Toyota of Putnam General Manager Richard Geremia in the entry section of the service department. More photos on page 12. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.
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Clockwise from above: The service lounge. The showroom. The fireplace. The vast service bays.
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The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is: 860-9963-0000.
March 31
Jeffrey D. Mylen, South Main Street, Putnam; first-degree criminal trespass, sixth degree larceny.
April 2
Kayla H. Rieder, Carpenter Street, Warren, Mass.; failure to respond to infraction.
Grant gives Community Garden a lift
April 1st was an exciting day for TEEG. June Ferarro and Sofia Thurber, Putnam Rotary Interact Club co-presidents, presented Carl Asikainen, TEEG executive director; and Chelsea French, Resource Developer, with two checks. The first, $1,000 grant from the Rotary District 7890, is for upgrades to TEEG’s irrigation and pest control screening for its community garden. The second check was $100 from the Interact Club for a new garden cart. The Interact Club, along with many other volunteers, said they’re excited to be working in the garden again this year. From left: June Ferraro and Sofia Thurber (co-presidents of Interact); Carl Asikainen, executive director of TEEG; and Chelsea French, TEEG Resource Developer.