Past Issues of the Putnam Town Crier
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Trash: How’s it going?
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — More than a week in for the new Casella Waste trash/recycle program, and Casella officials say the process has been relatively smooth.
Marc Morgan, Casella’s strategic account manager – Municipal Services, said it went pretty well on the trash side.
One issue, hopefully worked out now, is that the company went from a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday schedule to a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday schedule as of May 1. Those who had had their trash picked up on Fridays were moved to either Wednesday or Thursday. The company managing the app incorrectly told some of those customers that their day was Thursday. It was Wednesday and they did not get their trash out that day. Morgan said it affected six streets and he believes it’s all corrected now.
The trash is picked up by a side arm on the trash truck. Morgan said folks may see two people in the truck cab for “perhaps a few weeks” because the second person is adjusting the carts (bins) if they are not placed properly for the arm. “In some cases cart placement is not quite right; not in the right place. They should not be backwards or sideways, which can damage the lid,” Morgan said. Some customers were left a tag detailing proper cart placement.
Morgan said that in the weeks before the new program started, Casella was driving the collection routes, making sure they matched up with the app. They were also checking streets and heights and one ways.
The company makes almost 3,000 stops. “All in all, I think it went well,” he said.
Last week Casella added the recycle portion of the program.
What belongs in the 95-gallon recycle cart (bin): Cardboard (broken down into 2-foot squares, max), boxboard, junk mail, periodicals and office paper (paper bags, envelopes, catalogs). Also, plastic bottles, jugs, tubs and lids including empty kitchen, laundry and bath containers and clamshells. Also aluminum and steel cans, foil and empty food and beverage cans. And finally, glass bottles and jars (empty food and beverage bottles and jars). All containers should be clean and dry.
Do not bag recyclables.
What’s not accepted? No items 2 inches or smaller, plastic bags, bagged recyclables, clothing/textiles, tanglers (hangers), scrap metal items, batteries, medical waste, food waste/liquids, electronics, hazardous materials or explosives, plastic wrap, films or tarps, wood, waste, or tires, disposal items, waxy boated paper items, ceramics or baking glass.
For recycling tips and resources, visit casella.com/RecycleBetter.
Morgan said the reasoning for making sure cardboard is no larger than 2 feet is so that it will not get stuck.
The side-arm truck will pick up the cart up and flip it upside down once into the hole at the top of the truck. No shaking, no multiple emptying motions. One motion. Anything in the cart needs to fall freely into the truck.
For that same reason, Morgan said, they often see things like vinyl Venetian blinds, mop handles and scrap metal or cardboard that is too large and they get stuck.
He added, “If you have to jam it in there, chances are it’s not going to fall in.”
Place the trash cart and the recycle cart on a flat surface at least 3 feet apart, with the front facing the road. Morgan said many people put the trash cart on one side of the driveway and the recycle cart on the other side of the driveway. The carts should be clear of snow, landscaping, mail boxes and utility poles.
Morgan said in Putnam the same truck will be used for trash and for recyclables. The truck will do its route picking up trash, go unload it and then return to collect the recyclables. So if you see your trash gone but the recycles are still in the cart, hang on, they’re coming back for it.
If you have any questions for Casella the phone number for service is 860-423-4527.
What About Bulky Waste?
The town’s Bulky Waste Collection will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 18 at the Putnam Armory. No charge — you just need to show residency. Two more are planned --- Aug. 17and Oct. 26 at the Putnam Middle School.
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Heavy bill for foam cleanup
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- Voters in the East Putnam Fire District voted recently to move funds from the Capital and Non-recurring Fund to the Operating Budget in order to pay for cleanup of a banned fire suppressant.
District Vice President John Barnes said AFFF was mistakenly dispensed at a Sept. 6 fire at Ross Recycling.
The funds will be used to pay a bill from Kropp Environmental Contractors of Lebanon in the amount of $67,692.69.
Fire Chief Abe Walker said some foam was still left in the truck and was dispensed. Walker said that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was there as it is customary that they go to fires involving petroleum products/hazardous materials, etc. The DEEP ordered the cleanup.
Barnes said Kropp was hired to clean up the affected soil in the recycling center and the product that ran downhill. “Cleanup and disposal is very expensive,” he said.
When the chemical was banned by law in 2021, the state legislature granted the DEEP $3 million to collect and safely get rid of AFFF from fire departments. That grant is long gone.
Walker said the district is working on getting the chemical properly disposed of. The chemical sits in a section of a fire truck and it is mixed with water as it’s sprayed out, producing a foam that suppresses petroleum fires. He added, barring any disasters, the district is not in need of any critical pieces of equipment out of the Capital and Non-recurring Fund.
East Putnam resident and town Fire Marshal Scott Belleville urged the district to be transparent about the issue.
According to the state DEEP site, “An Act Concerning the Use of PFAS in Class B Firefighting Foam, effective July 13, 2021” , implemented a phased ban of the use of firefighting foams containing intentionally-added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These foams are typically used for extinguishing Class B flammable liquid and petroleum hydrocarbon fires. Common labels for these foams include AFFF, AR-AFFF, FFFP, AR-FFFP, FP, and FPAR (“Fluorinated Foam”). The Fluorinated Foam ban was rolled out in phases.”
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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 860-963-0000.
Aug. 13
James H. Sargent, 39, Valley Road, N. Grosvenordale; third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, first-degree criminal trespass.
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Raising 'Can - na'
This bright and beautiful canna is at the Inn at Woodstock Hill in Woodstock. Linda Lemmon photo.
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Hometown
Financial Group
named a top
workplace winner
OXFORD, Mass. — Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankHometown, announced it was named a 2023 Financial Services Industry Top Workplaces national award winner.
This award is based solely on feedback from employees of participating workplaces, gathered through an anonymous, third-party survey administered by Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools.
Top Workplaces Industry awards celebrate organizations that have built a people-first workplace culture and mark them as an employer of choice within their sector.
This is the second year in a row that bankHometown’s parent company has been recognized nationally in the financial services industry category.
The company also was named a national Top Workplaces USA winner as well as a Hartford Courant Top Workplaces winner in 2022.
“To be nationally recognized as an employer of choice in financial services is a tremendous honor, particularly since it’s the direct result of feedback from those who know us best: our employees,” said bankHometown President and CEO Robert J. Morton. “I’m proud of our employees’ passion and dedication to helping our customers, our communities, and each other unlock their potential, every day. As an employer, we’re equally committed to nurturing an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, and where employees can unlock their own potential, personally and professionally.”
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