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Mailed free to requesting homes in Webster, Dudley and the Oxfords 508-764-4325 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.WEBSTERTIMES.NET Front page quote Friday, June 10, 2011 Residents pick up pieces after tornado rips area HOMES, BUSINESSES, WOODLANDS LEFT IN RUINS BY JOY RICHARD of their emergency needs were met. TIMES STAFF WRITER Konieczny said the department was part of a While Webster, Dudley and Oxford remained rela- statewide mobilization plan and strike team. He said tively unscathed by tornados that wreaked havoc on they joined several other departments throughout Western and Central Massachusetts last Wednesday, the night to make sure residents were safe. June 1, members of local fire/EMS departments He said he and the other members of the depart- extended a helping hand to those most affected. ment were grateful to not encounter any residents in In the midst of the terrifying weather, members of need of serious medical care, or trapped in their the Dudley Fire/EMS Department were dispatched home or car. to one of the most devastated areas — Springfield. Konieczny said in his opinion, the relief effort was Captain David J. Konieczny said the experience of well planned and executed by the state and commu- providing aid for a natural disaster was like nothing nity. he has even seen during his career. He said the memories of driving into Springfield “You see things like this on TV and you think, are still overwhelming, and he said he never thought ‘Wow, how does something like this happen,’” said anything like this could happen in New England. Konieczny. “Houses were completely missing. There “We have been mutual aid for fires before, and a was just a set of stairs left.” part of task forces for brush fires,” said Konieczny. Konieczny said the department also sent an ambu- “But in my career I never thought I would work lance to Southbridge, where several areas, including through something like this.” Worcester Street and Pleasant Street were affected Oxford Fire/EMS Chief Sherri Bemis said resi- by tornado touchdowns. dents in Oxford experienced some of the wild weath- He said he and the four others who went out to er first hand. She said while the department was David Dore photo Springfield helped by combing the area for people in called to take part in the relief effort, they were too STURBRIDGE — A man prepares to cut up a utility pole that fell across Route 131 in need of medical attention. Konieczny said they also Sturbridge. checked on those still in their homes to make sure all Turn To TORNADO, page A20 Kochanowski Hats off to graduates Tornado has chosen as eerie likeness next fire chief to storm of ’53 ‘I HAVE ALWAYS ASPIRED ESTIMATED ‘HUNDREDS TO BE CHIEF’ OF MILLIONS’ IN DAMAGE BY JOY RICHARD BY GUS STEEVES TIMES STAFF WRITER STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER DUDLEY — After a more than five-month, As she was beginning to clean up the intensive search process, the Dudley Fire debris from last week’s tornado around her Department welcomed their newest chief Worcester Street home, Helen Lenti remem- last week. bered the last time one of these beasts ram- Holden Fire Department Lt. Dean paged through the area. Kochanowski will step in as Dudley fire and The year was 1953. The place? Worcester. EMS chief within the next few weeks. This Lenti was “a little, little kid,” and her will take place after the many details of the Uncle Tony lived near that tornado’s path of position are finalized between Kochanowski destruction. A woman she knows was a child and the town. in that area, and Lenti said her friend’s The announcement was made during the mother went out to get the laundry because annual Spring Town Meeting on Monday, the winds were getting strong when the tor- May 23. nado hit. Dudley Board of Selectmen Vice “They watched it pulling their mother Chairman Paul Joseph said he was pleased away,” she said. “She was hanging on to a to finally have a chief in place. He said he tree. They will never forget that.” was looking forward to having the depart- Fortunately, the woman’s grip was strong ment move ahead with a new full-time leader enough — she held on long enough to escape after the retirement of former Dudley the twister. Fire/EMS Chief Jeffery Phelps last fall. Ninety-four other people were not so “The goal is to get a chief in here as soon lucky; they died in the storm which ravaged as possible,” said Joseph during the meeting. a swath from Petersham to Westborough on Several members of the fire/EMS depart- Joy Richard photo June 9 that year, according to a 2003 entry at ment came out to hear the final decision WEBSTER — Friends and Webster residents Mike Brown and newly graduated Bartlett High School Keith Heidorn’s Weather Doctor almanac made at Shepherd Hill Regional High School senior Mike Bonin, 17, are all smiles after the graduation ceremony is complete Friday, June 3. For website. The conditions then were very simi- during that Board of Selectmen meeting. more photos from the graduation, as well as the ceremonies from Shepherd Hill Regional High School lar to those before this year’s twister — sev- They all showed their support for and Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School last weekend, check out pages A14-A19! eral days of unusually warm weather (near Turn To CHIEFpage A20 90 degrees), with that day featuring predic- tions of strong thunderstorms. Likewise, the storm system sparked three nearly parallel tornado tracks, but in a larger region: New Hampshire, Worcester County, and Norfolk Local emergency personnel suit up after storm and Bristol counties (last week’s system tracks went through the Ashburnham area, along Route 9 near Ware and a bit south of Route 20). BY JOY RICHARD “You see things like this on TV and you Konieczny said the department was part of TIMES STAFF WRITER “In a ranking of the probability of any think, ‘Wow, how does something like this a statewide mobilization plan and strike point within the state being struck by a tor- While Webster, Dudley and Oxford happen,’” said Konieczny.“Houses were com- team. He said they joined several other nado,” Heidorn wrote, “Massachusetts ranks remained relatively unscathed by tornados pletely missing. There was just a set of stairs departments throughout the night to make 21st, although central Massachusetts … is a that wreaked havoc on Western and Central left.” sure residents were safe. relative ‘Tornado Alley’ for locations east of Massachusetts last Wednesday, June 1, mem- Konieczny said the department also sent He said he and the other members of the the Appalachian Mountains.” bers of local fire/EMS departments extended an ambulance to Southbridge, where several department were grateful to not encounter Witnesses in 1953 described the storm as a helping hand to those most affected. areas, including Worcester Street and any residents in need of serious medical “a huge cone of black smoke” which hit In the midst of the terrifying weather, Pleasant Street were affected by tornado care, or trapped in their home or car. around 5 p.m. and has generally been rated members of the Dudley Fire/EMS touchdowns. Konieczny said in his opinion, the relief an F4 on the Fujita damage scale, he wrote. Department were dispatched to one of the He said he and the four others who went effort was well planned and executed by the By contrast, early estimates by the National most devastated areas — Springfield. out to Springfield helped by combing the area state and community. Weather Service put last week’s twister at F3 Captain David J. Konieczny said the experi- for people in need of medical attention. He said the memories of driving into “or higher,” and one resident of Charlton ence of providing aid for a natural disaster Konieczny said they also checked on those Springfield are still overwhelming, and he Street described it as “a low one, low and was like nothing he has even seen during his still in their homes to make sure all of their said he never thought anything like this Turn To AFTERMATH, page A11 career. emergency needs were met. Turn To EMERGENCY page A11 Seniors ................. A5 Obituaries ............. B2 LOCAL SPORTS Learning .............A6-7 Events Calendar ...... B3 MORE TORNADO SOFTBALL Viewpoint ............. A10 Real Estate ........Sect.B COVERAGE Sports ..................A12 Legal Notices ..... Sect.B COVERAGE PAGE A3 PAGE A12-13 INDEX 2 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, June 10, 2011 www.webstertimes.net Selectmen OK voting precinct reduction BY JOY RICHARD the decision Finn was presented. since day one, and has worked with represen- which will affect how builders work and new TIMES STAFF WRITER “I support this 100 percent,” said Sullivan. tatives from IFC, the DRE and other town developments are created in the future. DUDLEY — Selectmen voted unanimously Finn said the reorganization of precincts officials to meet the five criteria a green com- Runkle said those who have questions to reduce the number of voting precincts comes after the 2010 Federal Census, which munity must have to be approved by the state. about the purposed code can contact the from four to three Monday, June 6. takes place every 10 years. The five criteria include zoning, permit- office of the Dudley Planning Board where Dudley Town Clerk Ora Finn came before The splitting of the precincts is deter- ting, energy use, an updated vehicle policy she will give them more information.