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Brown visits White Hut

Date: 6/6/2012

June 6, 2012

By Debbie Gardner

debbieg@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Like so many politicians before him, Sen. Scott Brown broke up a whirlwind trip through the tornado-ravaged areas of Western Massachusetts last Thursday with a lunchtime stop at the iconic White Hut on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield.

Between bites of burger and catsup-laced fries, Brown shook hands with well wishers, giving each person several moments of his undivided attention.

William Carvana of Wilbraham, who had the good luck to occupy the counter seat next to Brown, shared more than a brief remark with the senator.

A registered Democrat who came down to the Hut at the urging of his Republican friend, Alexander Sherman, Carvana said he found the encounter enlightening.

"I liked some of the things he had to say," Carvana said. "I don't agree with everything [he said], but I see he can be reasonable on some issues."

Fresh from a visit with Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and a tour of the rebuilding going on in that city's South End, Brown told Reminder Publications he understood the frustration cities and towns are feeling with the pace of recovery. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the June 1, 2011 tornado, Springfield, in particular, is still waiting for disaster reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"I know [Mayor Sarno] has been very patient, he's been battling very hard with [FEMA] to learn the amount of money that's actually outstanding," Brown said. "We're going to have a conference call Tuesday or Wednesday with all the players at least on the same phone call if not in the same room to try to figure out where the breakdown is.

"It's clear the cities have done everything they need to do, MEMA (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) seems like they have been moving along and really, FEMA needs to have a good reason why they haven't come up with the funds," Brown continued. "It's real money and it's affecting people's budgets."

Brown noted that the monies owned were "tens of millions of dollars," amounts that were seriously affecting municipalities bottom lines for the coming fiscal year.

"As a federally elected official my job is to try to get the federal side of it moving." Brown reiterated.

Nevertheless, Brown, who visited the city the day after the tornado hit, called Springfield's progress at the one-year mark "remarkable."

Brown said he and the mayor agree the neighborhood might still have some post-tornado problems.

"I suggested that [the mayor's team] walk around and just knock on doors and see if there were any lingering issues," Brown said.



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