Traveling through Westfield and West Springfield was hazardous with many traffic signals out.
WESTFIELD – City residents may get a property tax holiday because of October’s storm, Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said Monday.
City Hall was closed and at least 45 percent of the city was without power Monday and the outlook for restoration of electricity was one to two days, the mayor said.
Monday would have been a busy day at City Hall with property taxes due Nov. 1. Knapik said he would discuss an penalty-free extension with Tax Collector Michael J. McMahon.
An emergency shelter was set up at Juniper Park School, taking in about 60 people Sunday night. More than 20 were still there mid-mourning Monday. Westfield State University of expected to create another shelter at Scanlon Hall later in the day.
Also, an estimated 25 people took shelter at Noble Hospital Sunday night, the mayor reported.
Like elsewhere in the valley, long lines greeted customers at gasoline stations and Dunkin Donut stores that had electricity.
The line of vehicles for both the Pride and Hess service stations stretched nearly the entire length of East Main Street here.
It was a similar seen in West Springfield at a Dunkin Donuts and Citgo Station both on Westfield Street.
Some traffic signals were operating, most were not in Westfield and West Springfield.
The Westfield Shops on Route 20 in Westfield were open but Wal Mart was not.
Barnes Regional Airport was operating but because of power issues employees were unable to fuel airport vehicles.
“We got power back to the airport late Sunday but we have a slight problems refueling our vehicles,” Manager Brian P. Barnes said. “We can go a day or two on a full-tank in all our vehicles so we should be okay,” he said.