THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022 Page 15 EVENT | FROM PAGE 1 tantly to Saugus!! Meet the new Commanding Offi cer of the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, on May 28,” he said. On Jan. 21, a Change-ofCommand ceremony was held at the USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard. It was there that Commander John Benda transferred command of the USS Constitution to Commander BJ Farrell, 39, who became the 77th Commanding Officer of Massachusetts’s Ship of State. The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship that remains afloat. Here’s a short biography of her education and military service leading up to her current assignment as told by the USS Constitution Museum on its website: Billie June (BJ) Farrell was born in Paducah, Kentucky. She attended the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned in 2004 with a Bachelor WIN | FROM PAGE 1 ers, has been operating as a dumping ground for rubbish and refuse since prior to July 25, 1955,” it continued. Furthermore, the Appeals Court added, “We conclude that the original 1955 site assignment allowed the facility to accept ash for disposal.” “Second, we are unpersuaded by the board’s assertion that a ‘sanitary landfi ll is one that accepts municipal trash’ and not Ash,” it added. James Connolly, WIN Waste Innovation’s Vice President– Environment, hailed last week’s court ruling as reinforcement that MassDEP had made the right decision and the company had done nothing improper. “We are very pleased that the Appeals Court has reaffi rmed that the DEP’s issuance of the permit is based on our having a valid site assignment and supported by substantial evidence that the modifi cation to the SITE OF THE ASH: WIN Waste Innovation’s trash-to-energy plant on Route 107 in East Saugus. An ash landfi ll sits adjacent to the facility. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) monofi ll is not a threat to public safety, health, the environment,” Connolly said in a written statement this week. “We look forward to continuing the positive and productive conversations we have held with the Board of Health and the Landfi ll Committee for the past 15 months and working in partnership with Saugus and the other communities we serve,” he said. At Monday’s (March 7) Board of Health meeting, Connolly briefed board members on the court’s findings, noting that the Appeals Court ruling of Science in political science. In 2009, she earned a Master of Science degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas. Her first division officer tour was aboard USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) as electrical officer. She then briefly took over as OI Division Officer before being promoted to navigator for her second tour. After completing her two division officer tours, Farrell reported to Commander, Naval Personnel Command (COMNAVPERSCOM) in Millington, Tennessee and became an action officer in PERS-833 (Post Selection Board Matters). While there, she assumed duties as delay section head and assistant board screener. After departing PERS-833, Farrell started the Department Head pipeline. She reported to USS San Jacinto (CG 56) in March 2012 as the weapons officer and then became the combat systems officer onboard. Her next tour was as deputy director for professional development at the United States Naval Academy. After departing the Naval Academy, Farrell reported to Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic as deputy N3. She then served as executive officer onboard USS Vicksburg (CG 69). Farrell’s awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Meritorious Unit Commendation Medals. Castinetti noted there will be several changes to this year’s parade. “We will form up at Anna Parker at 9 a.m. and step off at 10 a.m. The parade will proceed up Essex Street through Cliftondale and then Central Street to Winter Street and stopping at the Veterans Lot in Riverside Cemetery,” Castinetti said. “We will conduct our entire Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery. We will not proceed to the Town Hall. At the conclusion of the ceremony, all will be dismissed from Riverside Cemetery.” COMING TO SAUGUS: Billie June “BJ” Farrell, the 77th Commanding Offi cer of the USS Constitution – but the fi rst woman offi cer in charge during the ship’s 224-year history – has accepted an invitation to be the grand marshal of this year’s Annual Memorial Day Parade, which is set for May 28. (Courtesy photo by the USS Constitution Museum to The Saugus Advocate) “affi rmed that the landfi ll did have a valid site assignment and has had one since 1955.” “Once again, the courts upheld that we are meeting the standards and I’m glad that this is behind us and we can continue to operate under that previously issued permit and we can focus again on working cooperatively with the town toward our shared future,” Connolly told the board. The Board of Health still has the option of appealing further to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. But Board of Health Chair William Heffernan sought to stress a positive working relationship between the Board of Health and WIN Waste Innovations. “I’m sure the town isn’t happy about taking it on the chin there, but I think, more importantly, your point about moving forward in good faith collaboration – I think we’ve been doing that over these past, probably, eight to 10 months,” Heffernan told Connolly. “I’d like to continue to see that. Hopefully, we can enter into a time of peace here. A little peace time vs. war time, and like I said, work collaboratively together and really try to make a diff erence in the community. That’s my hope,” he said. The Appeals Court decision, in addressing three major issues initially raised by the Board of Health, concluded that: * The trash-to-energy plant has a valid site assignment. * MassDEP was correct in issuing the permit for the ash monofi ll in 2018 (known as the valley fi ll permit) while determining that the facility didn’t pose a threat to public safety, health, the environment or endangered species and their habitat. * The slurry wall that is being used is “at least as eff ective as a traditional liner” in containing the ash. MALDEN TRANS NOW HIRING!!! CDL SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, 7D DRIVERS & TAXI DRIVERS COMPETITIVE PAY OFFERED $17/HR - 7D DRIVERS $26/HR - CDL DRIVERS CALL TO INQUIRE - 781-322-9400 OR 781-322-9401 - ASK FOR DAVID OR ED
16 Publizr Home