Northeast News

In East Longmeadow, MA, local residents were shocked to learn on Feb. 26 that a long-time employee of Stacy’s Longmeadow Dry Cleaners & Launderers had been killed in a work-related accident.

During the morning shift, Debra A. Zerbarini, 44, had become trapped in the shirt-pressing machine after she leaned into an open space that had been created when a mechanically-operated buck moved sideways into a nearby steam cleaning unit, according to local police records.

In an interview printed in East Longmeadow’s local newspaper, The Union News, Sgt. Patrick Manley said: “The way I understand it, the cycle takes 30 seconds before the mechanically operated mannequin moves back to where it was.”

It is believed that Zerbarini was trapped when the machinery operating the buck tried to return to its original position at its timed interval. Sgt. Manley added that it was unclear why the unit jammed after trapping Zerbarini.

“We don’t even know why she was leaning down there,” he said. “Someone thought maybe she was trying to get a bracelet that fell off, but we couldn’t find anything unusual when she was taken out.”

When rescue workers arrived at the scene, they used special extrication equipment to free Zerbarini in less than a minute, but efforts to revive her didn’t work.

At the time of the accident, plant owner Donald Stacy was out of town. Zerbarini was a 20-year drycleaner and press operator for the plant and was quite popular in East Longmeadow, according to local press reports.

The Neighborhood Cleaners Association will be offering several courses in the second half of the year at its New York School of Drycleaning, located at 252 W. 29th St. (29th St. at 8th Ave.) in New York, NY.

The school’s comprehensive 10-week course, “Principles and Practices of Drycleaning,” will begin on Aug. 8 and Oct. 21.

In addition to teaching students how to recognize whether a stain is tannin, albumin, ink, paint, glue, medicine, cosmetic dye or one of a dozen other substances, the class will demonstrate a new scientific spotting technique that is concise and easy to learn.

The sessions will meet from 7 to 11 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday evenings for a total of 80 course hours. The curriculum will feature: how to recognize fibers and materials so that you can deal with them properly; the greatest efficiency in soil removal and fabric safety; a look at the differences between petroleum distillates, chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons; and the differences between single recovery and split recovery units and single pocket and two pocket washers.

Cost for the ten-week course is $870, which includes $40 for a Student Notebook and $50 for the Fabric Book. Both books are optional.

A week-long version of the “Principles and Practices of Drycleaning” class will take place from June 10-14 and will cost students $665 each.

NCA has also scheduled a couple of four-week pressing courses for June 4 and Oct. 22. The classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the New York School of Drycleaning.

The course will help drycleaners determine quality finishing in their plant by learning the proper way to finish. The class will focus on finishing trousers, coats, jackets, dresses, skirts, sweaters, raincoats and more.

Tuition for the four-week course is $380 per person.

NCA’s New York School of Drycleaning is licensed by the New York State Education Department.

For more information on enrollment, contact Vincent Beazer by calling (212) 967-3002, ext. 224, or visiting NCA’s web site.

Anton’s Cleaners recently announced that Kevin M. Landry has been promoted to the position of supervisor for seven of the company’s plants.

Landry, who has been with Anton’s Cleaners since 1986, had previously been the manager of stores in Wakefield, as well as stores in Wakefield, Wilmington and Methuen. He has handled all aspects of the industry from production to quality control.

His new job duties will include the supervision of the company’s plant operations in Malden, Melrose, Reading, Wakefield, Winchester and the two stores in Lynnfield.

“Kevin has always maintained a commitment to providing our customers with quality cleaning and service,” said Charles A. Anton, the company’s president. “As our new supervisor, he will bring this commitment to excellence to all of our stores in his area.”

Landry attended Lowell High School and Middlesex Community College.

Anton’s Cleaners, based in Tewksbury, MA, operates 41 stores throughout eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.