“This week Mayor Jon Mitchell represents New Bedford at the Offshore Wind North East (OWNE) Conference & Exhibition 2022 in Sunderland, United Kingdom. With the staging of the United States’ first industrial-scale offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind, set to begin in 2023 from the Port of New Bedford, the City remains the object of broad interest among the offshore wind industry.

The Mayor will offer remarks highlighting the unique competitive advantages of New Bedford for European wind companies seeking to establish a presence in the U.S., including opportunities for partnerships between industry vendors and New Bedford area companies. New Bedford is well positioned to support the needs of the industry, as the closest industrial port to the largest cluster of designated wind energy areas in the United States, and as a home to a diverse marine economy that generates more than $11 billion in economic output annually.

“New Bedford’s participation in the OWNE Conference is a reflection of the sustained effort the City has made to cultivate and strengthen relationships with European offshore wind interests. It’s no longer a question of when British companies and their continental counterparts will establish toeholds in the U.S. market, the central question today is where will they choose to establish their domestic base,” said Mitchell. “Our objective is to make sure that the Port of New Bedford is top of mind whenever location discussions take place among offshore wind interests.”

With more than 800 attendees and 130 exhibitors, OWNE 2022 is one of the largest annual gatherings of the British offshore wind industry.

Mayor Mitchell, the only American speaker at the event, has meetings set up with over a dozen companies and economic development agencies to discuss what the City has to offer.

“The relationship between North East England’s offshore wind cluster and the United States market continues to strengthen and we are delighted to have Mayor Mitchell speaking at Offshore Wind North East,” said Caroline Lofthouse, head of business development at NOF. “It’s really important for UK companies to have a greater understanding of developments in America, which will support opportunities to partner with US companies, and Mayor Mitchell will provide our delegates with an insight into New Bedford’s commitment to offshore wind.”

Accompanying the Mayor is Jennifer Downing, Executive Director of the New Bedford Ocean Cluster.”

Bristol County has a new sheriff for the first time in a quarter century. Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux defeated incumbent sheriff Thomas Hodgson with 51% of the vote in a close race.

Hodgson conceded the victory at 1:00am this morning in spite of the fact that votes were still being tallied. By this time Heroux had an unofficial lead of approximately 4,350 votes. A number that is especially pertinent considering that New Bedford residents cast 7,920 for Hodgson and 12,500 votes for Heroux – a difference of around 4,500 votes.

Both candidates had faced issues that certainly harmed their campaigns. Heroux was found by the Department of Labor Relations to have violated state law twice in 2020 when he made disparaging comments concerning the president of Attleboro’s firefighter’s union and when he “made coercive comments” to the wife of a firefighter. Hodgson faced considerable fire due to a lawsuit from past detainees over alleged civil rights violations and the suicide of a high-profile inmate.

City of New Bedford photo.

BREAKING:

Powerball says “The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing will be posted to http://Powerball.com.”

Powerball released the following statement:

“Tonight’s Powerball drawing has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols. Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur.

When the required security protocols are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.

The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing will be posted to the Powerball website and YouTube channel.

We apologize for the delay.”

Let the conspiracy theories begin!

“Mayor Jon Mitchell has made several appointments to local boards.

William Comeau, who was named this year’s Grand Marshall of the City’s Veterans Day Parade, has been appointed to the Veterans Advisory Board. Comeau is a United States Army Vietnam veteran. He was awarded a combat infantry badge, the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service for his service in Vietnam from 1966-1967, the Presidential Unit Citation for his participation in the Battle of Suoi Tre in March 1967, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Unit Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.

He serves as the president and newsletter publisher of ‘Alpha Assocation,’ a veterans’ organization of soldiers who served in his company in Vietnam. He also is a 10-year office holder at both the Acushnet VFW and the New Bedford Regional DAV Chapter, and recently published a book called, ‘Duel with the Dragon at the Battle of Suoi Tre,’ which recounts his history in New Bedford, his entry into the U.S. Army, and the history of the men with whom he served.

The Mayor has also appointed James Gagnon to the Veterans Advisory Board. Gagnon is a U.S. Airforce Vietnam veteran and a member of several groups including the Vietnam Veterans of America CH 499, VFW Freetown Post 6643, American Legion Acushnet Post 265, Patriot Guard Riders, and the New Bedford Disabled American Veteran CH 7.

Pamela Kavanaugh, previously the Compliance Director at the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center before she retired in December 2021, has been appointed to the Board of Health.
She will replace Dr. Patricia Andrade, who earlier this year stepped down after a long term on the board. Kavanaugh was previously responsible for Federal, State, and local COVID-19 tracking and reporting, participated in the Mayor’s COVID Task Force, and was responsible for the planning, development, and execution of programs and services including the Dental Center, Pediatric and Adult Obesity Programs, Radiology Unit, Laboratory Services, Smoking Cessation Programs, and the Pharmacy Assistance Program.

She is currently still a member of the People Acting in Community Endeavors (P.A.C.E) Head Start Program and the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) of the Southeastern MA Advisory Board.

All appointments are subject to the approval of the New Bedford City Council.” -City of New Bedford.

“New Bedford’s Veterans’ Advisory Board and the City of New Bedford are proud to announce the 2022 New Bedford Veterans Day Parade.

The parade, which will take place on Friday, November 11, will form at the intersection of Rockdale Avenue and Union Street, in Buttonwood Park, beginning at about 10 a.m. and stepping off at 11 a.m.

The parade will march east on Union Street to County Street, then turn left and head north on County Street to William Street, then turn right onto William Street and head east to City Hall, and end at the reviewing stand in front of the New Bedford Main Library, at the intersection of Pleasant Street and William Street. An address for the end of the parade is 613 Pleasant St. in downtown New Bedford.

A Veteran’s Day service will be held at the reviewing stand following the conclusion of the parade, and all are invited to attend. Seating will be reserved near the reviewing stand for elderly veterans and veterans with disabilities.

In the case of inclement weather, there will be a service at the Fort Taber Community Center at Fort Taber Park, 1000A S. Rodney French Blvd., beginning at 12 p.m.
If you plan on marching in this year’s parade and have yet to RSVP, please email Veterans’ Agent Christopher Gomes at: cgomes@newbedford-ma.gov or call the New Bedford Veteran’s Services Department at (508) 991-6184.

If you have not sent an RSVP but still would like to march, we invite you to still show up to the parade. All who want to participate in the parade will be given the opportunity.” -City of New Bedford.

“I had an opportunity to congratulate the soon-to-be graduates of the New Bedford Firefighter Academy, who are about to join the city’s fire department and other departments in the region.

A scarcity of available seats at the state fire academy prompted us to institute our own fire academy so that we could train recruits from our region and get them on to their departments in a timely way.

A huge thanks to the training staff for their skillful instruction and to the cadets for their commitment to service.” -Jon Mitchell.

Jon Mitchell photo.

“About a dozen inmates sat in a classroom inside the Bristol County House of Corrections this week. On a large television in front of them was a driving instructor with the National Safety Council who was virtually leading a driving safety class.

She played a video of a motorcycle rider following a van as they drove through a residential setting. A car pulls out of a driveway, forcing everyone to stop short and causing an accident.

She leads the discussion on what could have been done differently. Was speed a factor? What was the environment like? What are the regulations on safe distances when following?

An inmate operates the commercial driving simulator inside the Bristol County House of Corrections in Dartmouth as instructor Jonathan McDonnell looks on. BCSO photo.

The inmates were wrapping up the two-day course, which is a requirement in conjunction with the Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles to get a driver’s license reinstated.

But these inmates not only have the first step down to legally driving a car upon release, they also took the first step in participating in one of the Sheriff’s Office’s new vocational programs.

The Road to Recovery program utilizes a simulator inside the prison combined with hands-on training outside the prison to prepare inmates for a job in commercial transportation. BCSO staff are working with Amaral Auto and Truck Driving School to prepare inmates for the CDL permit test and the full driving/licensing test.

The simulator was purchased with a grant from the MA Skills Capital program.

“A CDL opens so many doors,” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson said. “There is such a need to commercial drivers right now that these inmates can probably walk out of the prison on release day and head directly to a new high-paying job. From cross-country truckers that are gone for weeks to construction-site haulers that work 9-5, the possibilities are almost endless.”

A requirement for a CDL permit is having a driver’s license in good standing, so the BCSO worked with the RMV and National Safety Council to offer the previously mentioned driving safety class virtually so inmates can take steps toward getting their license back to participate in the CDL program.

If commercial driving isn’t their thing, there is another exciting new vocational offering that is currently enrolling and assessing participants. By using virtual reality technology, inmates can learn the basics of welding and earn an industry-recognized credential.

Inmates will participate in an 82-hour virtual welding program taught by an experienced instructor from Old Colony Voc-Tech in Rochester, the same instructor who teaches welding training through MassHire at the New Bedford Career Center. Inmates will earn an OSHA 10 certificate and a Hot Works certification, which is an industry-specific designation.

“Welding is a skill that will always be in demand,” Sheriff Hodgson said. “This absolutely will open a lot of doors for inmates to find work once released.”

Helping the BCSO boost vocational offerings is James O’Brien, the former superintendent of GNB Voc-Tech on Ashley Boulevard in New Bedford. O’Brien retired from the school a few years ago and is now on staff at the BCSO with a focus on increasing vocational opportunities.

“Supt. O’Brien did amazing work at GNB Voc-Tech,” Sheriff Hodgson said. “That school is really a national model for preparing the next generation of workers. We want our vocational programs to be the same, and Mr. O’Brien will be a big help in that department.””

The ABLE Associates crew will host three job fairs at the Plymouth Public Library on 132 South Street in Plymouth, MA. The first one will be on Tuesday Nov. 15th 11am to 1pm. Pick the right time for you to meet with them and learn about us and all the manufacturing jobs they have available in Plymouth!

If you’re not sure what you want to do, looking for a change, or want a raise… We are looking for you too. We have plenty of entry-level jobs all the way up to the most highly skilled positions available. We offer all shifts from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We have jobs anywhere from $17 all the way up to $25. Night time differential pays for 2nd and 3rd shifts.

Qualifications:
• Good work ethic and attitude
• Good communication skills
• Good Attendance
• Willingness to learn and cross train
Shift:
• 1st shift 7:00am to 3:30pm
• 2nd shift 3:30pm to 11:00pm
• 3rd shift 11:00pm to 7:00am
Positions:
• Packer, racker, maintenance, Inspectors, Image operator, machine operator, dispatcher
https://www.able.jobs/
Cant make the job fair? Call direct: (508) 673-3979

New Bedford City Council Ward 3 City Councilor Hugh Dunn has announced that effective Dec. 1, 2022, he is resigning from his position.

In 2017, City Councilor Henry Bosquet stepped down triggering a special election that Dunn won. He was then elected in 2017, 2019, and 2021. He worked diligently on a number of issues and causes for the citizens of New Bedford and was scandal-free until the spring of 2021 when he was in a car accident and faced OUI charges, He was found not “guilty” that fall.

The former attorney has been working at Boston’s Kelly & Associates Personal Injury Lawyers and made the decision to relocate closer to the firm. This decision will again trigger a special election so that his seat can be filled.

You can read more about Hugh Dunn in our Faces of New Bedford article here.