“It is with a heavy heart, that Marion Fire/EMS reports the passing of one of its former brothers, Lieutenant Paramedic Kevin Buckley.

Lieutenant Buckley was a dedicated man, who served our town and its residents, for 20 years. He took great pride in his job and touched the lives of many. He will be missed.” -Marion Fire/EMS.

Marion Fire/EMS photo.

Mayor Jon Mitchell and the City’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) are inviting all interested community members to review the Fiscal Year 2022 Community Preservation Act (CPA) applications and provide public comment at three virtual public meetings this month.

The FY22 application process began last September with Step I: Eligibility Determination. Eligible applicants then were invited to submit Step II: Project Applications in November. Seventeen applications–seeking more than $2.7 million in CPA funding, in total–were received by the deadline.

There is $1.6 million available for the CPC to award among the FY22 applications. During the month of January, the CPC is inviting applicants to present their project at a public meeting, with public comment welcomed from community members. Once the CPC has completed its application review, the committee will vote on the projects to recommend for funding and submit their recommendations to the New Bedford City Council for final consideration and awarding of funds.

All meetings will be held via Zoom, at: https://zoom.us/j/84596031271
Meeting ID: 845 9603 1271 Passcode: 624603

Members of the public also can call in, via: Call (646) 558-8656 Meeting ID: 845 9603 1271 Passcode: 624603

Project applicants will present at virtual Zoom meetings detailed in the attached flyer, starting tonight at 6 p.m. and continuing on Jan. 11 and Jan. 20.

To review the FY22 applications, please visit the CPC webpage at: http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/plan…/community-preservation/

Public comment must be received by January 24, 2022, and can be provided by:

• Attending the virtual meeting for the project you wish to comment on. Public comment will be allowed after each project presentation.
• Emailing your comment to CPA@NewBedford-MA.gov
• Mailing your comment to:

CPC
Department of City Planning
133 William Street Room 303
New Bedford, MA 02740

For more information, call the CPA Coordinator at (508) 979-1488 or email CPA@NewBedford-MA.gov.

ABOUT:

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was adopted by New Bedford voters through a ballot question in November 2014. This statewide enabling legislation allows communities to create dedicated funding for: Open Space, Outdoor Recreational Facilities, Historic Preservation, and Affordable Housing activities in the city.
Oversight of this process rests with the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), the body established by the City to oversee the CPA program in New Bedford.

Governor Charlie Baker nominated Sarah Joss and Kristen Stone as Associate Justices of the District Court. Attorneys Joss and Stone have a combined 37 years of legal experience.

“The decades of experience in public service that Sarah Joss and Kristen Stone will bring to the District Court and the people of the Commonwealth make them well-qualified candidates,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to the Governor’s Council’s consideration of their nominations for these appointments.”

“I am pleased with the nomination of these two distinguished attorneys,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “I am confident that their skills and knowledge will allow them to serve all those who will appear before them with fairness and justice.”

The District Court hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties; all misdemeanors; and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the Commonwealth.

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth’s diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.

About Sarah Joss

Sarah Joss began her law career in 1996 as a legal assistant in the litigation department of Foley Hoag, LLP before receiving her law degree and serving as an associate at the firm beginning in 2001. From 2003 to 2014,

Attorney Joss served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, where she practiced defensive litigation on behalf of state agencies and handled a varied case load, ranging from torts, to civil rights, and more. Since 2014, Attorney Joss has worked in various roles for the Massachusetts Probation Department, and currently serves as the Department’s Deputy Commissioner for Legal Services and Legal Counsel. Outside of her career, she is the Clerk and Chair of the Scholarship Committee for the Board of the Ipswich Music, Art and Drama Association (IMADA).

Attorney Joss received her bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in 1996 and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School in 2001.

About Kristen Stone

Kristen Stone began her legal career in 2003 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Plymouth District Attorney’s Office, where she worked until 2014. From 2015 until 2017, Attorney Stone served in the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, first as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Bureau, Enterprise, Major and Computer Crimes Division and later in the White Collar and Public Integrity Division.

Currently, she serves as Deputy General Counsel of the Administrative Office of the District Court, where she advises and makes recommendations on legal issues and ethical considerations. Prior to earning her law degree, she worked as a licensed clinical social worker at Bridgewater State Hospital from 1997 until 1999. A resident of Hanover, Attorney Stone participates in the Rock Steady Boxing Program for Parkinson’s Disease, and has previously served as a volunteer soccer and lacrosse coach for the Hanover Youth Athletic Association.

Attorney Stone received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1988 before earning her master’s degree from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work in 1997. Attorney Stone earned her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in 2003.

Massachusetts ranked seventh on the list of states people moved out of the most last year, up from eighth in 2020.

A recent study by United Van Lines has revealed that not only are fewer people moving to the Bay State, but they are also fleeing in record numbers. The billion-dollar company is a worldwide leader in domestic and international moving and/or relocation services.

Approximately 58% or 2,984 of the 5,183 of their shipments that involved Massachusetts last year were outbound, ranking the Commonwealth 7th in the nation. Only California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York had higher rates of outbound migration. In 2020, the Bay State ranked 8th and then officials warned that the state’s high housing costs and need for remote work could start a downward trend for outward migration from the state – something reflected in this year’s numbers.

Causes for the migration from highest to lowest:

• Retirement (37.5%)
• New Job or transfer (35%)
• Family reasons (17.5%)

As for inbound migration, Massachusetts was ranked 47th for the second year in a row. South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and other states on the top 10 list for inbound migration tended to be more rural than the outbound migration list. For a second straight year, Massachusetts was 47th on the list for inbound migration.

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in all 50 states and is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.

Find out more including statistics here.

___________________________________________________

“The New Bedford Police Department will be raising awareness for #HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth. Across the nation, law enforcement and organizations strive to eliminate human trafficking.

If you are a victim of human trafficking, or if you have a tip about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” or “INFO” to BeFree (233733).

You can also always call 911 – we are here to help. If you see something, say something. #humantraffickingawareness?” -City of New Bedford Police Department.

$454,945 recovered for victims in international student recruitment scheme and $229,882 recovered for victims of Ponzi scheme.

The United States Attorney’s Office announced today approval by the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to direct $454,945 recovered from forfeited assets to the victims of Keenam “Kason” Park. Park was convicted in August 2020 of one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud private high schools and international students of millions of dollars in tuition and other fees.

The United States Attorney’s Office also announced approval to direct $229,882 recovered from forfeited assets to the victims of Raymond K. Montoya. Montoya was a hedge fund manager convicted in October 2018 of three counts of wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud and two counts of conducting an unlawful monetary transaction in connection with running a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme.

Keenam Park

In December 2020, Park was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to five years in prison and three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $7,332,407. The court also ordered forfeiture in the amount of $7,332,407.

Park – through his company, EduBoston – collected tuition and other payments from students’ families for the 2019-2020 academic year but failed to pay the full tuition owed to partnering schools. Instead, Park used the funds on unrelated expenses, including personal expenses. Park also caused EduBoston to collect advance tuition and other payments for the 2020-2021 academic year, which Park failed to return to the students’ families after EduBoston went out of business in or around September 2019.

The government pursued forfeiture of a number of Park’s assets, including seizing bank accounts, a Lexus and other personal property, which resulted in this recovery. The funds will be distributed to victims pursuant to the Amended Judgment entered in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue assets to compensate Park’s numerous victims.

Raymond Montoya

In March 2019, Montoya was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 175 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Montoya was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $38,386,802 and forfeiture.

Between 2009 and June 2017, Montoya ran a pooled investment hedge fund in Boston called RMA Strategic Opportunity Fund, LLC. Montoya falsely told his investors—including his family, friends and acquaintances who resided in Massachusetts, Ohio and California—that the fund was earning substantial returns, when in fact, by 2014, the RMA Fund was sustaining substantial losses. The investors transferred millions of dollars of their personal savings and 401(k) retirement plans to Montoya and the RMA Fund. Montoya told the investors that he would invest their money in stocks and bonds, but he actually invested only a portion of their money, while diverting the rest—totaling millions of dollars—to business and personal bank accounts. Montoya used the diverted money for personal expenses such as luxury vehicles.

The government pursued forfeiture of a number of Montoya’s assets, including seized currency and bank accounts, jewelry, a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and other vehicles. Of the funds obtained from the forfeited assets, $229,882 was approved by the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to be applied to restitution. These funds will be distributed to victims pursuant to the Amended Judgment entered in this case. Previously, the government recovered over $9 million which has already been turned over for victim restitution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue assets to compensate Montoya’s numerous victims.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Mendell’s Asset Recovery Unit, handled the forfeiture aspects of these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the Park case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the Montoya case.

WHEN: December 31, 2021 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
WHERE: Downtown New Bedford – Purchase St & William St, New Bedford, MA 02740, USA
COST: FREE

FREE music, kids and family outdoor events downtown:

• Family Fun Throughout Downtown 5PM-8PM
• Fireworks by State Pier 8:30PM
• City Celebrates! 2021 New Year’s Eve!
• Free programming from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• Check out amazing street performers, stilt walkers, jugglers, fire-eaters, and Seamen’s Bethel featuring harpist Eva MacFarlane 5:00-7:00PM
• A dynamic Toe Jam Puppet Band performance at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30PM outside at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
• NEW! Take a photo with Elsa, Ana and Olaf inside the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
• Living Art: Fortune Teller by Ten31 Productions, hot cocoa and at the Zeiterion Penler Space 6:00-8:00PM
• Jedlie’s Magic Circus presents a Family Magic Workshop at the New Bedford Art Museum 5:30 and 6:30PM

(Locations subject to change)

In Wings Court & Custom House Square:

• DJ Anghelli will be spinning dance hits in Wings Court 5:00-8:00PM
• Check out Mr. Vinny’s Bubble Guys and Gals in Wings Court 5:30-7:30PM
• Extraordinary Arts performances with stilt walkers, and glow fans (Purchase Street, Wing’s Court, Custom House Square)
• Cirque de Light will heat up the night with improvisational fire spinning and LED hoop performances from 5:00-8:00PM in Custom House Square
• Living snow globe in Wings Court
• Vinny’s Miracle Fish Puppet downtown 6:00-8:00PM

(Locations subject to change)

AND MUCH MORE! STAY TUNED

Don’t miss the FIREWORKS on the waterfront by State Pier at 8:30 pm!

“As we all know on December 10th tornados ravaged the state of Kentucky and as we all saw from the news reports the damage was widespread and devastating to a number of towns that lie in its path. One of those towns was the small Town of Cayce, KY, population of about 150 people a small town located outside Mayfield, KY.

On December 13, 2021 the Fire Chiefs Association of MA (FCAM) reached out to the KY Assoc of Fire Chiefs (KAFC) to see what assistance MA could help with. On December 21st, KAFC replied back that among other needs they were in search of a 3000 gallon tanker for the town of Cayce whose sole fire station and their 4 pieces of apparatus were destroyed by the storms.

Before photo of the Cayce, KY Fire Dept. Rochester Fire Department photo.

This request sent to all the cities and towns in MA was a tall order, but not too tall for our Rochester Department. Within minutes of the email going out Chief Weigel responded that the RFD had a spare 3000-gallon tanker which is not just a water tender, but a pumper. A 1988 FMC 3000 gallon tanker/pumper was purchased used in 2000 and served the Town of Rochester proudly from 2000-January of 2020 when it was replaced with a newly purchased tanker/pumper.

We are proud to say that as of 10:00 am yesterday morning the Rochester Select Board met in a special emergency session where they voted to release the 1988 FMC Tanker/Pumper to surplus allowing the RFD to donate the truck to the Cayce, KY Fire Department. Chief Weigel has spoken with Chief Adams of the Cayce FD who is more than overjoyed, humbled and extremely grateful to receive this apparatus which will serve as their only piece of equipment at this time but will get their 21 member department back on its feet serving their community as they continue to pick up the pieces.

The next step in the very fluid and quick-moving process will be to transport the truck to KY via transport trucking. The cost of this one way delivery is about $7000. FCAM is reaching out to all the Fire Chiefs in MA along with the County agencies to help raise the funds to get this truck on its way. Any donations may be made to the Rochester Fire Assoc. and mailed to 10 Neck Road in Rochester, MA. The RFA will be setting up a special acct specific to assist in raising the funds needed for the deliver of this truck.

RFD former Tanker/pumper 198 to be donated to Cayce, KY FD. Rochester Fire Department photo.

This is not the first time that Chief Weigel and the RFD has donated spare surplus apparatus to other agencies in need. In November of 2013 the RFD donated a surplus 1992 Horton Class 1, Ambulance to the Northfield EMS in the Town of Northfield MA. The 1992 Horton Ambulance served the Town of Rochester from 1992-2004 as the primary ambulance and then from 2004-2012 as the backup ambulance, before it was taken out of service officially in 2012.

Chief Weigel and all of the members of the RFD are more than proud to be able to assist our fellow Fire and EMS agencies in these times of need.” -Rochester Fire Department.

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of January 3, 2022 – January 7, 2021 and they are as follows:

Eversource will be working on the gas main relays and services at:

• Tie in gas main on Phillips Rd at Regulator Station

Other:

• MassDOT Project #608536, intersection improvements at Rockdale Ave X Allen St is wrapped up for the winter season. Contractor (JH Lynch) will be returning in March 2022, weather pending, to resume utility work and intersection upgrades.
• MassDOT Project #606718, roadway reconstruction and related work (including traffic signal installation) along a section of Hathaway Rd, Nauset St and Mt Pleasant St is wrapped up for the winter season. Contractor (KR Rezendes, Inc) will be returning in March 2022, weather pending, to resume final site work.
• MassDOT Project #606709 drainage work along a section of Kings Highway and Tarkiln Hill Rd. is wrapped up for the winter season. Contractor (PA Landers) will be returning in March 2022, weather pending, to resume site work
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the City. (Church St at Carlisle St and Wamsutta St at Acushnet Ave.) If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• Due to ongoing construction at the High Hill Reservoir residents may experience discolored water. The water is safe, and the discoloration will be temporary. We recommend allowing the water to settle for a few hours and then flushing your service line by letting the bathtub run for a few minutes until the water runs clear.
Union St. Phase II Sewer Separation Project:
• Contractor (C. Naughton Corp.) will resume work, installing storm drain structures on Sixth Street between Market St and Spring St. The work will necessitate the closure of 6th St at the Union St intersection. During working hours, Union St westbound traffic will be detoured via Pleasant St and Elm St.  Union St eastbound traffic will be detoured via Seventh St and Spring St.  Southbound traffic on Sixth St will be detoured via Elm St and County St. Access to local business will be maintained, construction/detour signage will be posted, and police details will be on-site to assist with traffic management.

** Please note: Contractors will continue to follow guidelines and protocol regarding COVID-19 social distancing while conducting work in construction zone.

Take the First Step’ connects residents with specially trained quit coaches.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced the launch of Take the First Step, a campaign to help adults quit smoking, vaping, or using other tobacco or nicotine products. The campaign encourages residents considering quitting tobacco or nicotine products to take the first step by calling the Massachusetts Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) or visiting mass.gov/quitting.

“DPH has a long history of smoking cessation programs aimed at reducing access to and the influence of tobacco and vaping products in our communities,” said Acting Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke. “Making the decision to quit smoking can be overwhelming. This program provides a pathway of support and resources for residents who want to stop using tobacco and nicotine products. It’s never too late to quit.”

The Take the First Step public awareness campaign will run on TV, radio, social and digital media, on billboards and in print ads in select cities and towns across the Commonwealth in English and Spanish.

Residents who enroll in the Quitline program have access to specially trained coaches who work with them to develop individualized plans and provide ongoing support. The program is free and has helped many residents quit for good. Residents can also enroll and receive coaching services online via e-chat. Medically eligible residents (18+) may get eight weeks of free quit medicines (patches, gums, lozenges) after talking with a quit coach.

Residents who enroll in the Quitline program will receive:

• Help making a quit plan. Quit coaches can offer advice on medicines and how to get through cravings.
• Support for people who have already quit and need help staying nicotine-free.
• Connection with local one-on-one counselors and quit-smoking groups.

Multilingual support — English-, Spanish-, and Arabic-speaking coaches are available. Spanish speakers may call 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) directly to speak with a Spanish-speaking coach. Interpreter services are available for 200 languages.

Additionally, 1-800-QUIT-NOW offers several specialized support programs:

• Support for individuals who are currently pregnant
• Support for individuals who use menthol products
• American Indian Commercial Tobacco Program
• Additional coaching and support for individuals who self-report having anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, or substance use disorder
• Program for young adults who use tobacco or vape (ages 18-24, includes live text coaching)
• Special support for youth ages 12-17 through a program called My Life, My Quit™

Learn more about 1-800-QUIT-NOW at mass.gov/quitting.