Bask Announces Free Yoga Classes in New Bedford
Classes will be available Mondays in November at Sangha

Bask, Inc. (“Bask”), a locally owned cannabis dispensary in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, has partnered with New Bedford yoga studio, Sangha, to offer free yoga classes.

In an effort to provide access to wellness programs for those in need, Bask is sponsoring Kripalu Yoga classes at the Sangha yoga studio. Kripalu Yoga is designed for students at all levels of ability and practice. Sangha co-founders Jeff Costa and Howard Klein bring years of yoga and fitness expertise to their New Bedford studio where, according to their website, they have “created a friendly, inclusive, and healing arts community.”

Bask’s sponsorship provides free registration for up to 15 people per class. Participants can register for each free class at the following link on the Sangha website: sanghanewbedford.com/schedule
Bask has been serving registered medical patients at the Fairhaven dispensary since 2018. The multi-award-winning cannabis dispensary, cultivator, and manufacturer was named Best Dispensary in 2019 by south coast residents and recently expanded its cannabis retail operations in Fairhaven with the addition of recreational sales to adults 21 and older in February of 2021.

About Bask, Inc.
The founders of Bask are experienced medical cannabis cultivators, educators, and advocates. The team came together over a shared vision to create an environment where patients could learn and have safe access to quality products. Bask opened its doors to medical patients in February of 2018 as the first cannabis dispensary on the South Coast of Massachusetts. In February of 2020, the company moved its cultivation and processing operation to a state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Freetown, MA in partnership with AmeriCann, Inc.

Visit their Fairhaven dispensary for medical and recreational needs.

Bask, Inc.
2 Pequod Road
Fairhaven, MA 02719
www.cometobask.com
(774)305-4749

Diagnosed with lung cancer back in 2008, Remy still managed to continue in his role as long time Sox color commentator with only brief absences for treatment. He will be missed by an entire generation that grew up watching him play on the field or call games for over 30 years.

An all-star second baseman originally drafted by the California Angels in 1971, Remy made his major league debut in 1975. He was traded to his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1977. Remy’s best season was in 1978, when he was selected for his only All Star team. Over the next several seasons, he was hampered by a series of injuries which limited his playing time to less than half of a season each of the next three years, though he continued to bat very well when he was healthy. Remy played two more full seasons in 1982 and 1983, though his injury problems returned in 1984, and he officially retired from the sport in 1985.

After retiring from baseball, Remy became a regular media personality, serving as a color commentator for NESN’s Red Sox broadcasts since 1988, only taking occasional time off for health issues. He also owned a number of restaurants and wrote a number of books on baseball.

Remy was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, on November 8, 1952, and grew up in nearby Somerset. He attended Somerset High School and Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.

“We just wanted to thank EVERYONE for coming out to yesterday’s Trunk or Treat.

We had the best time and the costumes were amazing!!

We love our community and love seeing all of you. Thank you for making the department’s first-ever Trunk or Treat a HUGE success! ❤️???”-New Bedford Police Department.

All photos by the New Bedford Police Department:

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of garden salad due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses connected to any of the recalled lot codes have been reported to date. The products being recalled are:

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The lot code and Best if Used By date are located on the upper right corner of the bag and the UPC code is located on the bottom left corner of the back of the bag. The impacted products were distributed in AL, FL, GA, LA, MA, MD, NC, PA, SC, VA. This product is beyond its “Best If Used By” date and should no longer be on retail shelves. Consumers are advised to check product they have in their homes and discard any product matching these lot and UPC codes and Best if Used By dates.

This precautionary Recall notification is being issued due to a single sample of garden salad which yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test conducted by the Department of Agriculture in Georgia.

No other Dole products (or products manufactured by Dole) are included in the recall. Only the specific garden salad products listed, with the exact Lot codes, UPC codes and Best if Used By dates identified above, are included in the recall. Consumers who have any remaining product with these Lot codes, UPC codes and Best if Used By dates should not consume it, but rather discard it. Retailers and consumers with questions may call the Dole Consumer Center at 1-800-356-3111, which is open 24 hours a day.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has launched a new Combatting Redlining Initiative to address the illegal deprivation of mortgage lending services for communities of color.

Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race or national origin of the people who live in those communities. The new Initiative represents the Department’s most aggressive and coordinated enforcement effort to address redlining, which is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

“Lending discrimination runs counter to fundamental promises of our economic system,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “When people are denied credit simply because of their race or national origin, their ability to share in our nation’s prosperity is all but eliminated. Today, we are committing ourselves to addressing modern-day redlining by making far more robust use of our fair lending authorities. We will spare no resource to ensure that federal fair lending laws are vigorously enforced and that financial institutions provide equal opportunity for every American to obtain credit.”

“Although housing discrimination is illegal under the Fair Housing Act, the discriminatory patterns and practices of redlining persist in parts of our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “We intend to stop redlining because it denies equal access and opportunity in a profound way that has a negative impact on almost every aspect of life. This office will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act, and we are proud to join the Justice Department in launching the Combatting Redlining Initiative to protect the rights of all tenants.”

For American families, homeownership remains the principal means of building wealth, and the deprivation of investment in, and access to, mortgage lending services for communities of color have contributed to families of color persistently lagging behind in homeownership rates and net worth as compared to white families. The gap in homeownership rates between white and Black families is larger today than it was in 1960, before the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

The Initiative, which is led by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, seeks to make mortgage credit and homeownership accessible to all Americans on the same terms, regardless of race or national origin and regardless of the neighborhood where they live. The initiative will:

Utilize U.S. Attorneys’ Offices as force multipliers to ensure that fair lending enforcement is informed by local expertise on housing markets and the credit needs of local communities of color;
Expand the Department of Justice’s analyses of potential redlining to both depository and non-depository institutions. Non-depository lenders are not traditional banks and do not provide typical banking services, but engage in mortgage lending and now represent the majority of mortgages lenders in the country;
Strengthen our partnership with financial regulatory agencies to ensure the identification and referrals of fair lending violations to the Department of Justice;
Increase coordination with State Attorneys General on potential fair lending violations.
Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling The Department of Justice’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online.

On October 26, St. Luke’s Hospital earned official designation from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a Level II Adult Trauma Center – the first and only Level II Trauma Center in the Massachusetts EMS Region 5 serving southeastern Massachusetts.

Department of Public Health approval is the final step in establishing a Designated Level II Trauma Center at St. Luke’s Hospital for patients in southeastern Massachusetts. St. Luke’s Hospital has a full designated trauma team, with surgeons, and clinical resources available 24-7.

“The residents of southeastern Massachusetts need and deserve a trauma center that can provide them with immediate, life-saving care in an emergency, when seconds are critical,” said Keith Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health. “Creating a designated trauma center is a rigorous process. Our Level II Trauma Center designation is an achievement reflective of our commitment to our patients and our region, and a direct result of the outstanding leadership and dedication of so many Southcoast Health providers, nurses and staff.”

In 2017, Southcoast Health identified the critical need for a trauma center in the South Coast region and embarked upon the journey with a full assessment of resources that would be required, followed by months of planning and internal investment, officials said.

Our Emergency Medical Service (EMS) partners play a critical role in the trauma response, serving on the frontlines and safely transporting patients to the appropriate health care facilities for care. With official state designation the trauma center will now be able to accept more patients from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) within southeastern Massachusetts, providing patients with faster care and closer to home in an emergency.

“When a hospital commits to being a trauma center, it’s a reflection of that hospital’s commitment to providing comprehensive care and service to the community,” said Dr. Michael Grossman, Chief of Trauma Surgery at Southcoast Health.

As a first step in the process, St. Luke’s Hospital was closely evaluated and achieved verification as a Level II Trauma Center by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), an ad hoc committee of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) earlier this fall.

Verified Trauma Centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death for individuals up to 45 years old. In an emergency, every second counts and victims of traumatic injuries often find themselves in a race against time.

“One of the main tenants in trauma is that you have a small window of time to provide lifesaving interventions and make a difference when somebody is critically injured,” says Stephanie Raby, MSN, RN, PHN, the Trauma Program Manager at St. Luke’s Hospital. “The St. Luke’s Trauma Center will help provide patients with faster access to evaluation and advanced critical care in an emergency.”

A Level II Trauma Center is equipped to see any type of trauma patient, but is not required to conduct research or have surgical residency programs. The American Trauma Society explains the differences between each trauma center level here.

“Previously, for the South Coast region, the closest designated trauma center is out of state in Rhode Island, a significant drive away,” says Dr. Theodore Delmonico, a Trauma Surgeon at St. Luke’s Hospital. “Not only is a lengthy transport dangerous for a very sick or traumatically injured patient, but it also takes that ambulance out of commission for some time, limiting the resources available to other patients in need within the region.”

To learn more about the St. Luke’s Level II Trauma Center please visit www.southcoast.org/southcoast-health-trauma-center/ .

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About Southcoast Health

Celebrating the system’s 25th anniversary in 2021, Southcoast Health is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region, serving communities in Rhode Island and across Southeastern Massachusetts. Southcoast Health is a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Out of the 2,743 considered hospitals in the United States, only 250 earned this recognition. In 2020 and 2021, St. Luke’s is a Newsweek and Leapfrog’s Best Maternity Hospitals. US News ranks Southcoast 9th among hospitals in Massachusetts, and 2nd among those in the Providence Metro area. In 2019 and 2020, the Southcoast Health system also received seven awards, including Best Hospitals and Best Place to Work, in SouthCoast Media Group’s Best of the Best Awards voted on by residents and readers.

As a network of more than 700 physicians, hospitalists, and mid-level practitioners, Southcoast Health is a system of three acute care hospitals — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, and Tobey Hospital in Wareham, and also provides behavioral health services in partnership with Acadia at Southcoast Behavioral Health in Dartmouth. Southcoast Health’s System comprises seven Urgent Care Centers, two Centers for Cancer Care, visiting nurse association, and numerous additional ambulatory facilities that offer convenience and access to services for more than 724,000 residents in 33 communities covering over 900 square miles in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

With 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in Southeastern Mass., and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. Southcoast Health is proud of our mission of providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to our patients and proud of our tradition of eliminating the barriers that prevent access to care. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org. Connect to Southcoast Health through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Southcoast® is a registered trademark of Southcoast Health System.

Southcoast Hospitals Group, which includes Charlton Memorial Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital and Tobey Hospital, is a 2020 Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital.

The City of New Bedford released details of its new vaccine policy for nearly 900 municipal employees today, following up on an August announcement.

With this step, the City seeks to set an example for public and private employers in Greater New Bedford by adopting a vaccine mandate to protect staff and residents.

Under the policy, non-school City employees are required to submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status by Nov. 15, or submit results of a negative COVID-19 test on a weekly basis.

The City’s AFCSME union and firefighter union approved the policy, which also covers non-union City employees. Altogether, the groups represent 882 of the City’s 1,112 non-school employees.

The New Bedford police union (230 members) has not reached agreement with the City, and its members are not subject to the new policy. Collective bargaining negotiations with the police union continue.

As of Nov. 15, any employee covered by the policy who has failed to comply will be placed on unpaid administrative leave. While on leave, employees will be allowed to use accrued vacation or personal time; use of sick time is not authorized under the policy. Continued non-compliance will be grounds for disciplinary action.

With local vaccination rates remaining low, the early adoption of a municipal employee vaccination/testing requirement is a clear signal that the City’s proactive pandemic response will continue. It is hoped that this mandate will encourage other local institutions and employers to adopt similar policies for their employees.

The announcement is consistent with the proactive approach New Bedford has pursued since the beginning of the pandemic. New Bedford has been in the vanguard of cities that established model initiatives to curb COVID-19, including becoming the first city in the country to provide a free mask to city residents, taking steps to protect workers at seafood processing facilities, mandating stringent safety requirements at industrial facilities, safeguarding nursing homes and senior living facilities, opening local COVID-19 surge facilities, and offering incentives for vaccines in neighborhood locations across the city.

“Our Health Department and local health providers have worked tirelessly to make vaccines readily available, but as we approach a third year of this pandemic, we need to do more,” Mayor Jon Mitchell said. “Requiring the City’s non-school employees to be vaccinated can protect our workforce and their families, and encourage other employers to follow suit.”

COVID-19 vaccination clinics are planned for the next several days in New Bedford. No appointment is needed at these walk-up clinics. Available vaccines can change according to supplies. Clinics now are offering CDC-approved booster shots for eligible recipients, in addition to first- and second-dose vaccines. Details on boosters are below.

Friday, October 29:

• PAACA (360 Coggeshall St.) – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., J&J, Pfizer and Moderna
• New Bedford High School (230 Hathaway Blvd.) – 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Pfizer for ages 12+ and J&J for ages 18+ (Minors need parental consent, provided either in advance online, or in-person at the school)

Saturday, October 30:

• Ashley Park Community Center (Swift St., South End) – 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Pfizer and J&J

Sunday, October 31:

• Loretta Bourque Park (85-89 Ruth St., South End) – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Pfizer and J&J

Monday, Nov. 1:

• Andrea McCoy Recreation Center (181 Hillman St.) – 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J

Tuesday, Nov. 2:

• Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (874 Purchase St.) – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J
• Former Fire Station 11 (754 Brock Ave.) – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., J&J, Pfizer and Moderna
• Normandin Middle School (81 Felton St.) – 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Pfizer for ages 12+ and J&J for ages 18+ (Minors need parental consent, provided either in advance online, or in-person at the school)

Wednesday, Nov. 3:

• Keith Middle School (225 Hathaway Blvd) – 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Pfizer for ages 12+ and J&J for ages 18+ (Minors need parental consent, provided either in advance online, or in-person at the school)

Thursday, Nov. 4:

• Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (874 Purchase St.) – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pfizer, Moderna, J&J

In-Home Vaccination Available by Appointment: The city and state are offering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly for elderly residents or those not able to travel to a clinic. To schedule an in-home vaccination (Moderna or J&J) with the New Bedford Health Department, call the department’s main line, 508-991-6199, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

To schedule an in-home vaccination (Moderna, Pfizer or J&J) through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, call the I n-Home Vaccination Central Intake Line at (833) 983-0485, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

For more information: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-in-home-vaccination-program

Booster Shots Approved for Eligible Recipients: The CDC has approved booster recommendations for Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines. Booster shots are available at local vaccine clinics, for people who are eligible under the following criteria.

For people who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series:

65 years and older
Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

***Moderna boosters now available at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, Fire Station 11, and PAACA clincs***

For anyone 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, a booster shot is recommended two or more months after their initial shot.

Mixing & Matching: The CDC also has approved mixing and matching of vaccine types for the booster dose. When first getting vaccinated, people should still get two doses of the same vaccine type, but for the booster, a different vaccine from the initial series can be used, following the criteria above.

More info: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p1021-covid-booster.html

Reminder on the importance of vaccinations, especially ahead of the holidays: Vaccination levels in the region remain low, and daily case rates remain high. Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is not only about protecting yourself – it’s also about protecting your family, friends, and community. Vaccination is critically important ahead of the holiday season, when large family gatherings could lead to super-spreader events among people who are unvaccinated.

City leaders and health officials are urging unvaccinated residents to get their first shot and begin vaccination as soon as possible, in order to have safe and healthy holidays.

The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of November 1, 2021 – November 5, 2021 and they are as follows:

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

• Replacing gas services on Elizabeth St, Bedford St and Taber St
• Abandoning gas main on Edward St from Dartmouth St to Field St
• Tying in gas main and replacing gas services on Phillips Rd starting from Birchwood Dr to Hillcrest Dr
• Working on the regulators on Holly St at Belleville Ave
• Relaying gas main on Church St at Tarkiln Hill Rd

Other:
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be on Cottage St (Parker St to Sycamore St) for various sidewalk restoration areas. No Parking zone signs will be posted in areas as necessary.
• Contractor (PA Landers) to continue sidewalk roadway improvements on Weld St from Summer St to Myrtle St
• Contactor (AGS) will be replacing sidewalk panels at various utility pole locations throughout the city.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be repairing various roadway and sidewalks citywide.
• Contractor (JH Lynch) to continue work at MassDOT Project #608536, intersection improvements at Rockdale Ave X Allen St. Detours during working hours will be required for installation of new drainage throughout the project site. Signage will be posted for detour routes.
• Contractor (K.R. Rezendes, Inc.) to continue work at MassDOT Project #606718, roadway reconstruction and related work (including traffic signal installation) along a section of Hathaway Rd, Nauset St and Mt Pleasant St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) to continue work at MassDOT Project #606709 with roadway and sidewalk reconstruction and utility install related work along a section of Kings Highway and Tarkiln Hill Rd.
• 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.) Contractor will be performing test pits in Wamsutta St. Street closure from Acushnet Ave to N Front St. Detour signage and police details will be in place. 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 continue installing water main service along Union St between Sixth St and County St. During working hours, access to Union St will be closed between Eighth St and Sixth St. Westbound traffic on Union St will be detoured via Pleasant St, Elm St and County St. Eastbound traffic on Union St will be detoured via Spring St and Pleasant St. 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.

“We thank New Bedford Police Captain Ricard J. Rezendes for his 32 years of dedicated service to the department.

Rezendes started his police career in 1989 and retired this year. Thank you captain, have a great retirement! ??‍♀️?”- New Bedford Police Department.