The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of August 2, 2021 – August 6, 2021 and they are as follows:

Eversource:

• Relaying gas main on Pleasant St. working from Weld St. to Austin St.
• Replacing gas services on Lucas St. and then Oaklawn St. working from Brock Ave. to W. Rodney French Blvd.
• Retiring gas main on Independent St. working from Crapo to County St. Then installing main on Stowell St. from Field St. to Dartmouth St.
• Relaying gas main on Tacoma St. working from Acushnet Ave. to Wildwood Rd.
• Relaying gas main on Somerset St. from Park St. to Hersom St.
• Relaying gas main on Phillips Rd. starting from Birchwood Dr. to Hillcrest Dr.
• Working on the regulator on Holly St. at Belleville Ave. and/or Wood St. at Belleville Ave.

Other:

• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue sidewalk and roadway reconstruction on Nelson St. from Crapo St. to County St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be continuing with roadway and sidewalk repairs for Metropolitan St. from Brownell Ave. to Commonwealth Ave., Maryland St. from Caswell St. to Conduit St. Conduit St. from Maryland St. to Jarry St., Hunter St. from Maxfield St. to Parker St. and Parker St. from Hathaway Blvd. to Hunter St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be repairing various roadway and sidewalks citywide.
• 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 MassDOT Project #606709 for roadway reconstruction and related work along a section of Kings Highway from Rte. 140 ramps to Tarkiln Hill Rd.
• Contractor (North Turf) will be on site at Hazelwood Park continuing installation of the new bowling greens.
• DPI will be filling potholes city-wide on a continuous basis.
• DPI will be street sweeping all roadways city-wide on a weekly basis.
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the City. 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 24-in drainpipe along Union St. between Sixth St. and Eight St.
• The Contractor is scheduled to work Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. During working hours Union St. will be closed between Pleasant St. and Seventh St. Westbound traffic on Union St. will be detoured via Pleasant St., Elm St. and County St. (Traffic traveling south on N. Sixth St. will be detoured to Pleasant St. via Market St.) Eastbound traffic on Union St. will be detoured via Seventh St., Spring St. and Pleasant St.
• There is no work or traffic controls scheduled for Friday 8/6
• 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.

Fight fans, be sure to check out Battle at the Beach II, presented by the Massachusetts State Police Boxing Team on Friday, Aug. 13 at the Oceanside Events Center, 1290 North Shore Rd., Revere.

Boxers from the Massachusetts State Police and other public safety agencies will compete for a good cause — proceeds will benefit youth boxing programs. For tickets, go to www.mspboxing.com

The Massachusetts State Police Boxing Team is the only State Police boxing team in the United States. The team is comprised of Troopers of the State Police along with local police, corrections officers, deputy sheriffs, and firefighters from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts State Police photo.

“The Rochester Fire Department would like to congratulate our own Rochester Olympian Gia Doonan and the USA Woman’s 8 Rowing Team on their incredible accomplishment.

Thank you for proudly representing our country! #rochesterproud.”-Rochester Fire Department.

Olympic Committee photo.

Women’s Fund SouthCoast of New Bedford recently received a $25,000 grant from Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB) through its Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation (BCSCF).

All total, $370,636 was awarded to 37 non-profits in all the communities in which the Bank serves.

Pictured from left to right are: Dennis Leahy, Executive Vice President, Treasurer & CFO, BCSB and Treasurer, BCSCF; Dennis Kelly, Chairman, BCSCF; Dr. Jean MacCormack, Chair, Southcoast Advisory Board, BCSCF; Janet Barbosa, Special Assistant, Office of Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford; Joanne Murray, Executive Director, Women’s Fund SouthCoast; Koreen Santos, Member, Southcoast Advisory Board, BCSCF; Patrick Murray, President & CEO, BCSB and President, BCSCF; and Don Backlund, Chairman, Board of Directors, Bristol County Savings Bank.

Bristol County Savings Bank photo.

Southcoast Community check presentation:

Fifteen organizations from the Southcoast community recently received $184,000 in grants from Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB) through its Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation (BCSCF). All total, $370,636 was awarded to 37 non-profits in all the communities in which the Bank serves.

Bristol County Savings Bank photo.

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) has approved an award of up to $287,541 for Southcoast Health as part of the Cost-Effective Coordinated Care for Caregivers and Substance Exposed Newborns (C4SEN) Investment program.

The HPC awarded $1.46 million across five hospitals statewide for the C4SEN program, the goal of which is to improve quality, efficiency and access to care for substance-exposed newborns (SEN) and their caregivers.

“On behalf of Southcoast Health and the South Coast region, I offer our great thanks to the HPC,” said Southcoast Health President and CEO Keith Hovan. “This grant is the latest example of how much this vital agency contributes to the health and well-being of all residents of the Commonwealth. Southcoast is profoundly grateful for the HPC’s support in our collective efforts to ensure that the communities we serve have equitable access and opportunity, regardless of individual circumstances.”

This HPC grant will help Southcoast Health expand New Beginnings, founded in 2016, which provides prenatal and postpartum support to substance-exposed newborns and mothers planning to deliver at Charlton Memorial or St. Luke’s to improve long-term outcomes in the region, according to officials at the not-for-profit community health system.

“It was a competitive selection process, so we’re honored and excited that the HPC has decided to work with us and help us expand our program,” said Southcoast Health Director of Community Benefits Rachel Davis. “These are funds that enable us to hire a Community Outreach Specialist who can work individually with moms and strengthen relationships with the external programs patients are referred to.”

Lauren Sousa, RN, Southcoast Health Postpartum Care Coordinator, agreed.

“One of our main goals is to connect mom with the services that both she and her family need to succeed, and the HPC grant will help make this process even more effective,” Sousa said. “This includes not only recovery services, but also her wellness visits, postpartum care with her OB-GYN, her baby’s well visit, early intervention and referrals to any resources she needs to address social determinants of health.”

Secondary to the high rates of Opioid Use Disorder, state data from recent years show that areas of southeastern Massachusetts have the second-highest percentage of opioid exposure during pregnancy in the Commonwealth.

The New Beginnings Program accepts mothers as early as possible in their pregnancy. Prenatal care includes an introduction to the program, assistance developing a plan of safe care, education about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and information on what to expect at delivery.

After delivery, the program works with mothers on a personalized plan of care, offering additional support and referrals to services they may need. The program plans to incorporate postpartum depression and domestic violence screenings as part of this care in the coming months. Focused on the success of both mother and baby, the program is a critical resource, offering 18 meetings with mothers throughout the first year postpartum.

“Connecting with moms earlier in their pregnancy has an increased success rate at keeping moms with their babies,” Sousa said.

In the past year, the New Beginnings Program – also made possible by the generosity of the Anthony F. Cordeiro Charitable Foundation, The Carney Family Charitable Foundation, The Island Foundation, and The Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation – has helped 130 babies and provided postpartum care to 87 mothers, Southcoast officials said.

To learn more about the New Beginnings program, visit https://www.southcoast.org/community-benefits/new-beginnings/.

A team of student inventors from Our Sisters’ School (OSS) was chosen as a “Grand School Winner” (one of three) and winner of the “Inventor Spirit Award” in the 2021 Great Passport to STEM Challenge, organized by Greenlight for Girls and the U.S. Embassy in Belgium.

The Challenge is a cross-cultural program that encourages girls from different backgrounds in the U.S. and Belgium to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to solve an innovative design challenge. The OSS team worked for several months to create A.S.A.P., a robot that helps humans on the autism spectrum and ultimately creates a more equitable and inclusive learning environment. The team of 11 girls, in grades six and seven, designed the robot to include noise cancelling headphones, a friendly face that changes in response to the user, a heart monitor that alerts an educator that the user needs an intervention, and many other thoughtfully designed features. The OSS team also created a video that was viewed by the competition’s international judges and participants.

In response to being chosen as a winning team, OSS sixth-grader, Attyanna, said, “It was a big surprise because there were other schools and they also had really good ideas.” The judges praised the OSS team’s efforts, noting, “You clearly identified a problem and a gap in school systems and went about trying to fill that gap. This was done with ingenuity.”

The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) program at OSS has been growing steadily in recent years and is introducing students to skills and opportunities on par with those gained in college and graduate school. The curriculum is integrated with the School’s other learning programs and encourages connection with vital community partners and supporters, including UMass Dartmouth and Tech Teachers Travel. OSS, which serves economically disadvantaged girls in grades five through eight from Greater New Bedford, is using STEAM to inspire creativity, confidence, and interdisciplinary learning. You can learn more about the School at https://www.oursistersschool.org/. OSS is currently accepting applications for fifth-graders for the fall.

Our Sister’s School photo.

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration, Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg and the Massachusetts State Lottery announced the winners for the first of five drawings for the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway. As part of the giveaway, fully vaccinated residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter to win one of five, $1 million cash prizes. Residents between 12-17 years of age who are fully vaccinated may enter for the chance to win one of five $300,000 scholarship grants.

The winner of this week’s $1 million prize is Darrell Washington of Weymouth. The winner for the $300,000 college scholarship is Daniela Maldonado of Chelsea.

“Congratulations to Darrell Washington and Daniela Maldonado on winning the first-round drawing for the VaxMillions Giveaway,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Since we launched VaxMillions, over 2.3 million residents have signed up and hundreds of thousands of residents have gotten vaccinated, building on Massachusetts’ nation-leading success in protecting our residents. Massachusetts continues to out-perform virtually every state on vaccinations, and we look forward to the remaining drawings for the VaxMillions campaign as another way to encourage more residents to get vaccinated, in addition to innovative approaches like pop-up clinics and in-home vaccinations.”

“We are excited for these first-round winners of the VaxMillions Giveaway, and look forward to seeing the positive impact these prizes will have on their lives,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are grateful that over 4.5 million residents have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, contributing to our status as a national leader in vaccinations. As the VaxMillion Giveaway continues, our Administration remains committed to using every tool available to us to get more residents vaccinated.”

“Today’s winners are a great reminder of why it’s so important to get vaccinated. They won, but we all win too,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “And remember – they got a shot because they got the shots. So get the vax now and you could join us soon!”

“The Mass Lottery is proud to be a part of this important public health initiative and we extend our thanks to everyone who has registered thus far,” said Michael Sweeney, Executive Director, Massachusetts State Lottery. “We congratulate the first winners and are hopeful that today’s announcement will encourage additional state residents to get vaccinated.”

“I am grateful to Darrell Washington and Daniela Maldonado, as well as the over 4.3 million Massachusetts residents that made the decision to protect themselves, their families and their communities by getting vaccinated,” said Secretary Marylou Sudders, Executive Office of Health and Human Services. “Vaccine acceptance in Massachusetts is among the highest in the nation, and we will continue to make the vaccine more accessible and convenient for every eligible resident across the Commonwealth.”

“Leveraging innovative technology solutions has been a key component to the Baker-Polito Administration’s public health response to the pandemic,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curtis M. Wood. “We are proud to partner with the Massachusetts State Lottery and public health officials on this important vaccination initiative and we congratulate today’s winners.”

The registration deadline for the next VaxMillions Giveaway is today, Thursday, July 29. Winners for that drawing will be drawn on Monday, August 2 and announced on Thursday, August 5.

“The New Bedford Fire Department would like to congratulate Firefighter Mark Grimley for his 27 years of service.

Mark officially retires on Saturday but finished his last shift this morning at 0800 hrs. Mark spent over 26 years assigned to Engine Company 7.

The Department and all of its members would like to wish Mark and his wife Andrea the best of luck in all their future endeavors and have a happy and safe retirement!”-New Bedford Fire Department.

Mass Care Link is hiring in Fall River for Full-Time Registered Nurses and Care Managers

Registered Nurse Job Description: This is a full-time position. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting assessments to determine eligibility for personal care services and completing monthly home visits. This is a field-based position, which requires travel throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30PM, No Weekends, No Holidays.
Paid holidays off, Paid vacation, Paid daily breaks, Paid birthday off, Life Insurance, Short Disability Insurance, Dental, Vision Insurance, and Health Insurance.
Requirements for Registered Nurse

-Registered Nurse License in Massachusetts
– At least two years of recent experience in the direct care of the elderly or disabled adults. -Must be able to pass a criminal background check.
-Must have a valid driver’s license.
-Have a vehicle in good working order and be willing to travel.
Salary for Registered Nurse; $80,000 a year
How to Apply: Please send your resume and cover letter to Career@Masscarelink.org

Requirements for Care Manager

-A Bachelor degree in a related field.
-At least two years’ clinical experience in the care of elderly or disabled persons; or a social worker license from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Social Work, and at least two years’ recent experience working with elderly or disabled adults
Salary for Care Manager $42,000 year
How to Apply: Please send your resume and cover letter to Career@Masscarelink.org

Mass Care Link, Inc.
99 South Main Street
Fall River, MA 02721

p: 866 880 8889 (call or text)
f: 877 366 4418
e: info@masscarelink.org

“The New Bedford Police Department would like the community to join us in welcoming its two newest officers.

Ofc. Jason Barbosa and Ofc. Robert Green graduated from the academy last Friday and were sworn in by the city clerk yesterday during a ceremony at the Fort Taber community center where they were joined by friends, family, the Chief and Deputy, as well as City Councilor Brad Markey and Reverend David Lima.

Welcome aboard!”-New Bedford Police Department.

New Bedford Police Department photo.

New Bedford Police Department photo.

New Bedford Police Department photo.