Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett, Undersecretary Patrick McMurray, and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), hosted the second of three one-day symposiums for school officials, fire, EMS, and law enforcement professionals yesterday. The community leaders attended in teams to learn more about establishing a proactive, integrated active shooter/hostile event response (ASHER) strategy for their school districts. It is believed that Governor Baker is the first governor to convene such a summit in the interest of school safety.

In May, the NFPA released NFPA 3000TM (PS), Standard for an Active Shooter / Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program. Representatives from law enforcement, the fire service, emergency medical services, hospitals, emergency management, private security, private business, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Justice, and other disciplines developed this first-of-its-kind standard.

The keynote speaker was Michele Gay, a mother, and one of the founders of Safe and Sound Schools who lost her daughter, Josephine Grace, on December 14, 2012 in the Sandy Hook School shooting in Connecticut.

“We were proud to recently put forth a proposal that will allow schools to hire additional mental health professionals to increase support for our students, while also making important security upgrades,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We commend the school, fire and police leaders for participating in today’s important symposium and we look forward to working with everyone involved to enact our proposal to make the Commonwealth’s schools safer.”

“Sadly, Massachusetts is no stranger to acts of violence. School officials and first responders need coordinated training and tools to reduce the likelihood of such events and to be able to respond in a coordinated approach when needed to minimize harm, “said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett.

“Collaboration is key to successfully identifying risks and ways to make our schools more secure,” said Undersecretary for Homeland Security Patrick McMurray.

“The unfortunate reality is that communities are increasingly faced with active shooter or other hostile events. They need a unified, proactive approach to address these incidents. NFPA 3000, the first standard around active shooter events provides comprehensive guidance to help communities, prepare, respond and recover” said NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley.

“Schools, fire and law enforcement officials have a long history of collaboration on keeping our children safe whether it is fire prevention, school bomb threats, or personal safety. We are building on that foundation of teamwork to face this next major threat in emergency planning,” said State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey.

In addition to discussing how the NFPA 3000 Standard can be used by local communities to develop their comprehensive, cross-agency plans, there were best practice presentations on planning, prevention, response and intervention.

• The Department of Fire Services discussed how to secure classrooms in accordance with the State Fire Code and the American with Disabilities Act provisions of the State Building Code;
• A panel discussion from the Needham Fire Chief, Police Chief and School Superintendent presented a case study on joint planning and response;
• The Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) STARS Program shared their Threat Assessment Toolkit for early identification and intervention for troubled students;
• And NFPA showed how the world’s first ASHER standard helps authorities work together to identify risks, undertake early intervention, respond accordingly and recover.

Eileen M. Danahey, President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of St. Anne’s Credit Union, along with its Board of Directors, are pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos A. DaCunha as Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone with Carlos’ extensive level of lending expertise to lead our team. His broad banking background and vast knowledge of lending, credit and management will be a great asset to St. Anne’s,” said Eileen M. Danahey, President and CEO of St. Anne’s Credit Union. “He has been successful in penetrating the SouthCoast marketplace with relative ease and agility, and I look forward to seeing the lending team grow under his stewardship. We’re looking forward to blending our solution-driven business model with his centers of influence and community-minded approach to benefit the counties in which St. Anne’s serves.”

Carlos DaCunha brings with him over 30 years of financial experience in Southeastern Massachusetts, with a focus on developing successful business relationships, teams and regional markets most recently working as a Senior Vice President at Webster Bank, a $27 billion asset public-traded bank with 10 banking centers in Bristol County. In this role, he was responsible for leading its successful cross-functional development in the region over the last 9 years. Prior to Webster, Carlos led the development of Millennium bcp as the Regional President of the bank with 6 branches in Massachusetts, rapidly climbing the corporate ladder from Market Manager at BankBoston at the beginning of his career. Mr. DaCunha is a graduate of New Bedford High School and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a Master of Business Administration degree from Bryant University, and is also twice certified by the national Risk Management Association.

As Chief Lending Officer, Carlos will be responsible for all lending functions for the Credit Union including underwriting, loan processing and originations, and oversight of loan servicing, consumer lending and collections activities in order to maximize market penetration for St. Anne’s.

“It’s an exciting venture for me in my career and I am pleased to be joining the St. Anne’s leadership team,” Carlos said. “This organization has built and maintained strong relationships with the business community and individuals that reside within it. I look forward to continuing that legacy while also leading new development activities and enjoying the collaborative team spirit and strong product and loan suite offered here. Having the ability to exceed the member’s needs with customized solutions and quick decisions provides a level of service individuals value but don’t often receive any more.”

Carlos is heavily active in the community, currently holding volunteer positions including Treasurer and Executive Director of the Bristol County Economic Development Consultants, Commissioner of the New Bedford Regional Airport, Steering Committee Member of the New Bedford Waterfront Urban Renewal Plan, Past President and current Director of the Prince Henry Society, Advisor to UMass Dartmouth’s Charlton College of Business, member of the New Bedford CEO Council and a Director of Steppingstone, Inc.

Meet Marc Frey, 27-year-old Electrician and Hockey Coach. Growing up, Marc knew he wanted to learn a trade and during his time at New Bedford Voc-Tech High School, he studied to become an electrician. While at the high school, he also made a name for himself with his hockey skills, landing him a spot on the Cape Cod Blue Fins, a professional hockey team affiliated with the AHL and NHL. After a few years of playing for the team, he returned to his work as an electrician.

At the age of 23, Marc had gotten his electrician’s license and between his full-time job and side work he was extremely busy. He knew that he wanted to work towards creating his own vision and although many people told him he was foolish for it, he left his job to start his own company.

His vision started out small, only expecting to work with one other partner, but as the word started to spread about his work, he now finds himself employing 10 electricians, one of them a co-op student from New Bedford Voc-Tech. Not also does he continue to run his business, but is also the Assistant Coach of the New Bedford Voc-Tech’s Varsity Hockey Team, where he is able to pour back into the kids who are in the position he was once in.

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Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com. Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton

Read more of the Faces of New Bedford series here.

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson has issued the following statement:

“Congress has once again ignored the safety and security of each and every American by refusing to include any funding for the border wall in the latest spending bill.

How many more people need to be killed by criminal illegal aliens before Congress takes action? How many more people need to be robbed, assaulted and victimized by transnational gangs like MS-13 before our Representatives and Senators pass meaningful measures on border security?

America’s Sheriffs will not stand idle while Congress makes the people who elected us, the people we’re sworn to protect, less safe. That’s why I encourage everyone to visit www.SheriffsWall.org, the crowdfunding site of the National Sheriffs Association, and help us build a wall along the southern border.

Thank you,
Thomas M. Hodgson”

Are you driven and excited to work in a fast-paced marketplace? GotChew is expanding into Fall River and is looking for friendly, reliable drivers. If you’re at least 18 years old and a hard worker this might be the perfect time to get in on the ground floor of a great opportunity.

• Set your own schedule—Hours are flexible and you can work times that work for you.
• Good money— Get paid per delivery and keep 100% of your tips. Drivers can make over $20 per hour!
• Explore new restaurants while remaining local for deliveries.

Our technology for drivers relays the order to you so you can pick up food quickly from restaurants and deliver it to the customers.

• Checklist for applying:
• Valid drivers license
• Valid car insurance
• A reliable vehicle
• A smartphone (Android or Apple)
* You must be at least 18 years of age

How to apply:

Website: gotchew.co/driver
Facebook: facebook.com/pg/gotchewco/jobs/

David Brunell, 56, of Webster, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to one count of theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2018.

Between June 2000 and June 2017, the Social Security Administration deposited approximately $234,000 in retirement benefits intended for Brunell’s father into a bank account controlled by Brunell after Brunell’s father had died. Brunell used the funds for various personal expenditures, such as mortgage payments.

Brunell faces a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

Local residents can discard tires, confidential papers, and household hazardous waste at upcoming drop-off events.

Tire Drop-off Day will take place on September 22th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Shawmut Avenue Transfer Station, 1103 Shawmut Avenue, New Bedford.

• Open to New Bedford and Dartmouth residents only, ID required.
• Fees are $1 for each car tire, $5 for each light duty truck tire, and $15 for each heavy duty truck tire. Cash or check only.
• No commercial loads, no tires with a rim diameter greater than 24 inches, no off-road equipment tires. Tires 28 ½ inches or taller are in the truck categories.

Paper Shredding Day will take place on September 29th from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot across from City Hall, on the corner of William Street and North 6th Street, New Bedford.

• All are welcome.
• No fee. There is a two box limit per person (standard size box used to hold reams of paper).
• Paper clips and staples do not need to be removed, but please remove paper from folders and binders.
• This event is sponsored by New Bedford Credit Union and held in conjunction with the City’s Department of Community Services.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day will take place on October 27th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crapo Hill Landfill, 300 Samuel Barnet Boulevard, New Bedford.

• Open to New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Freetown residents only, ID required.
• Examples of accepted waste include oil-based paints, paint thinner, and waste fuels.
• NO LATEX PAINTS. Dry out and throw it away in the regular trash.
• No motor oil, no antifreeze, no fluorescent light bulbs, no TVs, and no propane tanks. Take these items to your Transfer Station. If New Bedford or Dartmouth residents have questions, call (508) 979-1493. If
Freetown residents have questions about what is accepted at the Transfer Station, call (508) 644-2202 Ext 3.
• The maximum amount you can bring is 25 gallons or 25 pounds.
• Collection is for households only. No businesses, schools, or contractors, unless prior arrangements have been made.

For more information about the events, contact the Refuse District’s recycling office by phone at (508) 979-1493 or by email at recycling@newbedford-ma.gov.

*** This job has been filled and is no longer available. ***

PAY: $66,603 – $83,261

Establish and implement a program of prophylactic and preventative veterinary care, which includes a schedule of annual examinations, fecal checks and prophylactic de-worming as necessary for the animal collection. Provide appropriate treatment and follow-up medical care in accordance with professional peer and regulatory standards. Utilize veterinary specialists for specimens whose conditions require treatment or care beyond the ability of the Staff Veterinarian. Must be available “on-call” for emergencies at all times and/or identify and schedule coverage by other veterinarians for scheduled and unscheduled time off.

Graduation from an accredited college of veterinary medicine with a Doctorate’s degree in veterinary medicine. License to practice Veterinary Medicine in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ability to obtain and maintain a DEA License for narcotics maintained in the Zoo hospital. Mandatory CORI (Criminal Offender Record Investigation) background check per City Council Ordinance effective May 14, 2013.

For application/complete job description, please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found. New Bedford has a residency requirement. EEO

A 21-year-old Taunton sex offender was convicted this week in Fall River Superior Court of possessing child pornography, and was sentenced to serve four to five years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Bailey Roy pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography.

When the defendant was 17-year-old, he was indicted in Juvenile Court as a Youthful Offender on two counts of rape of a child. The victim was a 4-year-old child in Taunton. While that matter was pending, the defendant was arrested by Taunton Police for possession of child pornography. Two devices were searched. His computer had 124 child pornography images and seven child pornography videos on it. The defendant’s IPOD had an additional 338 child pornography images on it.

In April of 2016, the juvenile rape case was disposed of and the defendant was committed to DYS custody until his 21st birthday with 12 years of probation with several conditions. The juvenile court disposition was aimed at getting the defendant sex offender treatment before the Commonwealth took a position on what would be the appropriate sentence for the child pornography indictments. After approximately 12 months of treatment it was learned that the defendant had created and hid a cache of approximately 10 handmade child pornographic illustrative booklets evoking themes of control, domination, kidnapping and rape of female children. It became apparent that this defendant was not engaged in a significant part of his treatment and continued to engage in child pornography.

During a sentencing hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas McGuire, Assistant District Attorney Lesley Leahy argued for a five-year state prison term, while the defendant requested a more lenient 10-year probationary term.

“The defendant’s collection of child pornography shows that he has a very disturbed mind,” District Attorney Quinn said. “Coupled with his child rape conviction as a Youthful Offender, it is clear that this defendant poses a danger to children and the public.”

The New Bedford Chapter of the Prince Henry Society of Massachusetts will recognize James G. DeMello as 2018 Man of the Year at their annual Installation Banquet on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Century House in Acushnet.

Mr. DeMello is a proud Portuguese-American well known on the South Coast for his business acumen, generous philanthropy and strong advocacy for the Portuguese Community. Jim was born to Ermelinda and George F. DeMello in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. His paternal grandparents, Manuel and Jacinta DeMello emanated from Pico, Açores and his maternal grandparents Duarte and Gertrude Ribeiro from Baracais located in the mainland of Portugal. The Portuguese culture, traditions and language remained revered and practiced in their family home.

Ermelinda and George DeMello recognized that education was the key to success and inculcated that belief system in their only child, James. As a youngster, Jim attended local Catholic Schools and through the opportunity afforded him by a scholarship, went on to study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York majoring in Chemical Engineering. Due to the prohibitive financial burden of this prestigious school, Jim was forced to transfer to a cooperative education program at Northeastern University from which he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He later attended Wharton School of Management at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to graduating from Northeastern, Jim worked at the Acushnet Company during practicum periods. He was hired upon graduation and worked in a plethora of roles in the company ranging from a laboratory technician, plant manager of their Texas operation, Chief Applications Engineer, Vice President of Engineering, and ultimately as President and CEO of Acushnet Rubber Company, Inc. In 1994, Jim and a colleague purchased Acushnet Rubber Company, Inc., growing it exponentially by expanding local operations and by establishing international operations in Thailand and Portugal. During this time, Jim provided employment to 1,400 skilled employees. He sold Acushnet Rubber Company, Inc. with the intent to retire. Alas, true to the axiom, “When man makes plans, God laughs.” As you will see, Jim has kept God amused.

In 2016, Jim purchased the old Compass Bank building, which for its short reign was the jewel of downtown. When Compass sold its holdings, the building was sold to two other banks. As banks increasingly downsize property holdings, the building went up for sale. Jim seized on the opportunity to purchase the space as a seminal investment in the future of our community. In two years he has modernized the building. Dedicated to the ideals passed on to him by his parents, he renamed the building The DeMello International Center for Business & Education for the Next Generation. He has doggedly focused his attention on using this facility in order to flesh out his vision of raising the educational and economic development of our community.

The belief that all things are possible for those who have access to a quality education and work hard has been at the heart of Jim’s substantial success. He recognizes and readily acknowledges his parents’ role in developing those early underpinnings. Coupling that with his love of his Portuguese culture, Jim began his involvement with the Portuguese United for Education, commonly known in the city over the years as “Escola Portuguesa.” Having served on the board of the organization, Jim began using his leadership acumen as an Advisory Board member to develop expanded resources for the school. Jim was instrumental along with the members of the Board in accessing a new Executive Director and guiding a revised vision and mission of the school to reflect 21st Century needs. The school had operated in two separate satellite locations which created a host of issues. The renaissance of this new school was complete with elevated professional standards and instruction and with the merging of the two schools into one unified location. The student enrollment which had heretofore been dwindling, has flourished as the Discovery Language Academy now occupies a large suite of classrooms in the DeMello International Center. The school now offers language classes for children and adults.

The nexus of educational and economic development is embodied in the occupants of the DeMello Center. Hair in Motion Cosmetology Academy is another school which is creating a vocational education for aspiring students in the beauty industry. The Community Foundation, Carney Charitable Foundation and Master Urban Educators are examples of other educationally focused occupants of the DeMello International Center. The Center is also home to many businesses, public and private, as well as non-profit organizations which support his vision. SATA, the Azorean Airlines, Luso Financial, the Greater New Bedford Housing Authority, YMCA, United Way, the New Bedford Symphony, Better Community Living and Smiles are but a few examples.

The latest in Jim’s endeavors is his development of a partnership between the DeMello International Center and Lesley University to create a new program for the Greater New Bedford area in educational programming. This partnership will serve to elevate the educational and workforce opportunities for adult learners in our community in order to challenge the status quo, and ultimately, to improve the future for all children. He has endowed a fellowship to financially support this work entitled the Rising Tide Educational Initiative. Graduate and undergraduate students begin degree completion studies in January of 2019. RTEI brings quality education at an affordable price point less than all institutions of higher education in our area. Further, the programs are local, flexible and supportive.

Together these partners have made financial commitments intended to offer educational opportunities that not only enhance individual life choices but jump-start a thriving and vibrant educated population that lifts the prospects of the Greater New Bedford community.

In addition to his many interests and passions, Jim’s influence continues to be substantially felt in this community in many other arenas as he has been a major benefactor to St. Luke’s Hospital, Charlton Memorial Hospital and UMass Dartmouth. He was a past director of the following organizations: Junior Achievement, New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, the New Bedford Economic Development Corp., Bristol County Deputy Sheriff, an Advisory Board member of St. Luke’s Hospital, a member of the President’s Council for the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, a member of the New Bedford Industrial Foundation, a member of the Country Club of New Bedford and a Trustee of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Jim and his life partner, Natalia live in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Jim is the father of Cheri and Dukie DeMello.

The event is Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the Century House, 107 South Main Street in Acushnet. Those interested in attending may contact Michael Gomes for tickets, $85 each, at 508.989.7438 or mgnbfd@comcast.net.