Earlier this morning a motorist on Furnace Brook Parkway in Quincy flagged down a state trooper and said he had been driving on Route 93 when his car was shot at by someone in another vehicle.

The apparent shooting occurred at approximately 5:20 am on Route 93 northbound in Quincy, south of Exit 8. The trooper located a possible bullet hole in a rear door of the victim’s car, which also had a broken window.

The motorist was not injured and described the shooter as a male operating a dark-colored Dodge Charger.

The investigation into the incident is active. State Police notified area departments to be on the lookout for a vehicle matching the description of the shooter’s car. The victim’s car was towed to a State Police facility where it is being processed for ballistics evidence.

We’ve heard from several fans that panhandlers click the crosswalk button to hold up traffic. Have you seen that? From a reader:

“Just throwing this out there, but there has been an older pan-handler at the corner of shading and Hathaway that will stand there and press the crosswalk button. Not sure if it’s to just get more visual, out of spite, or whatever. But it kinda sucks. It’s as though he’s being pushy and not giving people the choice to give, but creating more of an opportunity for them to give.”

Former staff member for Congressman Barney Franks and 2015 New Bedford mayoral candidate Maria Giesta has pulled papers to run for New Bedford Ward 2 City Council. Current ward 2 City Councilor Steven Martins is popular in Ward 2, but is vacating the seat to run for City Assessor.

Two other New Bedford residents have pulled nomination papers for Ward 2 New Bedford City Council since they became available; community activist Carlos Pimentel Felix and United New Bedford co-founder Edwin Cartagena.

New Bedford Ward 2 Map

Ward-2 New Bedford Map

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has concluded its monitoring of New Bedford Public Schools’ implementation of its Accelerated Improvement Plan (AIP) and has expressed its confidence in the district’s ability to continue its track record of progress under the plan and leadership’s strategy.

In a letter dated July 14 to Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin, Senior Associate Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. Russell Johnston, wrote, “As recent AIP monitoring reports have indicated, the district has made great strides to address the systemic concerns raised in the 2011 district review, which was the impetus for engaging the district in the AIP process. District and school leaders have used this process to develop, embed, and sustain systems for planning, implementing, and analyzing strategies to improve teaching and learning across the district. While there is much work to be done to ensure that all New Bedford students receive a strong education and achieve at high levels, I am confident that the district has effective processes in place in order to continue to bring about meaningful improvement.”

The DESE will continue its quarterly progress reports to the New Bedford School Committee on the Parker School and pledges “to work closely with the district to track the progress of its two Level 4 schools, New Bedford High School and Hayden/McFadden Elementary.”

Dr. Johnston’s letter concluded with praise for the district’s continued progress. “I commend you, your staff, and the New Bedford community for your commitment to improving outcomes for students,” he wrote.

In thanking DESE officials for their continued support and guidance, Superintendent Pia Durkin added, “This is a major milestone in New Bedford’s reform journey. The release of the designated state monitor clearly confirms that our district-wide efforts to implement systemic change in our schools has provided the confidence to DESE that we have the right strategy, we are doing the right work, and we are on the right track. I am tremendously proud of New Bedford’s principals, teachers, staff and, most importantly, our students and families who have sustained the work in making progress. This validation by the DESE drives us all to redouble our efforts to continue the momentum.”

“DESE’s decision is further validation of the progress of New Bedford Public Schools, and the hard work of the administration and staff. On behalf of New Bedford’s families, we remain determined to keep the system on the steady path of improvement,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Ready for a Popeyes restaurant? New Bedford Guide confirmed that a Popeyes is being planned for the Riverside Landing/Coggeshall Street are (Former Fairhaven Mills) near Market Basket. You’ve likely noticed the construction at the location.

Per the City of New Bedford Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development staff report for August 10, 2016 it will have 46 seats and nine parking spots:

“Under the proposed revision, the applicant requests site plan modifications necessary to allow for the
construction of a proposed 2, 265 +/- SF, one-story, forty-six (46) seat fast food restaurant known as
Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. Nine (9) parking spaces are dedicated for the restaurant’s walk-in customers.

A multiple window drive-thru order and pick up lane, with by-pass to facilitate traffic circulation, is part of this development proposal.”

Last January, New Bedford’s Christopher Strouse was arrested and charged with stealing over $60,000 from his dying grandfather. He was recently sentenced to two years in prison, but will only serve 9 months in the house of corrections. According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office the balance of his sentence was suspended and he will be placed on a 2 year probation when released.

Strouse was accused of improperly accessing his grandfather’s checking account at Citizens Bank and stole more than $60,000 from his failing and elderly grandfather, who died in May of 2016 at the age of 86.

This case is an example of what’s wrong with the judicial system in our area and throughout Massachusetts. Serving 9 month for stealing $60,000 is like earning $6,666.66 per month in prison.

First, prosecutors asked for a $25,000 bail in the case, but the judge set bail at $5,000. He probably didn’t have a problem making bail since he stole over $60,000. According to the victims son Alan Waddington, Strouse was sentenced to 9 months in jail after Strouse accepted a plea deal from prosecutors. Waddington also claims it is much more than $60,000.

Per the Bristol County District Attorney’s office’s press release in January, Strouse faced seven counts of larceny of over $250 from a person over the age of 60 and eight counts of conspiracy to commit larceny.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office reports that Strouse stole checks from his grandfather’s checkbook and drafted checks payable to friends and associates. In turn, each “strawman” would cash the check payable to them and split the cash with the defendant.

The charged co-conspirators in the case are:

–Brian Miller, 47, of New Bedford, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.
–Kyle Tremblay, 44, of New Bedford, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.
–Jared Perry, 29, of Carver, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.
–Jordon Caetano, 35, of New Bedford, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.
–Raul Garcia, 27, of New Bedford, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.
–Mary Lopes, 24, of New Bedford, one count each of larceny over $250 of a person over 60 and conspiracy to commit larceny.

According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office a financial restitution hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2017.

An 18-year-old alleged New Bedford gang member was sentenced to serve three to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to illegal firearm charges last week in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Jovaughn Lopez pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment charging him with carrying an illegal firearm, carrying a loaded illegal firearm and defacing the serial number of a firearm.

On November 4, 2016, New Bedford Police observed a hand to hand drug transaction between occupants of two separate vehicle. When police pulled over one of the vehicles, they found this defendant to be seated in the back seat. Once removed from the vehicle, police located a fully loaded handgun in the defendant’s waist band, along with brass knuckles and a bag of ammunition in his pockets.

The defendant is an alleged member of the Gangster Disciples.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melissa Hendrie and the sentence was handed down by Judge Karen Green.

In addition to the state prison term, the defendant will also be on probation for an additional six months upon his release from prison.

“This Defendant is an alleged gang member in possession of a loaded gun during a suspected drug transaction. Nothing good will come from this Defendant and other individuals carrying illegal, loaded firearms around the City of New Bedford,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This Defendant has a prior gun conviction as a juvenile and represents a danger to the community. The sentence was necessary to protect the public.”

New facility hailed by trainers as state-of-the-art opens with the new school year

New Bedford High School’s new fitness center has been completed, with fitness experts and coaches hailing it as a state-of-the-art, college-level center.

A much larger space than the small fitness room used by New Bedford athletes, the fitness center includes 12 half-racks, a turf area for speed and agility training, space for stretching and core training exercises, and will add medicine balls, stability balls, and service a large number of student athletes and students in physical education classes.

Boys’ and girls’ teams can use the fitness center for various prescribed workouts relative to the variety of sports at New Bedford High School, and the center can be utilized as a part of the high school physical education curriculum for training. Compared to the smaller fitness room, the new center offers space to accommodate more than 30 students performing the same exercises, or the range of 50-70 students when engaged in a variety of training. Less than a dozen students could utilize the previous room.

The center also aligns closely with NBHS students’ academic futures: the growing interest of graduates in college majors or careers involving physical therapy, kinesiology and exercise science, training and conditioning, physical education and other related careers means the fitness center is a tool for furthering education and interest in those subjects.

The total cost of the project was $400,000, which will be paid for through the city’s Capital Improvement Program.

The weight room is one of several school facilities upgrades, including the construction of two new elementary schools in the South End and the installation of new windows, doors and boilers at several other elementary schools, along with numerous other improvements.

The fitness center will be dedicated at a later date to New Bedford High School alumnus Bobby Watkins, one of the school’s most dominant football players who went on to the Chicago Bears after a standout college career at Ohio State University.

“I believe that New Bedford High students deserve far better than the small, antiquated weight room that had gone largely unchanged since the school opened forty years ago. Our community appreciates the value of sports and fitness as part of students’ educational experience, and the fitness center is a testament to our commitment to the well-being of New Bedford’s students,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

School construction projects have been approved by the City Council, which was supportive of the fitness center.

“The new fitness center gives our student athletes the tools and equipment needed to maintain the tradition of excellence in New Bedford sports,” City Council President Joseph Lopes said.

In thanking Mayor Mitchell and the City Council for making it a reality, Superintendent Dr. Pia Durkin called the Fitness Center “a fantastic new asset” for the school. “New Bedford High now has one of finest in-house fitness training facilities of any school district in the state. More importantly, it is part of a full spectrum of academic and extracurricular programming, which continues to demonstrate that New Bedford is the school district of choice,” she said.

Headmaster Bernadette Coelho noted “this latest addition to our growing portfolio of campus facilities underscores our continued commitment to our students, where we continue to enhance opportunities in academics, the arts and now a fitness program utilizing a state of the art facility that is second to none.”

“The new center is a functional training facility for diverse athletic populations and physical education classes,” said Norm Meltzer, certified strength and conditioning coach for Division I and professional athletes, who served as an advisor for the facility’s design. “New Bedford High School’s fitness center is a college-level facility with enough space to service so many more athletes than previously possible. It will be an excellent training tool for high school students and athletes, especially those graduates interested in playing sports in college.”

Thomas Tarpey, Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics, worked with Perform Better, a fitness company which specializes in the design of functional training, rehabilitation and sports performance facilities, to plan and install the fitness center.

Of the installation, Perform Better general manager Chris Poirier noted “Perform Better is proud to be associated with New Bedford High School’s new strength and conditioning facility. Having done hundreds of weight rooms and sports performance facilities, New Bedford’s stands out as one of the top locations, showcasing everything from state of the art equipment to high-end flooring and turf. New Bedford should be proud to have a strength & conditioning facility that is second to none amongst high schools and colleges throughout the country.”

One of the great challenges of summer — especially for parents — is figuring out what to do to keep the family happy and entertained. Visiting a museum is a great way to fill up those weekend hours.

There are dozens of museums in the Cape Cod area, offering experiences to interest virtually anyone. Here are six reasons you should check out a museum or two this weekend: 

Checking out art decreases stress
Many studies have shown interacting with nature reduces stress. Now researchers are finding involvement with visual art might have a similar effect. According to an article in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, researchers studied adults ages 18 to 59 who provided saliva samples to assess cortisol levels as a measurement of stress. The individuals were sampled before and after 45 minutes of art involvement. Cortisol levels decreased after art involvement for 75 percent of participants, indicating a physical reduction in their stress.

You’ll learn something
Most museums are designed to educate and to engage their visitors by providing an interactive learning environment. Although the educational process is informal, museum guests typically experience attitude changes, learn about values, acquire knowledge and even develop skills just from walking through a museum and sampling the exhibits.

Some people value experiences over things
Would you rather spend money on stuff, or making memories? Many people choose experiences over things — perfect for a day at a museum. Research data published in The Journal of Positive Psychology examining three studies found people enjoy greater well-being from life experiences and consider them to be a better use of money than buying material goods.

It’s a great way to connect with children
Museums can “provide memorable, immersive learning experiences, provoke imagination, introduce unknown worlds and subject matter, and offer unique environments for quality time with family,” according to the National Endowment for the Arts. Museums provide an opportunity for dialogue in a fun environment. Simply asking a child what he or she likes and comparing ideas can prompt free-flowing communication.

There is something for everyone
No matter how unusual or quirky people’s hobbies, chances are there is a museum that will peak their interest and spark their imagination. The Cape Cod area has museums dedicated to farming history, art, railroading, gardens, maritime history and life, wildlife, historical figures, glass, sports cars and more. Many museums are also regularly updating displays and exhibits so there are always new things to see and experience.

It’s a bargain
While many museums charge entrances fees, the costs are often comparable to other activities like going to a movie or attending a minor league ballgame. Unlike those options, a museum experience is open-ended — once you’ve paid your admission you can generally spend the whole day or just a couple hours. Many also offer seasonal passes or family memberships that allow you to visit regularly. And in a world where costs for everything seem to be going up, there are quite a few museums you can visit for free.

Interested in checking out some of the museums the Cape has to offer? The Cape Cod Museum Trail has all the information you need to get started. Plan a visit for this weekend!

____________________________________________________________________

Cape Cod Museum Trail

Website:capecodmuseumtrail.org
Facebook: facebook.com/capecodmuseumtrail/
EMail: info@capecodmuseumtrail.org

First Citizen’s Credit Union

200 Mill Road, Suite 100
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Phone: (800) 642-7515
Website:firstcitizens.org/
Facebook: facebook.com/FirstCitizensFCU/
EMail: info@firstcitizens.org

I’m constantly told the world will end soon if we don’t fight global warming or climate change, but isn’t fighting climate change more about creating an industry and less about saving the planet, especially in Massachusetts? Hear me out.

On a typical day, I head to a few coffee shops. Lately, the temperatures have been a comfortable between 70 to 85 degrees out, but the temperatures quickly drop anytime I walk into a building with the air conditioners blasting. I generally have to bring a sweatshirt and socks (yes, I wear flip flops) – throwing them on when I get to a coffee shop or place to eat. Are air conditioners really needed when it’s 74 degrees outside like today? The carbon footprint must be huge with an air conditioner running 12 hours a day, then consider the 10’s of thousands of businesses in Massachusetts doing this. This doesn’t count the millions of people running their air conditioners all day long in their homes, but I digress.

The next beautiful sunny day, check out how many people on the road have their windows rolled up and air conditioner running. It seems to be most of the people on the road and many have “Save the Planet” bumper stickers.

Need something from a drug store? Electrical doors will welcome you into the building. Heading to a large mall? Escalators will carry you up and down the levels. Taking a flight out of Logan? No worries, moving walkways will carry you from gate to gate. For a state that pushes renewable energy and a leader in the fight on climate change, we sure waste a lot of electricity!

Don’t worry, waste all the energy you want because some wind or solar non-profit flush with government money will come to the rescue! Billions in tax payer money has flowed into the climate change industry with solar and wind leading the charge. Heads of non-profits seem to be getting rich while the air conditioners hum along, electric doors swing open and escalators run even when no one is on them. Oh, and legislators write laws to tax you more at the pump and add “fees” per mile you drive your car. You are destroying the planet and need to be punished!

If we are more serious about fighting climate change and less serious about creating an industry, we’d push for social engineering where people would actually consume less energy – open your own doors and walk up stairs. But that’s not what you do when trying to grow an industry.

The U.S Government has spent nearly $35 billion funding climate change/Global Warming in the past few decades and much more money is promised for the future. That’s just the United States. Here’s some info from the U.S. Government Accountability Office:

“Federal funding for climate change research, technology, international assistance, and adaptation has increased from $2.4 billion in 1993 to $11.6 billion in 2014, with an additional $26.1 billion for climate change programs and activities provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009.”

Are wind and solar farms the answer to climate change? Possibly, but let’s be truthful – climate change is more about creating an industry where well-connected people are making millions off of the tax payer than saving the planet. If we really cared about climate change, we’d enact policy to reduce consumption. Politicians love to spend money instead of social engineering for one reason, to create an industry that makes them and their friends a lot of money.