This year’s graduation will be held on Friday, June 4th at 6:00pm at our Jeffery E. Riley field.
The setup will be similar to last year. Graduates and two guests will be allowed on the field. Two additional guests per student will be allowed in the stands.
The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of June 7, 2021 – June 11, 2021 and they are as follows:
Eversource will be working on the gas main relays and services at:
• Replacing gas services on Pleasant St. working in the area from #324 to #362 Pleasant St.
• Replacing gas services on Chestnut St. working in the area from Sycamore St. to Robeson St.
• Replacing gas services on Calumet St. working from #11 Calumet St. toward Brock Ave.
• Retiring gas main on Phillips Ave. working in the area from Ashley Blvd. to Acushnet Ave., Acushnet Ave. to N. Front St., N. Front St. to Belleville Ave. and Belleville Ave. to Riverside Ave.
• Replacing gas services on Nelson St. working in the area between Crapo St. and County St.
• Relaying gas main on Cove Rd. at the Crapo St. intersection
• Relaying gas main on Phillips Rd. starting from 1884 Phillips Rd. to Holly Tree Ln.
• Working on the regulator on Holly St. @ Belleville Ave.
Other:
• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue road reconstruction on Cottage St. from Parker St. to Sycamore St.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be repaving various sections of roadway 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. Road closure scheduled for June 10th – June 14th, due to work at the railroad grade crossing. Detour signage for alternate routes will be posted.
• 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 (Baystate WinSupply) is scheduled to continue large water meter replacements at various locations throughout the city. There are no anticipated traffic controls for this work.
• 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 clears.
• 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
** Please note: Contractors will continue to follow guidelines and protocol regarding COVID-19 social distancing while conducting work in construction zone.
Due to the current COVID-19 situation the Department of Public Infrastructure will be closed to the public entry. Office staff is available to assist by email and telephone.
COVID-19 vaccination clinics are planned for this weekend in New Bedford.
No appointment is needed at the walk-up clinics.
All New Bedford residents receiving their first dose will receive a $20 Dunkin’ gift card.
• Seabra Foods, 41 Rockdale Avenue – Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., operated by CIC Health with the New Bedford Health Department.
The first 20 New Bedford residents getting their first dose will receive a $50 Seabra gift card.
• Madeira Field, 88 Tinkham Street – Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., operated by Southcoast Health.
• Buttonwood Park (near Lawler Branch Library) – Sunday, June 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., operated by CIC Health with the New Bedford Health Department.
The New Bedford Health Department’s site at Andrea McCoy Recreation Center will be open on Monday, June 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for walk-in vaccinations.
Looking to work for a family run business with more than 70+ years serving the Southcoast? Join the Enos Home Medical team! On Wednesday June 9th they will be hosting a job fair from 11am to 1pm at their headquarters located at 35 Welby Rd. in New Bedford.
They are seeking applicants for the following positions:
Full-time Non-CDL Drivers
Part-time Non-CDL Drivers
Full-time Cleaning Technicians
Full-time 2nd Shift Warehouse staff
If you cannot apply in person you can apply online: https://enoshomemedical.com/about-us/employment/
A 44-year-old New Bedford man who used a hypodermic needle, and a threat that the needle was contaminated with HIV, to rob a pharmacy clerk about a year ago was sentenced to serve four to six years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Steven Vieira pleaded guilty last week in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon.
On May 2, 2020, the defendant entered the Walgreens pharmacy on Cove Road in New Bedford. The defendant approached a clerk and handed her a note which stated that he has HIV. The defendant then pointed a hypodermic needle at her and demanded cash. After being handed cash from the cash register, the defendant fled on foot.
New Bedford Police reviewed surveillance footage of the incident and were able to identify this defendant as the perpetrator of the crime.
The defendant has a lengthy criminal record, which includes convictions for armed robbery, destruction of property, leaving the scene of property damage, receiving stolen property, illegal gun charges, and breaking and entering.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Powderly and the state prison sentence was imposed by Judge Raffi Yessayan.
“The defendant has a significant criminal history including a prior armed robbery conviction. He needs to be kept off the street to protect the public,” District Attorney Quinn said.
With summer weather approaching, and as COVID-19 related restrictions on daily activities begin to lift, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds residents to take recommended precautions to keep young children safe this summer.
Prevent Tick Bites
Ticks can make you sick when they bite. They are most commonly found in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. Ticks only attach when you come into direct contact with them — they cannot jump or fly. Follow these steps to help protect yourself from tick bites:
• Check yourself for ticks once a day — it’s the single most important thing you can do.
• Use repellents that contain DEET on your exposed skin and those that contain permethrin on your clothes.
• When walking or hiking, stick to main pathways and the center of trails if you can. Brushing against tall grass and bushes will increase your exposure to ticks.
Weather permitting, wear long-sleeved, light-colored shirts and long pants tucked into socks. This will help keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot ticks on your clothing.
Because dogs and horses are particularly susceptible, talk to your veterinarian about the best ways to protect your animals from tick-borne disease.
Prevent Mosquito Bites
The 2019 and 2020 mosquito seasons were active for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts. This mosquito-borne illness appears generally in 2- to 3-year cycles, traditionally peaking during August. The presence of EEE last year, a relatively mild winter, and historical patterns suggest an active season this year.
While the risk for human infection of EEE or West Nile Virus won’t happen until later this summer, people have an important role to play in protecting themselves from these illnesses which can be very serious. To prepare for mosquito season:
• Drain standing water in and around your house or yard to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
• Use a mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient according to the directions.
• Wear clothing to reduce exposed skin when weather permits.
For more information about preventing mosquito and tickborne illness, visitwww.mass.gov/mosquitoesandticks.
Water and Pool Safety
Drowning is a leading cause of death among young children, both nationally and in Massachusetts, with backyard pools posing the highest risk for children under the age of 5. To help prevent water-related injury and drowning:
• Children should be supervised in and around water at all times.
• Whenever infants and toddlers are in or around water, including the bathtub, an adult should be within an arm’s length at all times providing “touch supervision.”
• Completely separate the house and play area of the yard from the pool area with a fence. Consider automatic door locks or alarms to prevent access.
• Remove floats, balls, and other toys from the pool after use so that children are not tempted to reach for them. After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they cannot get back in.
• Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd’s hook or life preserver) and a phone near the pool.
• For children who cannot swim, use a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. DPH, in cooperation with the USCG, has created a fit test video that can assist with proper fit testing of life jackets:https://youtu.be/1I3VZf-NqPc.
• Do not use toys such as “water wings” or “noodles” in place of life jackets. These are not designed to keep swimmers safe.
In public swimming areas:
• Select swimming sites that have lifeguards whenever possible, and swim only in designated swimming areas.
• Always swim with a buddy.
• Look for signage at beaches. DPH collects beach water quality data and notifies the public about bacteria levels to minimize swimming-associated illness and injury.
Window Safety
Falls are the leading cause of injury to children and falls from windows involving young children are especially serious. Window falls are preventable. Screens are not strong enough to protect children from falling out of windows. To prevent window falls, parents and caregivers should:
• Keep furniture – and anything a child can climb on – away from windows.
• Open windows from the top, not the bottom, when possible and lock all unopened doors and windows.
• Be sure children are always supervised.
• Install quick-release window guards which can be found in most hardware stores.
To learn more about childhood injury prevention, visit the DPH injury prevention and control program website.
Additional tips on preventing falls among children can be found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fall prevention website.
Car Safety
The inside of a vehicle can be a very dangerous place for children left inside. In the summer months in New England, the temperature in a closed car can rise quickly and the vehicle can become a deadly place for a child, left even for just a moment.
To keep young children safe in and around cars:
• Never leave children alone in a parked vehicle, even when they are asleep or restrained, and even if the windows are open.
• Always check inside the vehicle – front and back – before locking the door and walking away.
• If a child is missing, check your vehicle first, including the trunk.
• Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing your purse or briefcase in the back seat so you will check the back seat when you leave the vehicle.
• Always lock your car and keep the keys out of children’s reach.
• Ensure adequate supervision when children are playing in areas near parked motor vehicles.
If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible and call 911 immediately.
Remember, all children ages 12 and under should ride in the back seat, properly restrained, even during quick errand trips. Infants and toddlers should remain in rear-facing car seats until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. You can find more information on child passenger safety on the DPH website.
As part of the ongoing reopening process across the city and state, New Bedford City Hall and other city buildings will return to normal business hours beginning Tuesday, June 15, in conjunction with the lifting of the state emergency in Massachusetts.
City Hall, libraries, and other city offices will reopen during their regular hours starting on Tuesday, June 15. City offices, including City Hall and elsewhere, will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Libraries will resume their regular hours, which vary by location.
For much of the past year, portions of the City government workforce have operated remotely due to the pandemic; employees will return to their usual in-person work schedules as well on June 15. Masks will still be required in public areas of buildings owned and operated by the City until June 30.
The Revere Bell is a cherished local artifact that is an important part of Fairhaven’s local history. The bell is being located, and students at Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech are integral in this process. Our students worked on a model of the cupola that once housed the Revere Bell at Oxford School located in Fairhaven, MA. The bell and new cupola housing will be located on the right side of Townhall behind the flagpole area in Fairhaven. Under the direction and leadership of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, students will create and build the housing for such an important piece of local history.
The Paul Revere Bell was cast in 1796 at Revere’s foundry in Boston MA. The bell was entered into Revere’s ledger on May 24, 1796.
Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech photo.
The bell was ordered by Isaac Sherman, Samual Proctor of the Second Church of Christ in New Bedford. The church and meeting house was built in 1794 and was located where the Euro building now stands in the center of Fairhaven. In 1796 there was no town of Fairhaven, it was all New Bedford. The bell was put into the cupola on top of the church/ meeting house. The original structure no longer remains. The bell stayed at the building until 1914.
The Revere bell cost 100 pounds and 16 shillings and was paid by cash. The bell itself was listed at a weight of 756 pounds and bears the inscription. “ The Living to the Church I Call and to the Grave I Summon All” the cost and paid by cash was entered into Revere’s logbook and initialed in the corner by Paul Revere himself.
The Bell was the 12th bell cast at the Revere Foundry and is the 3rd oldest known bell in the world. The bell was picked up in Boston at Davis Wharf by the sloop Free Love & Polly under Captain Mosir.
In 1812 when Fairhaven became a Town the church changed its name to the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven. In 1914 The Town of Fairhaven added onto the Oxford school and built a cupola and purchased the bell from the church and installed it on top of Oxford where it stayed until present day and its history long-rumored and forgotten.
Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech photo.
The bell was researched by Doug Brady, Chair of the Fairhaven Bell Committee along with the Paul Revere Museum Director, who brought the history of the bell back to life and recognized its importance as a national and town treasure.
The bell was removed from its original place because Oxford school was closed and sold off to become a housing complex and would no longer be owned by the town of Fairhaven.
Many years from now, the former students will be able to look upon the cupola at townhall and tell their children they helped build the design and history of the Revere Bell. Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech students and faculty involved in this extremely impactful project are honored to be working with this piece of local history.
“The Massachusetts State Police Community Action Team Troop B Liaison Deshawn Brown, and Troop C Liaison Farrah Gray partnered with the Hinsdale Police Department for a Coffee with a Cop this past Friday, May 28.
The students from Kittredge Elementary School grades K-4 were invited to attend, and the event became an impromptu First Responders Day, highlighting different departments in the Hinsdale area! The students of Kittredge Elementary had a great time interacting with local, state, and environmental law enforcement officers and their emergency vehicles; and of course the dogs.
Thank you to Hinsdale PD, MA environmental police, and Great Barrington PD for making this event a success.”-Massachusetts State Police.
All photos by the Massachusetts State Police:
“Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend is almost here!
This weekend only, you won’t need a license to fish any public lake, pond, reservoir, river, or stream statewide. Take advantage of this opportunity to introduce someone new to fishing or try it yourself! All other rules, including catch limits, apply. Details: bit.ly/2021freefishing
Other than Free Fishing Weekend on June 5–6, you need a license to fish if you’re 15 or older. If you’re 15–17 or 70 and older, your license is free. Funds from fishing license sales support MassWildlife’s fisheries research, stocking, education programs, habitat restoration, and more.
We thank you for your ongoing support.”-Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.