“Get those Christmas presents ? ? ready!!!!! The 10th Annual FILL THE BUS TOY DRIVE will take place on December 19, 2020!!!!! ? ? ? ?

Come by and donate to an amazing cause!! The big yellow school bus will be in our parking lot from 9:00AM-3:00PM. A table will be set up directly in front of the bus so that the gifts can be dropped off to help promote SOCIAL DISTANCING.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the APD will not be able to accept gifts before or after the 19th.

We hope to see you the 19th!
#FillTheBus
#SafeZones”-Acushnet Police Department.

Acushnet Police Department photo.

This holiday season will look and feel different this year due to the pandemic, but it hasn’t changed the holiday spirit for one local company – Southcoast Health. Knowing that they would be unable to host traditional holiday activities for staff, employees were surveyed in November to decide how to best used the funds designated for these activities. In an overwhelming majority response, employees opted to donate the funds to local charities including United Way of Greater New Bedford.

“I am so proud that Southcoast staff have elected to make meaningful contributions to important not-for-profits whose work in the region is all about equity and empowerment,” said Keith Hovan, Southcoast President and CEO. “This year, in addition to our annual grants and charitable efforts, we will make significant donations to organizations like the United Way. During a public health crisis that has further devastated underserved families who were already facing deeply challenging circumstances due to social influencers of health like food scarcity, a lack of access to quality education and economic opportunity, and homelessness, their efforts are more important than ever.”

Southcoast Health announced they would donate a sizeable donation to United Way’s Hunger Commission to help those on the Southcoast struggling with food insecurity. This donation comes as the region faces a surge in COVID cases putting more people in difficult situations. The Greater Boston Food Bank reports that 1 in 8 residents and 1 in 6 children are struggling with hunger in Massachusetts due to the challenges being faced by COVID-19, this is up from 1 in 13 residents and 1 in 11 children last year.

“We are at a point in time where food security is at the forefront of concern for so many local families,” said Michelle N. Hantman, President & CEO of United Way of Greater New Bedford. “Many of them are still out of work or working reduced hours and they are being forced to make difficult decisions between feeding their families and putting a roof over their heads. This donation from Southcoast Health will assist many local families facing these though decisions.”

Due to the increase in need this past year, United Way’s Hunger Commission took the lead in food security in the region by seeking out new partnerships to obtain more food for residents. This past year, the Hunger Commission delivered over 1.2 million pounds of food to local food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelter – up 269% from 2019.

Earlier this year, the Southcoast Cares program sponsored United Way’s Mobile Market in Wareham to increase access to free, fresh produce for residents in struggling with food security in the area. Southcoast employees also volunteered during these markets, handing out produce to 1,244 individuals.

“Our Southcoast Cares program enables us to deliver on our mission of providing health services that extend beyond direct patient care, addressing emerging needs in the community,” said Rachel Davis, Southcoast Director of Community Benefits. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding food insecurity across our region, and we are honored to have the opportunity to support community partners like the United Way. We’re grateful for their commitment, especially during these challenging times, to delivering critical resources to those most in need.”

Over the past 9 months, Southcoast Health and United Way of Greater New Bedford have been on the forefront of the pandemic and will continue to take the lead in their respective areas in order to keep the Southcoast safe, healthy, and have their most basic of needs met in the year ahead.

By Colin A. Young
State House News Service

With more people out of work this winter because of the pandemic, the demand for federal home heating aid is projected to grow nearly 20 percent and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey is calling for an infusion of $10 billion to wipe away pandemic-related utility debt and to keep people warm this winter.

As winter weather descends on New England and other northern parts of the country, Markey said Tuesday that the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will need more money, and called on other states to follow Massachusetts’ lead in banning utility shutoffs until the spring.

“We are teetering on the edge of a financial cliff that is forcing already vulnerable households to make the impossible decisions of either putting food on the table, covering rent or keeping the heat on through the cold winter months,” the senator said, adding that 1.3 million American households now have an average of $5,400 in rent and utility bill debt.

Markey said that 26 million American households, including 160,000 in Massachusetts, qualified for LIHEAP before the COVID-19 pandemic and that experts expect five million more households nationwide will qualify this winter as a result of the pandemic. That would mean about 190,000 Massachusetts households could seek federal help this winter.

“This week in Massachusetts, temperatures are expected to dip into the mid-20s and we all know that when temperatures drop heating bills begin to pile up for many families in the commonwealth,” he said.

Markey said an infusion of $10 billion for LIHEAP would help seven million families eliminate utility bill debt and provide a “safety blanket” during the winter.

Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, said LIHEAP’s typical funding level is not enough to meet the demand for home heating assistance that his organization expects this winter.

“We’re facing conditions you’d not be surprised to see in a Charles Dickens novel, to be honest,” he said. “Families are falling behind in the rent, you’re seeing long food lines, for the first time in years middle-class families can’t pay their utility bills. These families don’t even know where to go for help, they’re not used to asking for help, they’re used to paying their own way. We think there’s an extra seven or eight million households that were formerly middle class, for all purposes, that have lost their jobs and that need help.”

Wolf said the $10 billion investment in LIHEAP will help ensure that families do not end up with $3,000 or $4,000 in utility bill debt by the time the worst of the pandemic passes.

“They’ll never get back on their feet,” he said.

In Massachusetts, the Legislature and administration have often supplemented the federal LIHEAP funding with state dollars amid a steady decrease in federal support over recent years. Federal aid to Massachusetts for the LIHEAP program decreased by $15 million between 2017 and 2021, Markey said, despite overall program funding increasing by nearly $350 million.

“That’s because the federal Department of Health and Human Services is using outdated energy price information to determine LIHEAP allocations. They are currently using data that is years out of date for fuel costs and weather projections, instead of up-to-date information, in determining how to distribute LIHEAP funds to the states that need it,” the senator said. “As a result, some of the LIHEAP money that gets awarded to states like Massachusetts is divorced from the reality of what families will spend this winter to heat their homes.”

Markey also reiterated a call he made in March for states and utilities to impose or extend moratoria on gas and electric service disconnections, late fees, reconnection fees, rate hikes, and more.

For residential customers in Massachusetts who receive electric or gas service from an investor-owned utility, such a moratorium is in place until April 1. For residential customers who get electric or gas service through a municipal utility, the attorney general’s office says “most municipal utilities” have also agreed to suspend shut-offs until April 1. The Massachusetts moratorium on commercial shut-offs ended Aug. 31.

“Our commonwealth can serve as an example to the rest of the nation as we enter the long winter months, but no one anywhere should be left to fall sick because they’re falling behind,” Markey said.

The New Bedford Police Department has been awarded $98,705 to begin outfitting members of the department with ballistic vests. The funds were made available through the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP), an initiative of the US Dept of Justice initiative.

“With increasingly uncertain times for police officers and a 7% uptick in the number of law enforcement officers being shot and fatally wounded across the country this year, it’s critical that we pro-actively ensure the safety of our Officers,” said Chief Joseph Cordeiro. “These vests are just one of the measures we provide to keep them safe.”

Each Officer will be individually measured and fitted and every Officer who receives a vest will be required to wear it while on duty. Since 1999, the BVP has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $522 million in federal funds for the purchase of more than a million vests.

A 29-year-old New Bedford man accused of stabbing another man outside a Brock Avenue convenience store was deemed dangerous last week by a Fall River Superior Court judge and will be held without bail for up to 180 days as the case proceeds to trial, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Daniel Brum faces an indictment charging him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife).

On August 30, New Bedford Police officers responded to a Ruth Street home for a reported stabbing. The male victim, who sustained multiple stab wounds to his lower body, was transported to Rhode Island Hospital for his treatment. Investigating officers subsequently learned that the stabbing occurred at Richdale Food Mart at 951 Brock Ave. Officers were able to retrieve surveillance video from the store, on which the defendant is observed exiting his vehicle, approaching the victim, and then punching and making stabbing motions towards hime. The victim’s girlfriend subsequently contacted police and positively identified the defendant in the video.

The defendant’s rental car was subsequently located at the County and Winsor streets. Police towed the vehicle and obtained a search warrant to process it. Police located what appears to be blood on the driver’s seat.

The dangerousness hearing was held on November 25th and Judge Raffi Yessayan issued his dangerousness ruling on December 2. The defendant is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on December 17.

“The defendant has a history of committing violent crimes and clearly is a danger to the community. He belongs off the street until trial,” District Attorney Quinn said.

The charges against the defendant are allegations at this time. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Local police departments from the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns, state police barracks and sheriff’s departments participated in a special convoy today!

They traveled to Gillette Stadium to pick up 4,000 “Coats4Vets Buckets” to distribute in their local communities. These buckets will provide for the veterans’ material needs as well as create opportunities for law enforcement to connect and thank them for their service.

Coats4Vets, an annual initiative of the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF), keeps our veterans safe in the unforgiving winter weather.

This year, in light of the pandemic, the buckets will include coats, masks, hand sanitizer, and snacks. This year, sponsors and donors include Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, New England Patriots Foundation, Ocean State Job Lot, and Home Depot.

Building on Massachusetts’ nation-leading COVID-19 testing program, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced the Commonwealth will increase testing capacity and locations to provide more access for residents in every county. This plan includes five new locations, and the state plans to collect 110,000 COVID-19 tests per week—representing a 50% testing increase for state-financed and organized testing sites alone. Across Massachusetts, there are more than 350 testing locations available to the public. Massachusetts remains among the top five states for testing per capita in the nation and has made significant progress to increase testing and access.

New Project Beacon Sites: In addition to five new Stop the Spread (STS) locations, three current locations will expand to regional testing sites run by Project Beacon: New Bedford, Framingham and Lynn. Project Beacon currently operates a testing site in Revere and specializes in high-volume testing scheduled through an online platform. Each Project Beacon site will test at least 1,000 individuals per day. The sites are expected to be operational by the end of December, with the site in Framingham launching today.

Western MA & Cape Cod Testing: The Administration also announced expanded testing in Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire and Barnstable Counties. This includes a partnership with UMass Amherst for free testing in Hampshire County at Amherst, a partnership with Berkshire Health Systems to expand free testing across multiple sites in Berkshire County, and an intent to expand free testing with a mobile provider in Franklin County. These sites are coming online during the coming weeks. The Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment is opening two testing sites, including one in Falmouth with $550,000 in state funds.

To date, the state has allocated more than $150 million for COVID-19 free testing, including surveillance testing programs in congregate settings and investments in laboratory capacity to process samples.

When all these new sites are operational, the Baker-Polito Administration will have 50 testing sites in the state-run Stop the Spread program, which will be able to conduct 110,000 free tests per week. This program has grown exponentially since it first launched in early July. In September, STS sites tested approximately 28,000 people each week, that number grew to 42,500 in October, and more than 91,400 individuals were tested at STS sites between November 19 and November 25.

Shifting to higher-volume, less expensive sites that serve an entire region will allow the Commonwealth to test more individuals on a weekly basis and reduce per-test costs, making the testing program more sustainable.

AbbotBinaxNOW Tests: Additionally, to support increased testing demand for vulnerable populations, the Administration will distribute up to 150,000 AbbotBinaxNOW tests to community health centers and community hospitals to use during December. Ordering information for Community Hospitals and Community Health Centers can be found here.
Building on Massachusetts’ nation-leading COVID-19 testing program, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced the Commonwealth will increase testing capacity and locations to provide more access for residents in every county. This plan includes five new locations, and the state plans to collect 110,000 COVID-19 tests per week—representing a 50% testing increase for state-financed and organized testing sites alone. Across Massachusetts, there are more than 350 testing locations available to the public. Massachusetts remains among the top five states for testing per capita in the nation and has made significant progress to increase testing and access.

New Project Beacon Sites: In addition to five new Stop the Spread (STS) locations, three current locations will expand to regional testing sites run by Project Beacon: New Bedford, Framingham and Lynn. Project Beacon currently operates a testing site in Revere and specializes in high-volume testing scheduled through an online platform. Each Project Beacon site will test at least 1,000 individuals per day. The sites are expected to be operational by the end of December, with the site in Framingham launching today.

Western MA & Cape Cod Testing: The Administration also announced expanded testing in Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire and Barnstable Counties. This includes a partnership with UMass Amherst for free testing in Hampshire County at Amherst, a partnership with Berkshire Health Systems to expand free testing across multiple sites in Berkshire County, and an intent to expand free testing with a mobile provider in Franklin County. These sites are coming online during the coming weeks. The Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment is opening two testing sites, including one in Falmouth with $550,000 in state funds.

To date, the state has allocated more than $150 million for COVID-19 free testing, including surveillance testing programs in congregate settings and investments in laboratory capacity to process samples.

When all these new sites are operational, the Baker-Polito Administration will have 50 testing sites in the state-run Stop the Spread program, which will be able to conduct 110,000 free tests per week. This program has grown exponentially since it first launched in early July. In September, STS sites tested approximately 28,000 people each week, that number grew to 42,500 in October, and more than 91,400 individuals were tested at STS sites between November 19 and November 25.

Shifting to higher-volume, less expensive sites that serve an entire region will allow the Commonwealth to test more individuals on a weekly basis and reduce per-test costs, making the testing program more sustainable.

AbbotBinaxNOW Tests: Additionally, to support increased testing demand for vulnerable populations, the Administration will distribute up to 150,000 AbbotBinaxNOW tests to community health centers and community hospitals to use during December. Ordering information for Community Hospitals and Community Health Centers can be found here.

COVID-19 cases are increasing across the Commonwealth, and the Administration’s expanded testing will focus on converting certain sites to high-volume sites so they are able to serve more residents. Over the next month, existing testing sites will engage in winter planning preparations including converting to an appointment-based system to reduce wait times and traffic congestion.

Stop the Spread Operations by City/County: Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lynn, Marlborough, Methuen, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Springfield, Winthrop, Worcester, Amherst (Free community testing & increased lab capacity is being supported with $5M of ELC funding in Amherst (UMass), Barnstable County (Free community testing in Barnstable County is being supported by $550K in earmarks), Martha’s Vineyard (Free community testing in Dukes County is being supported locally)

Visit www.mass.gov/gettested for more information and to find a testing site near you.

In addition to STS sites, Massachusetts residents who are a close contact or who have COVID-19 symptoms can obtain a test, covered by their insurance, at more than 350 testing sites across the Commonwealth, with no co-pay. Residents can also order at-home test kits like Pixel, which are covered by insurance and available for uninsured individuals as well. These tests are easy-to-use, arrive via overnight shipping, and currently have an average turnaround time of 1-2 days according to LabCorp.

COVID-19 cases are increasing across the Commonwealth, and the Administration’s expanded testing will focus on converting certain sites to high-volume sites so they are able to serve more residents. Over the next month, existing testing sites will engage in winter planning preparations including converting to an appointment-based system to reduce wait times and traffic congestion.

Stop the Spread Operations by City/County: Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Great Barrington, Greenfield, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lynn, Marlborough, Methuen, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Springfield, Winthrop, Worcester, Amherst (Free community testing & increased lab capacity is being supported with $5M of ELC funding in Amherst (UMass), Barnstable County (Free community testing in Barnstable County is being supported by $550K in earmarks), Martha’s Vineyard (Free community testing in Dukes County is being supported locally)

Visit www.mass.gov/gettested for more information and to find a testing site near you.

In addition to STS sites, Massachusetts residents who are a close contact or who have COVID-19 symptoms can obtain a test, covered by their insurance, at more than 350 testing sites across the Commonwealth, with no co-pay. Residents can also order at-home test kits like Pixel, which are covered by insurance and available for uninsured individuals as well. These tests are easy-to-use, arrive via overnight shipping, and currently have an average turnaround time of 1-2 days according to LabCorp.

Mayor Jon Mitchell and the New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC) announce the launch of New Bedford SourceLink, a supportive platform that connects maritime, arts and culture, and main street entrepreneurs to a network of local, regional, and national resource partners to foster innovation, growth, and prosperity.

Beginning in the late spring of last year, the NBEDC committed to developing a “game plan” to better understand the ecosystem of entrepreneurs in the city and the assets available to help them. Through a successful application to the National League of Cities to help fund this work through their Cities Innovation Ecosystem program, the New Bedford Port Authority, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, New Bedford Creative Consortium, Co-Creative Center, E for All, and Groundwork joined as founding partners to help fund the initiative and better support the individual communities of entrepreneurs they serve.

“It’s no secret that New Bedford is home to some of the most hard-working and innovative business owners in the nation. It’s a part of our history and identity,” said Mayor Mitchell. “This initiative provides another tool for business owners to build, grow, and scale their businesses, which will be especially valuable as we emerge on the other side of the pandemic.”

New Bedford SourceLink will be a one-stop, collaborative platform to help new and existing New Bedford businesses accelerate their growth by utilizing a network of existing expert service providers called resource partners. Resource partners, which are vetted through New Bedford SourceLink administrators, are organized in the platform in one central search engine, which can be filtered by the user’s needs.

With nearly 30 resource partners already signed up to help New Bedford businesses, New Bedford SourceLink will be able to assist businesses at a variety of stages to access a wide array of services, including business planning, legal counsel, accessing capital, and navigating the licensing and permitting process.

“The NBEDC is always on the cutting edge in support of growing our local economy. EforAll South Coast is delighted to be a founding partner of New Bedford Sourcelink, which will help entrepreneurs to access all of the resources available in one website. I look forward to the referrals to our Accelerator programs coming from this partnership as well as the ongoing support entrepreneurs will be able to access,” said Donna Criscuolo, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship For All South Coast.

The platform is powered by SourceLink, a national leader in entrepreneurial ecosystems.

“We are excited to be supporting the launch of New Bedford SourceLink. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the collaborative leadership team and have no doubt that New Bedford SourceLink will quickly become a leader among our national network,” said Rob Williams, Director of SourceLink.

To date, SourceLink has helped more than 100 communities nationwide, from Seattle to San Juan, build an infrastructure that sparks, supports, and sustains entrepreneurship and innovation. In every community, the first step is to define the available resources and make them visible. That mapping then allows service organizations to address their entrepreneurs’ specific needs, make and track referrals to resources, and identify and fill gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Our small and medium-sized businesses are really the heartbeat and soul of New Bedford,” said Tony Sapienza, President of NBEDC. “We’re excited to be able to offer New Bedford SourceLink as a most excellent resource to accelerate growth, build partnerships, and bring new ideas and businesses to the table as we eagerly look to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.”

In addition to its targeted matchmaking between providers and businesses, New Bedford SourceLink will provide guidance for licensing and management of a start-up enterprise, catalog business-focused events across the city, and host a running blog series featuring entrepreneurs across the city. Once it is safe to gather again in larger numbers, in-person networking and idea-sharing events will be added to the roster. The tool is entirely free to use by business owners and free for resource partners to join and be featured in the platform.

Not-for-profit, government, or educational organizations that serve entrepreneurs and established businesses can join the network by visiting https://www.joinsourcelink.com/rn/new-bedford/signup. Businesses looking to learn more may visit www.newbedfordsourcelink.com.

Beginning in the late spring of last year, the NBEDC committed to developing a “game plan” to better understand the ecosystem of entrepreneurs in the city and the assets available to help them. Through a successful application to the National League of Cities to help fund this work through their Cities Innovation Ecosystem program, the New Bedford Port Authority, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, New Bedford Creative Consortium, Co-Creative Center, E for All, and Groundwork joined as founding partners to help fund the initiative and better support the individual communities of entrepreneurs they serve.

“It’s no secret that New Bedford is home to some of the most hard-working and innovative business owners in the nation. It’s a part of our history and identity,” said Mayor Mitchell. “This initiative provides another tool for business owners to build, grow, and scale their businesses, which will be especially valuable as we emerge on the other side of the pandemic.”

New Bedford SourceLink will be a one-stop, collaborative platform to help new and existing New Bedford businesses accelerate their growth by utilizing a network of existing expert service providers called resource partners. Resource partners, which are vetted through New Bedford SourceLink administrators, are organized in the platform in one central search engine, which can be filtered by the user’s needs.

With nearly 30 resource partners already signed up to help New Bedford businesses, New Bedford SourceLink will be able to assist businesses at a variety of stages to access a wide array of services, including business planning, legal counsel, accessing capital, and navigating the licensing and permitting process.

“The NBEDC is always on the cutting edge in support of growing our local economy. EforAll South Coast is delighted to be a founding partner of New Bedford Sourcelink, which will help entrepreneurs to access all of the resources available in one website. I look forward to the referrals to our Accelerator programs coming from this partnership as well as the ongoing support entrepreneurs will be able to access,” said Donna Criscuolo, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship For All South Coast.

The platform is powered by SourceLink, a national leader in entrepreneurial ecosystems.

“We are excited to be supporting the launch of New Bedford SourceLink. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the collaborative leadership team and have no doubt that New Bedford SourceLink will quickly become a leader among our national network,” said Rob Williams, Director of SourceLink.

To date, SourceLink has helped more than 100 communities nationwide, from Seattle to San Juan, build an infrastructure that sparks, supports, and sustains entrepreneurship and innovation. In every community, the first step is to define the available resources and make them visible. That mapping then allows service organizations to address their entrepreneurs’ specific needs, make and track referrals to resources, and identify and fill gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Our small and medium-sized businesses are really the heartbeat and soul of New Bedford,” said Tony Sapienza, President of NBEDC. “We’re excited to be able to offer New Bedford SourceLink as a most excellent resource to accelerate growth, build partnerships, and bring new ideas and businesses to the table as we eagerly look to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.”

In addition to its targeted matchmaking between providers and businesses, New Bedford SourceLink will provide guidance for licensing and management of a start-up enterprise, catalog business-focused events across the city, and host a running blog series featuring entrepreneurs across the city. Once it is safe to gather again in larger numbers, in-person networking and idea-sharing events will be added to the roster. The tool is entirely free to use by business owners and free for resource partners to join and be featured in the platform.

Not-for-profit, government, or educational organizations that serve entrepreneurs and established businesses can join the network by visiting https://www.joinsourcelink.com/rn/new-bedford/signup. Businesses looking to learn more may visit www.newbedfordsourcelink.com.

During the month of December, the 16th Lights for Peace flag to fly at the Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum honors the memory PFC Manuel C. Leite, who served with the United States Marine Corps 4th Division during WWII. Leite earned the Purple Heart medal after being wounded in action at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands, on June 16, 1944. He passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on October, 25, 2020.

Leite was born in Acushnet, MA, the youngest of seven siblings. According to his daughter, Kathleen Teixeira, “Manny,” as he was called, was raised on his family’s Acushnet dairy farm, “where the seeds of his devotion to family and hard work were sown.”

He began his active duty service on September 17, 1942. PFC Leite’s special military qualification was as a heavy equipment machine gun crewman. He participated in the Battle of Kwajalein-Atoll in the Mariana Islands from January 31, 1944, through February 29, 1944, as well as the Battle of Saipan from June 15-16, 1944. It was in Saipan that SFC Leite, working as a machine gunner, was shot through the back suffering a collapsed lung. He spent a month recovering in Hawaii and was later transferred to Newport, RI, serving guard duty. He received the Purple Heart for wounds received in action against the enemy.
He was discharged from the USMC on November 9, 1945, and in addition to the Purple Heart, was awarded the USMC Honorable Discharge button and the Honorable Service Lapel button. Kathleen explains, “our dad was a war hero, but his four children have always considered him our true hero.”

His daughter explained that her dad “came home from the war, married his wife, Mary (Simmons) Leite, and raised 2 sons and 2 daughters. After her death in 1998, he let himself grieve, and over time, became open to love and light again with his second great love, Terry Patistea.

Leite worked at the Sunbeam Bakery in New Bedford and retired after 25 years of employment. He was an avid outdoorsman and was interviewed by Marc Folco in a 2013 Standard Times article highlighting their shared love of hunting and Manny’s USMC memories. Manny was quoted as saying “I don’t’ consider myself a hero. The real heroes are the ones who didn’t come back.” He told Marc, it was more painful to learn of his buddies who were killed in Iwo Jima, after his outfit moved there from Saipan, than any suffering he endured.

Just one month before his passing, Mr. Leite had visited the Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum and shared his USMC memories with Bob Lytle, a volunteer at the museum. Little did we know that a short time later, we would be honoring Mr. Leite and flying the flag in his memory for the month of December 2020.

His family fondly remembers how Manny proudly marched in local parades, serving as the Grand Marshall in Fairhaven. According to him, no outfit was complete without him wearing his red Marine cap.

Leite died on October 25, 2020, at the age of 99, “leaving a legacy of resilience, positivity and moving forward by always putting one foot in front of the other,” according to his daughter Kathleen.

Manuel was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Mary (Simmons) Leite. For the past 20 years he was blessed to experience a loving relationship with his girlfriend, Terry Patistea. He is survived by his two sons, Wayne Leite and his wife Sue of Cornville, ME and Russ Leite and his wife June of Dartmouth; two daughters, Cindy Woodard of Oakland, ME and Kathleen Teixeira and her husband Louis of Dartmouth, as well as many loved grandchildren.

Linda Ferreira, of Empire Ford of New Bedford, researches the life histories of area residents. American flags are provided by Empire Ford of New Bedford. Flags are raised by the staff at Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum. Those who would like to honor a local veteran in the future can contact Ferreira at lferreira@buyempireautogroup.com.

“The difference between a job and a calling.

A job is something you do because you must. Time spent watching a clock, waiting for the shift to end, when you take off your name badge and go from filling the role of employee back to being your own person.

People who truly have a calling, however, never watch that clock. They don’t have ‘off-hours’ and they go out of their way for others both in and out of uniform. City of New Bedford Police Department exemplified this statement yesterday when their officers made Christmas a little brighter for local families in need.

NBPD Officer Peters put aside his own challenges and focused on another family, and that’s what the holidays are supposed to be all about.

Thank you to this fine officer and the entire force for leading this community by example. Your actions make me even more proud to call New Bedford home. ❤️ NB”-Lisa White.