“‼️Don’t be alarmed by the helicopter flying over the area!‼️

Please be advised that the state will be dropping oral rabies vaccines to prevent the spread of rabies in our area. The helicopter is red and black, similar to the one pictured.”-Marion Police Department.

“Members of the Westport Fire Department, including the EMA and Explorer division, met at Beech Grove Cemetery to place Memorial Day Flags on the grave sites of past members who served the department and the Town.

This coming week we will be placing Memorial Day Flags at Maple Grove on Reed Road.

As we mention every year, we volunteer our time and do our best to place a flag at every site. If we missed a location, kindly let us know!

Anyone wishing to make a donation to assist in the purchasing of flags and markers can make a check payable to the Westport Fire Department Gift Account, indicating “flags” in the memo.”-Westport Fire Department.

Westport Fire Department photo.

Westport Fire Department photo.

Westport Fire Department photo.

Westport Fire Department photo.

“Rising temperatures related to climate change could increase average annual per capita municipal expenditures in Massachusetts by as much as 30% by the end of this century as compared to what they were over the past 30 years. All 50 states and nearly all 241 U.S. cities the group analyzed have warmed since 1970.

NOAA expects the temperature in Massachusetts to rise from the 2020 average of about 50 degrees to almost 54 degrees in the 2050s if global emissions grow at their current rate.

This is according to a new report by Bo Zhao, a senior economist with the New England Public Policy Center in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department.

EPA photo of average temperatures for the 48 contiguous states.

“These large increases could have a significant impact on the fiscal health of local governments and may be difficult or impossible to accommodate without significant increases in taxes and fees,” Zhao writes in “The Effects of Weather on Massachusetts Municipal Expenditures: Implications of Climate Change for Local Governments in New England.”

Zhao finds that a 1-degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperature results in a 3.2% increase in per capita municipal general-fund expenditures in Massachusetts on average. Among other effects, he writes, hotter or stormier weather can increase the costs of snow removal, road maintenance, and the heating and cooling of schools and other public buildings.

Zhao uses the relationship between weather and local spending in Massachusetts from the last three decades, along with average-temperature projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as a basis for estimating the state’s municipal expenditures for future decades.

According to the NOAA, if global emissions continue to grow at their current rate, the average temperature in Massachusetts is expected to rise from about 50 degrees Fahrenheit in 2020 to nearly 54 degrees Fahrenheit for 2050-2059 and to almost 58 degrees Fahrenheit for 2090-2099.

Based on those temperature increases and assuming the relationship between average temperatures and municipal expenditures remains the same as it was from 1990 through 2019, per capita local spending in Massachusetts could grow as much as 15% for 2050-2059 and as much as 30% for 2090-2099 relative to the level of the past three decades. In terms of dollar amounts, the per capita increases could be as great as $456 and $924 (in 2019 dollars), respectively.

In a scenario where emissions are lower in the future, the NOAA projects that the average temperature in Massachusetts would reach about 54 degrees Fahrenheit for 2090-2099. Zhao finds that even in this scenario, municipal expenditures could increase by as much as 15% by the end of this century.

Account for climate change in planning
“This report recommends that municipalities account for climate change in their long-term municipal financial planning, since early policy actions are often more cost effective than later ones,” Zhao writes. “Investing in improvements to the climate resilience of public infrastructure is important, and it is particularly urgent for New England, given how dated the region’s infrastructure systems are.”

Zhao notes that the report’s findings are applicable to the other five New England states as well, because the climate is generally the same across the region, and each state is projected to see similarly higher temperatures and more extreme storms in future decades. Also, each state has very limited county governments, if any, so municipal governments provide nearly all local public services.

Zhao does present a caveat to his findings. He notes that the regression analysis is based on historical data, and that using that information to make projections assumes that the relationship between weather and local spending will remain the same over time. His research for the report’s accompanying working paper, however, finds evidence that Massachusetts municipal spending has become less sensitive to temperature changes over the past 30 years. This could be because states and cities and towns in New England have been adapting to climate change by, for example, improving the heating and cooling systems of public buildings.

“Thus,” he writes, “the fiscal projections based on the regression results should be treated as directional guidance rather than as precise forecasts.”

The new report uses research and analysis from a Boston Fed working paper by Zhao titled “The Impact of Weather on Local Government Spending.”-Massachusetts Municipal Association.

“Southcoast Health is pleased to announce the not-for-profit community health system welcomed seven new providers this month. They will join various specialties across the system including the Breast Care Program, Cardiology, the Hospitalist Program, Oncology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatrics and our Visiting Nurse Association (VNA).

Sarah Desilet, NP | Visiting Nurse Association (VNA)

Sarah Desilet earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. She is now joining the Southcoast Health Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) in Palliative Consulting.

Julie Ditata, NP | Breast Care
235 Hanover Street, Fall River, MA

Julie Ditata earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing as an Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, and is certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She previously worked at Southcoast Health in primary care and has now joined Southcoast Health’s Breast Center specializing in breast surgery.

Kristen Hall, PA-C | Hospitalist

Kristen Hall earned her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of New England, Westbrook College of Health Professions in Portland, Maine. She is NCCPA certified. Kristen is now starting a position as a Hospitalist caring for patients at all three Southcoast Health hospital locations.

Blair Mailloux, NP | Pediatrics
49 State Road, Dartmouth, MA

Blair Mailloux earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. She began working for Southcoast Health in 2014 and more recently worked as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital on the pediatric and Level II Nursery units. She is now joining Southcoast Health Pediatrics as a Nurse Practitioner.

Catherine Rapp, MD | Orthopedic Surgery
1565 North Main Street, Fall River, MA

Dr. Catherine Rapp earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine before completing her residency in orthopedic surgery at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. Dr. Rapp proudly served in the United States Navy where she performed her duties as an orthopedic surgeon at the U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella in Sicily, Italy, the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit (MMU) in Kandahar, Afghanistan and at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.

She completed a fellowship in adult shoulder and elbow reconstruction at the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. Dr. Rapp is now joining Southcoast Health’s Orthopedic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery practice in Fall River.

Kelsey Soares, NP | Oncology
506 Prospect Street, Fall River, MA
206 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA

Kelsey Soares earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts. She later received her Nursing Post-Master’s Certificate to become a Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of Massachusetts Boston in Boston, Massachusetts. She is now joining Southcoast Health Oncology.

Natasha M. Teixeira, NP | Cardiology
300 Hanover Street, Fall River, MA

Natasha M. Teixeira earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Rhode Island College’s Zvart Onanian School of Nursing in Providence, Rhode Island. She previously worked as a travel critical care registered nurse at Charlton Memorial Hospital and throughout the United States. She now joins Southcoast Health Cardiology as part of the Cardiac Surgery Team.

We are delighted to welcome, Sarah Desilet, Julie Ditata, Kristen Hall, Blair Mailloux, Dr. Catherine Rapp, Kelsey Soares and Natasha M. Teixeira to Southcoast Health.

Their addition to our team is a testament to our commitment of providing exceptional care and service across the South Coast region.

To learn more about our Southcoast Health providers please visit www.southcoast.org/doctors/ or call 1-844-744-5544.

Southcoast Health photo.

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About Southcoast Health
Founded in 1996, Southcoast Health serves communities across southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island as the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region. The not-for-profit, charitable system includes three acute care hospitals – Charlton Memorial in Fall River, St. Luke’s in New Bedford (a Level II Trauma Center), and Tobey in Wareham, Massachusetts with a physician network of more than 675 providers.

The system has established more than 55 service locations across the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including six urgent care locations, a Visiting Nurse Association, the Southcoast Health Cancer Center, the region’s only Level II Adult Trauma Center and numerous ancillary facilities.

Southcoast Health has been recognized consecutively for six years in a row as a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital from 2019-2024 and named a Maternity Care Access Hospital for 2023-2024 by U.S. News & World Report. The organization was recognized as the best place to work for the sixth consecutive year by Southcoast Media Group’s community choice awards.

With upward of 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in southeastern Massachusetts, and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org.“

“Joan K. Jacobs, wife of New Bedford native and Qualcomm founder Dr. Irwin Jacobs, passed away this week. Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs love New Bedford, and their philanthropy has benefitted cultural institutions and public education in the City for years. Mayor Jon Mitchell offered this statement on Mrs. Jacobs’ passing:

“New Bedford lost a dear friend this week with the passing of Joan Jacobs. Joan came to love her husband Irwin’s hometown. She and Irwin gave generously to numerous causes in New Bedford, especially to support public education and the city’s cultural institutions. For more than 20 years, their annual visit back to New Bedford to bestow scholarships upon high achieving high school students became a much-anticipated event, one that reflected the depth of their generosity and commitment to social mobility.

Throughout her life, Joan set a sterling example of strength, integrity, and optimism, which inspired more people than she could ever have possibly known. New Bedford is grateful for her legacy here, which will continue to pay dividends for years to come. I offer my sincere condolences to Irwin and the entire Jacobs family.-City of New Bedford.

During the month of May, the 56th Lights for Peace flag to fly at the Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum honors the memory Edward Alden Baker, of New Bedford, who served as Chief Engineer in the United States Merchant Marines who was killed on April 20, 1944, aboard the USS Hamilton while serving in WWII.

Unfortunately, there is very little information available on the background of Mr. Baker except that he was from New Bedford and that he served his country with honor in the United States Merchant Marines, eventually paying the ultimate sacrifice during WWII.

Baker served as the Chief Engineer aboard the USS Hamilton, which was named after Paul Hamilton, the third US Secretary of the Navy. The liberty ship left Chesapeake Bay, Virginia on her fifth voyage, on April 2, 1944, with a crew of 47 Merchant Marines, 29 Naval Armed Guards and 504 Army Air Force Troops. According to the United States Naval Memorial website, the troops were specifically trained in mine demolition. For more efficient shipping logistics, it had been decided to keep the men and their 7000 tons of explosives together in the same unarmored ship.

Empire Ford of New Bedford photo.

The USS Hamilton was bound for Bizerte, Tunisia, but on the evening of April 20, 1944, after dark, the reported 62 ships in the Mediterranean Sea, near Algiers, encountered a flight of 23 German JU-88 and HE-111 bombers which attacked the convoy.

According to the United States Naval Memorial website, “The first wave of German planes were met with no antiaircraft fire since they were initially reported as “friendlies” and it was only after they neared the convoy that the planes encountered gunfire. It has been speculated that a member of the American Liberty ship, the USS Paul Hamilton was the perhaps the first to detect the German planes as gunfire is known to have come from the ship as the planes approached.

This reportedly led one of the attackers to follow the tracers to the USS Paul Hamilton, which became the first target. When the ship was hit by the German aerial torpedo, the ship exploded and became the largest loss of life on a liberty ship during WWII.”

According to Wikipedia, when the aerial torpedo struck the Paul Hamilton and detonated the cargo of high explosives and bombs, the crew and passengers, who included 154 officers and men of the 831st Bombardment Squadron and 317 officers and men of the 32nd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, were all lost. Of the 580 men aboard only one body was recovered.

As the massive explosion occurred, a combat cameraman on a nearby ship suddenly saw the sky turn from night to day and as the mushroom cloud rose up from what had been the USS Paul Hamilton, he snapped a picture which became famous, as within a month it was being published in newspapers as an example of the risks and carnage involved in getting supplies to the front.

According to the US Naval Memorial website, “The families of the USS Paul Hamilton sinking never knew the picture was of their loved ones as the details of the sinking remained classified for 50-years. Families were routinely told that their loved ones were ‘Missing in action, presumed dead, in the Mediterranean Theater.’ The facts of the disaster were hidden for many years as the government did not want to face the families and explain why a loaded troop ship also carried 7,000 tons of explosives and munitions.”

Baker was declared a casualty of World War II and received the following medals for his heroic service: Merchant Marine Mariner’s Medal, Merchant Marine Combat Bar, Merchant Marine Atlantic War Zone Medal, Merchant Marine Mediterranean War Zone Medal and the Merchant Marine WWII Victory Medal.

Linda Ferreira, of Empire Ford, researches the life histories of area residents. American flags are provided by Empire Ford. 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@empirefordinc.com.

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Empire Ford of New Bedford

395 Mt. Pleasant Street,
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Phone: (833) 974-0098
Email: kmathias@empirehyundai.com

Website: empirefordofnewbedford.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/Empirefordnewbedford

“The Massachusetts Environmental Police would like to welcome aboard our newest Environmental Police Officers.

The mission of the Massachusetts Environmental Police is to protect the environment and natural resources of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through enforcement, education, and public outreach.

The historical roots of our law enforcement mission can be traced back to the 1600ss when the need for fish, wildlife, and natural resource protection was just as apparent as it is today. The early Colonists of this region established laws related to the taking of fish and game.

The Environmental Police is the primary enforcement agency of the Commonwealth’s boating and recreational vehicle laws and regulations. The Office of Law Enforcement is responsible for registering boats, all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles in Massachusetts. Boating safety enforcement and recreational vehicle enforcement are an every day part of an Environmental Police Officer’s patrol. With an enforcement fleet of over fifty vessels the Environmental Police patrol all waters of the Commonwealth, both Inland and Coastal.

Officers use 4X4 vehicles, all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles to patrol off-road areas throughout Massachusetts. These additional enforcement responsibilities compliment our mission of protecting the natural resources of the Commonwealth.

Congratulations and Stay Safe!”-Massachusetts Environmental Police.

“Aaaaand they’re off 🚴‍♀️🚴

The New Bedford Police Unity Cycling Team is participating in the 2024 Police Unity Tour to continue to raise awareness for law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Our cycling team includes officers from the NBPD as well as officers from surrounding towns.

Every May, the team drives to Florham Park, New Jersey. Then, for the next four days, team members pedal their bicycles 320 miles, riding an average of six to eight hours a day to Washington, D.C. to kick off National Police Week at the National Law Enforcement Memorial. This moving procession is followed by several events, including an emotional candlelight vigil in the center of Washington, D.C. honoring fallen brother and sister officers.

We couldn’t be more proud of our brothers and sisters as they honor their fallen comrades. Ride safe friends! 💙🖤”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

City of New Bedford Police Department photo.

City of New Bedford Police Department photo.

“📣 We have some SCOOP!📣

Marion Police Department will be handing out tickets for free ice cream cones from our generous local participating businesses,

Annies Ice Cream Shop and Fieldstone Farm Market. These tickets are awarded to kids in town that are caught being good! We will be on the lookout for good deeds, like practicing bike safety (helmets, using crosswalks) and helping others.

A huge thank you goes to Annie’s Ice Cream Shop and Fieldstone for their help in making this all possible!”-Marion Police Department.

Marion Police Department photo.

Marion Police Department photo.

Marion Police Department photo.