Free Dunkin’ Coffee for 1 year in New England is essentially like handing out bars of gold! Which is why I figured I would help spread the word that the Dunkin’ at 150 South Main Street in Acushnet is celebrating its grand reopening by giving 40 people FREE coffee for a year.

All you have to do is show up to that Dunkin location this Saturday at 11:00 am to get your spot in line. They will be handing out the “Free Coffee for 1 Year” coupon books to the first 40 people in line!

There will be a ribbon cutting event and a check presentation of $3,000 to the Team Noah Foundation along with more activities.

“The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of November 6, 2023 – November 10, 2023, and they are as follows:

City offices will be closed on Friday, November 10th in observation of Veteran’s Day!

Eversource will be working on gas main relays and services on:

• Main abandonment on Pauline St and Pinette St
• Main relay on Church St from Shaw St to King St
• Main relay on Hudson St from Brock Ave east to end of main
• Main relay on Rockdale Ave from Allen St to Bluefield St
• Regulator work on Potter St at Rockdale Ave headed east towards Nashua St
• Services on Brownell Ave
• Services on Longwood St from Brownell Ave to end of road

Other:

• Contractor (DF Pray) will have Barker’s Ln from Acushnet Ave to N Second St closed for construction from Monday, November 6th to Thursday, November 30th.
• Contractor (Crew Two and CDM Smith) will be conducting a roof leader downspout survey in the Sassaquin Pond Watershed area.  Residents impacted by the survey will be notified.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working at varies locations throughout the city on roadway and sidewalk patches.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working at MassDOT project #609201, located at the intersection of Acushnet Ave & Peckham Rd/Sassaquin Ave.
• Contractors (PA Landers and various utility companies) will be working at MassDOT’s Kings Highway project. Minor traffic impacts and lane shifts required.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Acushnet Ave from Tarkiln Hill Road to Monmouth Street.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Wood Street from the town line to Church Street.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Irvington Street from Church Street to Maywood Street.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Van Buren Street from Mt. Pleasant Street to Myrtle Street. Police details and road closures will be required.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at West Rodney French Blvd from JFK Memorial Hwy/ Cove Street to Cove Road. Work will require lane and road closures.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Brooklawn Street from Landry Street to Ashley Blvd. Police details and road closures will be required.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Kilburn Street from Belleville Ave to the end. Police details and road closures will be required.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Elm Street from Pleasant Street to Purchase Street, Purchase Street from Elm Street to Middle Street, Middle Street from Purchase Street to Fredrick Douglas Way and Fredrick Douglas Way from Middle Street to Elm St. Police details and road closures will be required.
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future South Coast Rail station platform locations in the city. (Church St at Carlisle St and Wamsutta St at Acushnet Ave.) If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• Contractor (SCR Constructors) will continue site work at the future pedestrian bridge across Route 18 impacting parking along Purchase Street between Willis Street and Pearl Street and at the Division of Career Services on Acushnet Avenue. Temporary detours may be in place pending construction activities occurring.  If you have questions, please email the project team at SouthCoastRail@dot.state.ma.us
• Contractor (Middlesex Corp) will be working on Nash Rd between Church St and Mt. Pleasant St. Traffic will be reduced to one lane and will have police details on site to assist with traffic.
• Contractor (Newport) will be working on Nash Rd between Church St and Mt. Pleasant St. Traffic will be reduced to one lane and will have police details on site to assist with traffic.
• Contractor (LAL) will be performing sidewalk and roadway work on Cove Road at the intersection of Saint John Street. Lane closures may be required. Police details and road closures will be required. Work is weather dependent.
“

“The City of New Bedford received $11.4 million in loan forgiveness funds from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, in partnership with the State Treasurer and Receiver General, for the City’s lead service replacement program and wastewater collection system improvements. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust, established in 1989, is a state agency providing support for water quality throughout the Commonwealth by providing low-interest loans to municipalities and other eligible entities. The Trust, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), helps municipalities build or replace water infrastructure that enhances ground and surface water resources, ensures drinking water safety, protects public health, and bolsters resilience.

The Trust provides loan forgiveness each year to “disadvantaged communities” based on an annual affordability calculation that ranks municipalities into “affordability tiers.” The Trust provides a fixed percentage of loan forgiveness based on the affordability tiers and the specific State Revolving Fund program.

The program relieved the City of 59.8% of its debt for lead service line replacement and 19.9% of its debt for wastewater collection system improvements.

“The replacement of lead service lines and the modernization of our wastewater system have been top priorities for my Administration,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “This additional support from our federal and state partners will make our improvements more affordable to ratepayers.”

“Replacing lead water lines and improving wastewater collection is so much more than just an infrastructure upgrade – their replacement is a vital step in safeguarding public health for generations to come,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “In passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden promised to create jobs and modernize our infrastructure, and this Massachusetts Clean Water Trust loan forgiveness is doing just that. I commend the City of New Bedford for moving forward on financing these important projects through the Clean Water Trust, and I am proud to see that the loans have been forgiven using federal funds from BIL and ARPA.”

“We appreciate the working relationship with the local delegation and MassDEP to help the City fund and implement critical infrastructure projects,” said the Director of the Department of Public Infrastructure, Jamie Ponte. “Through the hard work and dedication of the DPI team, we continue to make improvements for the benefit of the citizens of the City and the environment. Grants such as these go a long way to helping the City continue to implement much-needed improvements to our water and wastewater systems.”

“The City Council has long supported projects to upgrade our City’s aging wastewater system and the replacement of lead service lines throughout our City to provide clean, safe drinking water for our residents,” said City Council President Linda Morad. “These critical projects are very costly and have been financed with loans that ultimately will be repaid through increases to our water and sewer ratepayers. The forgiveness of these loans by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust is critical in controlling the burden these projects place on our City residents.”

“MISSING: Can my New Bedford friends help me? I’m looking for this young man, Adler Bergeron, 24. He’s 5’8” and weighs about 130lbs.

Word on the street is that he has been homeless for a couple of months now. Will you share this post, and contact me with word? Or have Adler contact me at Dbliss@efccc.net?

He pronounces his name ‘ad-lay.’ Thank you very much. Let us keep him in prayer.”-PastorDon Bliss.

“Please join Chief Levesque and the members of Dartmouth Police Department as we congratulate Officers Alex Tisdelle, Ethan Sherman, and Brandon McNeil on their recent graduation from the police academy.

After a well-deserved weekend off, they all began their multi-week field training program today [Wednesday].

Good luck, gentlemen. Listen closely to your field training officers, and please stay safe!”-Dartmouth Police Department.

“We are so happy to welcome another member to the family.

Today, Officer Carlos Fernandes was sworn-in to the City of New Bedford Police Department. He will hit the streets next week. Please feel free to offer your words of welcome and encouragement in the comments below.

Thank you to everyone who attended today including City Council President Linda Morad and City Councilor Shawn Oliver.”-City of New Bedford Police Department.

City of New Bedford Police Department photo.

The Seastreak Ferry has began a brand new year-round ferry service that connects New Bedford to Marthas Vineyard. Its opening date started October 12th and there will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony held on November 1st at the Vineyard Haven Terminal.

“Seastreak is excited to announce new fall and winter services to Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard beginning October 12th, 2023. With two daily departures from New Bedford, and two daily departures from Martha’s Vineyard, Seastreak customers will no longer need to face seasonal travel restrictions and New Bedford based commuters can explore new employment opportunities on the island!

Parking will be FREE for the month of October and then deeply discounted starting in November.”

For tickets and schedule CLICK HERE.

Seastreak Ferry photo.

“Fairhaven Call Firefighters Association would like to wish Lieutenant Brian Daniel all the best in a long healthy retirement. As of midnight tonight Lieutenant Daniel has to retire due to aging out, and he is going right up until the clock strikes midnight!

Lieutenant Daniel was hired by Fairhaven Fire Department in 1985 and retires tonight, 38 years later. He is a proud Call Firefighter, he is a “Good Jake”. He is the last firefighter on Fairhaven Fire Department serving from the 80’s, the last of an era within the department. Lt. Daniel served on Engine 5, Engine 2, Lt. Engine 1 then Lt. Engine 3. He was a proud member of the Rescue Squad. Lt. Daniel started when FFD had 3 stations, 2 active call fire stations until 1990 and headquarters.

Lt Daniel has served under 4 different chiefs, outlasted the entire service life of a ladder truck which was put in service the same week he started, and he outlasted the last open cab fire engine that was just retired 3 weeks ago. He fought fires all over the South Coast to name a few; Mullins Freezer, La Salette, Lincoln Park, Taunton Dog Track, and Ash Street Jail riot.

He has received:

• Commendation: July 4th, 1988, Commendation for saving 6 lives, at an incident where a boat with 15 people sank. He also performed CPR on a USCG vessel after going back to look for more people at night in the fog.
• Commendation: November 6th, 1994, Commendation for saving a life from a structure fire, successfully making a rescue of a female resident from a burning house.
• Commendation: State of Massachusetts; for saving the life of a seal trapped on ice. (Year unknown, February mid 1990s)

Citations: Massachusetts Department of Fire Service Awards:

• Call/Vol 20 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 25 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 30 Years of Service
• Call/Vol 35 Years of Service

He is a true leader, one everyone looked to on the fire grounds. He always had the best jobs on the fire grounds, always inside on the hose line, or had the jaws of life in his hands at car accidents. He was always 1st on scene and last to leave.

He instilled brotherhood, being a family, and watching out for everyone. He always wanted to have all the “call guys” around as a group hanging out together. He will truly be missed. Your legacy will carry on in the firefighters you have taught so much to over the last 38 years! We wish you the best, enjoy that well deserved retirement!

“I’m ending what I feel was a lifetime as a Call Firefighter for the Fairhaven Fire Department, the red lights go away the smelly dirty gear gets turned in, the pager turned off, but the memories never leave, the great people I worked with will never be forgotten, that’s what we have in common we’re Firefighters till the end. This is my end, never will I regret one day of the last 38 years it was my life but that’s me.” – Lieutenant Brian Daniel.”

“In anticipation of the final phase and rollout plan of the Southcoast Rail Project by the MBTA, a big part of the final phase is training First Responders in the communities impacted by the railway service.

The Rochester Fire Department has participated in the planning and execution phases of training for the project and department members have taken part in emergency response training events last fall and this past summer along with other facility walk-throughs and train car and MBTA infrastructure training.

This hands on training is critical in the event of a real time emergency. These types of catastrophic events bring multiple emergency response agencies together in rapid succession and working through the kinks in the pre-planning stage gets us closer to achieving the goal of a smooth and successful response.

Hats off to the MBTA and Keolis representatives along with the first responders from the surrounding towns who participated in the live drills.”-Rochester Fire Department.

All photos by the Rochester Fire Department:

November 1st, 2023 marks the 1st day of “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” in New Bedford after Mayor Jon Mitchell officially signed it into proclamation.

In the proclamation it states, “In 2023, an estimated 64,050 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States and an estimated 50,550 will die from the disease. 1,400 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Massachusetts and an estimated 1,120 will die from the disease.”

The proclamation finishes stating,

“Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no standard diagnotic tools or established early detection methoods in the general population to diagnose the disease in its early stages. The good health and well-being of the residents of New Bedford are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness about pancreatic cancer and research into early detection, auses, and effective treatments.

Now therefore, I, Jon Mitchell, Mayor of the City of New Bedford, do officially proclaim the month of November 2023 as “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” in the City of New Bedford.”

City of New Bedford photo.