“The City of New Bedford has roadwork sites for the upcoming week of September 11, 2023 – September 15, 2023, and they are as follows:

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

• Main relay on Church St from Carlisle St to Shaw 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
• Main tie-in on Clarendon St at Commonwealth Ave
• Main tie-in on Brownell Ave from Hawthorn to Fuller Memorial Parkway
• Regulator work on Potter St at Rockdale Ave headed east towards Nashua St
• Services on Pauline St from Brownell Ave to end of road
• Services on Lynwood St from Brownell Ave to end of road

Other:

• 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.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on Elm Street from Pleasant Street to Purchase Street, Purchase Street from Elm Street to Middle Street, Middle Street from Purchase Street to Fredrick Douglass Blvd, and Fredrick Douglass Blvd from Middle Street to Elm Street.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will continue sidewalk work on Phillips Rd from Holly Tree Lane to Monica’s Way. Minor traffic impacts and lane shifts required.
• 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 (Indus) will be micro surfacing the roadway at Acushnet Ave from Tarkiln Hill Road to Monmouth Street. Acushnet Avenue between the section of Tarkiln Hill Road to Monmouth will be shutdown to all traffic while work is taking place. Police details will be in place.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on a road reconstruction project at Wood Street from Acushnet Ave to Church Street.
• Contractor (Indus) will micro surfacing the roadway at Wood Street from Acushnet Ave to Church Street. Wood Street between the section of Acushnet Ave to Church Street will be shutdown to all traffic while work is taking place. Police details will be in place.
• Contractor (PA Landers) will be working on Braley Rd Sidewalks between Acushnet Avenue and Phillips Road. Minor traffic impacts and lane shifts 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.”

“With fall around the corner, the City of New Bedford would like to remind residents of our Adopt-a-Tree program.

The Program, which kicked off in 2014 under Mayor Mitchell’s administration, invites residents to make a $150 contribution to the City of New Bedford which enables the Department of Public Infrastructure (DPI) to plant a tree on their street. The resident may select the species of their choice from a pre-approved list of tree types which DPI then plants per the resident’s direction.

In addition, under Mayor Jon Mitchell’s leadership, New Bedford has implemented a robust urban forestry program to build its tree population citywide and improve the urban environment. In 2022, during Mayor Mitchell’s State of the City Address, he announced the City’s 1,000 tree-planting initiative using federal relief funds. So far, the City has planted 780 trees under this initiative. In total, 4,554 trees have been planted since 2014.

“Trees provide numerous benefits: they provide natural shade and mitigate the ‘heat island’ effect, slow traffic speeds, add value to homes and businesses, absorb stormwater, and improve air quality,” said Mayor Mitchell. “They cultivate a healthier, vibrant, and resilient cityscape, which is why it’s so important that we continue to plant away.”

Any resident interested in the Adopt-A-Tree Program may contact DPI at (508) 979- 1550. The list can be found here:

https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/special-announcements/adopt-a-tree-program/.

If residents are interested in picking out a street tree, the City purchases shade trees through Sylvan Nursery, Inc. Any selection is subject to approval by DPI.”

“Check out what the city paint department did!

They refurbished the sign and reinstalled it! Big thank you to the city paint department! It’s amazing what a difference a sign makes on a fire house. Some might say it makes the fire house.

Now it will be clear to all who walk by, this is the New Bedford fire museum.”-New Bedford Fire Museum.

New Bedford Fire Museum photo.

New Bedford Fire Museum photo.

On Wednesday, August 6th, the New Bedford Police Union announced that four police officers will be leaving the department. The four officers are Matthew Couture, Owen Azevedo, Justin Costa, and Krista-Jean Forand.

Officer Krista-Jean Forand was hired by the New Bedford Police Department in June 2020 and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division until her departure.

She held a bachelors degree in business administration with a focus in criminal justice management and psychology. She also had a background in elder abuse investigations. Officer Forand is moving on the the Carver Police Department.

Officer Justin Costa was hired by the New Bedford Police Department in September 2021, and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division until his departure. He held a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State University. Officer Costa is moving on to the Massachusetts State Police Academy.

Officer Owen Azevedo was hired by the New Bedford Police Department in February 2022, and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division until his departure. He held a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Westfield State University. Officer Azevedo is moving on to the Massachusetts State Police Academy.

Officer Mathew Couture was hired by the New Bedford Police Department in January 2020, and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division until his departure.

Officer Couture held an associates degree in criminal justice, and the New Bedford Police Union wishes Officer Couture the best in his future endeavors.

“The New Bedford Police Union regrets to announce the departure of another officer. Officer Owen Azevedo has moved on from the New Bedford Police Department.

Officer Azevedo was hired by the New Bedford Police Department in February 2022. Officer Azevedo was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division until his departure.

Officer Azevedo held a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Westfield State University.

Officer Azevedo is moving on to the Massachusetts State Police Academy. The New Bedford Police Union wishes Officer Azevedo the best with his new agency.”-New Bedford Police Union.

New Bedford Police Union photo.

The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies caused by loss of income, increase in expenses, or both.

This program helps residents by providing up to $7,000 per household to help preserve current housing or move to new housing. This can help with utilities, moving costs, mortgage arrears and overdue rent costs, as well as future rent in limited situations.

If you are in need and interested in applying, make sure you have the following documentation:

• ID for head of household
• Proof of current housing
• Verification of housing crisis
• Income verification

In order to receive benefits, you must complete an application with all of the required documents. If you are renting, you should reach out early to your landlord as a landlord or property manager will be needed to complete the process.

Before applying, determine if you are qualified to apply, to qualify for rental assistance in Massachusetts, you must have an income no more than 50 percent of the area median income or AMI, or no more than 60 percent of the AMI if at risk of domestic violence, and must be at risk of homelessness or housing instability.

For example, if you are a resident of New Bedford:

• 1 person household must make under $34,900
• 2 person household must make under $39,850
• 3 person household must make under $44,850
• 4 person household must make under $49,800
• 5 person household must make under $53,800

If you are interested in applying to this program, CLICK HERE.

Print out your resume and dress for success, the 2023 South Coast Job Fair is ready to kick off! The event will take place on Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 9:00AM – 2:00PM at “Rachel’s Lakeside” located at 950 State Road in Dartmouth.

The South Coast Job Fair will showcase the area’s most dynamic firms and businesses, looking to hire you. Admission to the event as well as professional head-shot photos are free!

Job seekers do not have to pre register to attend, just show up between 9am -2pm, the earlier the better!

Are you a business looking for new employees? You can rent out a 6 foot table for $375. If renting more than one table, you will receive $50 off each additional table. Each employer will receive: A 6 foot table, 2 chairs, complimentary breakfast & lunch, and access to hundreds of job seekers!

Businesses can contact Katie Greene, Vice President of Marketing and Events via email at kgreene@onesouthcoast.com.

On Thursday, August 31st the New Bedford Fire Department hosted a training event where they conducted live fire scenarios involving lithium-ion batteries. The goal was to observe how these fires ignite, develop, and what the best practices are to extinguish and mitigate them.

Various industry representatives were involved including the State Fire Marshal, State fire investigators, members of the FDNY, and NYC based group “The Haz Mat Guys”.

Through podcasts, videos, forums, articles, and photos, “The Hazmat Guys” provide concise, easy-to-understand information on all aspects of hazardous materials response. Watching how they operated at this training event, they seem to have a “Mythbusters” approach to the way they conduct themselves, it was quite fascinating.

The fire development was monitored by viewing thermal imaging cameras, temperature recording devices, and gas detectors placed inside the building to determine what occurs once these batteries go into ‘thermal runaway”. There were also slow motion cameras set up to capture the explosions!

It is great to see the New Bedford Fire Department on the forefront working with industry leaders to tackle this growing issue. Lithium-ion batteries are very commonly used in residential homes, commercial businesses, industrial settings, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. It is vital for fire departments across America to be well trained and equipped to fight Lithium-ion battery fires.

Here is a quick interview with New Bedford Fire Chief Kruger and Bobby from the “Haz Mat Guys” at the event:

“The Massachusetts State Police along with community partners, Shrewsbury Police, Worcester Police, and The UMass Chen Medical School Police, collaborated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to provide a Community Movie Night in Shrewsbury.

Community members who attended watched a screening of Zootopia, and were happy to meet our Employee Assistance Unit’s Trooper Chad Tata and K-9 Luna, as well as some of K-9 Luna’s friends, K-9 Mugsy from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, and Gracie from The College of the Holy Cross.”-Massachusetts State Police.

All photos by the Massachusetts State Police:

“We would like to acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the passing of New Bedford Police Officer and Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joseph Camara in Iraq.

For those who had the privilege of knowing him, Officer Camara is remembered as a devoted officer whose calm demeanor had a comforting effect on those around him. We also recall how the entire city came to a standstill on the day of his funeral.

Every member of our police department marched in unison toward his final resting place, while the streets were lined with citizens who respectfully lowered their heads and placed their hands over their hearts. We can still picture children holding signs expressing their love for Joe and the NBPD.

Today, please take a moment to honor the sacrifice of one of our finest. Officer Camara passed away on September 1, 2003, while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was 40 years old at the time.

Officer Camara was assigned to the 115th Military Police Company of the U.S. Army National Guard, located in Cranston, Rhode Island. To us, he was known as one of the best people at Station #3. He tragically lost his life south of Baghdad, Iraq, when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device, resulting in the loss of another soldier in the same incident.

“He was an exceptional partner. He had no qualms about going back and serving his duty in the military. He had put his time in and was ready to retire but he went back and he had a job to do.”-Officer Luis Sud-Martinez (retired). Joe’s partner on the midnight patrol.

Camara was survived by his wife, Ana, and children Matthew, Angela, and Ashley.

We love you, Joe…”-City of New Bedford Police Department.