Governor Baker Urges Caution Ahead of Hurricane Henri

Governor Charlie Baker today is urging the people of the Commonwealth to prepare for Hurricane Henri, which is expected to affect much of the Commonwealth beginning Saturday night into Monday, including the potential for strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and power outages. The Baker-Polito Administration is advising everyone to avoid unnecessary travel and for those planning to visit the Cape or Islands this weekend to delay trips. For those that have already traveled to the Cape or Islands for the weekend, they are advised to consider leaving on Saturday or extend their travel plans through early next week.

Governor Baker also today activated the Massachusetts National Guard under state active duty to fulfill highwater rescue, debris clearing and public safety support from impacted communities. The activation order allows for up to 1,000 guardsmen and will remain in place until support is no longer needed.

Tropical Storm Henri is projected to become a hurricane and significantly impact much of Central and Eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands, and the South Coast. Hurricane force winds and substantial storm surges in coastal communities are expected. Additionally, the majority of Massachusetts is projected to receive a significant amount of rain, particularly from Greater Boston to Worcester County. All residents are advised to begin storm preparations today, and to pay close attention to local weather reports to monitor the track of the storm.

Residents can call 2-1-1 to obtain disaster information and call local public safety non-emergency phone numbers or town halls for local questions. Property owners are encouraged to take photos or videos to document any damages to property and to contact their insurance company.

This storm could cause power outages impacting at least 100,000 residents, and possibly as many as 300,000, and utility crews are being staged to assist in restoring power. For power outage updates and specific restoration times by town, check the Eversource outage map at outagemap.eversource.com or call Eversource at 800-592-2000. Residents should use generators and grills outside because their fumes contain carbon monoxide and make sure their carbon monoxide detectors are working. People are also reminded to stay away from any downed utility wires.

The Baker-Polito Administration remains in close contact with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), National Weather Service, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and State Police (MSP) to monitor the forecast and will work to alert the public with important updates or notifications.

MBTA: The MBTA is currently operating normal scheduled service on all modes, but anticipates delays or service disruptions, particularly in low-lying areas and sections of the rapid transit system where trains are powered by overhead wires. Keolis and the MBTA will closely monitor weather forecasts to assess expected and real-time conditions related to scheduled service and operations. The MBTA is encouraging its customers to get service information by signing up for T-Alerts, following @MBTA and @MBTA_CR on Twitter, and using the MBTA commuter rail app.

Highway Safety: Traveling during the storm is expected to be hazardous, and residents are advised to plan ahead and stay home if possible. Do not drive in flooded areas. Currently, it is projected that the Route 128/95 and Interstate 495 corridors will be heavily impacted Sunday through Monday.

Public Safety: In addition to 1,000 National Guard personnel available to assist local and state agencies, Massachusetts State Police have moved additional Marine Unit assets into southeastern Massachusetts and will be prepared to move additional personnel or equipment to the islands if necessary. Additional MSP sections and units will have personnel ready to deploy into affected areas to boost staffing, and Troop commanders will determine whether to hold over shifts or call in upcoming shifts early based on storm projections. The Department of Fire Services likewise remains in contact with fire departments on Cape Cod and elsewhere to provide support before, during, and after the storm.

DCR Closures: The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close state campgrounds beginning Saturday at 11:00 a.m. through Monday evening. DCR anticipates reopening campgrounds Tuesday morning. Campers with reservations are being notified by DCR and will be provided with a full refund. All campers on DCR campgrounds must check out and exit the property by 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Beginning Saturday at the close of guarded hours, DCR will close all state pools and coastal beaches through Sunday. Additionally, all DCR-managed inland waterfronts will be unguarded on Sunday. DCR strongly encourages residents to avoid visiting state parks throughout the duration of the storm due to high winds rain, and potential flooding, and will implement closures of certain access roads, parking areas and parkways as necessary to protect public safety.

The State Emergency Operations Center at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham is activated and closely monitoring the storm and forecast to provide situational awareness. Please visit www.mass.gov/MEMA to learn what you should do before, during and after a hurricane or tropical storm.

Chamber Receives National Communications Award

Chamber Receives National Communications Award The Chamber received a Communicator Award for its “A Message to North Central Massachusetts” video. During an unprecedented time, the video sent out a message of hope and resilience to the people in the communities of North Central Massachusetts. The video was shared through NorthCentralMass.com and on social media channels allowing people throughout the communities to hear the message. The Communicator Awards is dedicated to recognizing excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication. We are the leading international awards program honoring talent in this highly competitive field. Founded nearly three decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives almost 5,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it, globally, one of the largest awards show of its kind. The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations like Amazon, Big Spaceship, Chelsea Pictures, Conde Nast, Critical Mass, Disney, ESPN, GE Digital, IBM, The Nation of Artists, Next door, Spotify, Time, Inc., the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones, and Wired

Gardner Ale House Pivots to Follow the Changing Times

When you head back to the Gardner Ale House for the first time after the pandemic, it won’t look quite the same.

Besides a new name to highlight its focus as a brewery – Moon Hill Brewing Company at the Gardner Ale House – the menu has been nearly cut in half.

The public health crisis took its toll on restaurants throughout the nation and the Ale House, the only full-menu brewpub in North Central Massachusetts, was no different, said Rick Walton, president of Moon Hill Brewing Co.

But Walton said he took the opportunity to revamp the menu, known for its fresh, bistro-style food, to focus on what they do best.

“I’m not a cliché person but if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger really fits here,’’ he said. “We feel like we’re ready to be better than ever.’’

Once known as having something for everyone, Walton said the menu been pared down to be more efficient and to improve quality.

“Our menu was too huge because somebody would say, ‘Can you put this on the menu’ and we’d sell three of them,’’ he said. “I had to stop doing that.’’

After losing money for a year, the Ale House finally started to make a profit in April 2021, Walton said.

The Ale House and brewery opened in 2006 but this isn’t the first time Walton’s mixed things up. In order to be successful, he said you have to change with the times.

Over the years, the Ale House has gone from a dinner-only menu to adding lunch, then brunch, live music and then host of the popular Oktoberfest Party in the Street that attracted 6,000 people to downtown Gardner.

Before the pandemic hit, the Ale House was known as one of the area’s best live music venues. After after the pandemic hit, it went to take-out only.

But now the Ale House has re-opened and Walton is ready for the next phase.

While the menu may be smaller, the focus on fresh, quality products is still there, he said.

“We are a fresh-only house,’’ Walton said. “We don’t use prepared food almost at all. All of it is done in-house.’’

Beyond that, the Ale House is known for its brick oven pizza, generous portions of nachos, burgers, hand-cut fries, fish and chips and steak tips.

The new menu features a section called, “Taco Truck,’’ with three different tacos, all made in house and fresh.

And its beer offerings continue to expand as it makes its way to more local retailers. During the pandemic, the brewery purchased a canning machine, which allowed it to offer beer for takeout and to sell at local liquor stores.

“Now, all of our beer can be found in cans locally and primarily right here,’’ Walton said.

As a part of revamping the look and feel of the restaurant, including a remodeled outdoor deck, they are also changing the name to better reflect all it offers. Moon Hill Brewing Company has always been its corporate name but now it will take center stage.

“I’m feeling very optimistic and beyond hopeful,’’ Walton said.

The Moon Hill Brewing Co. at the Gardner Ale House is located at 74 Parker St. in Gardner.

For more information, visit https://www.gardnerale.com/.

 

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Baker-Polito Administration Files $1.6 Billion Fiscal Year 2021 Supplemental Budget

Legislation relies on $5 billion surplus; includes $1 billion for unemployment relief and proposal to support local nonprofits

The Baker-Polito Administration today filed a final Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) supplemental budget proposal that aims to improve Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness as the Commonwealth continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1.568 billon supplemental budget would provide $1 billion in unemployment insurance relief for employers, support greater resources for local charities and nonprofits and ensure that small businesses do not bear a tax burden for assistance received through pandemic relief programs. The legislation relies on a FY21 surplus of approximately $5 billion and would also make critical investments in housing, human services, and education.

“Thanks to careful management of the Commonwealth’s tax revenues and strong economic activity, Massachusetts has an unprecedented surplus at the close of Fiscal Year 2021, and this legislation ensures those resources are put to work to support local economies and small businesses,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our proposal to provide employers with unemployment insurance relief is fiscally responsible and would provide much-needed support for businesses and workers across the Commonwealth. By combining this bill with our $2.9 billion plan to spend a portion of Massachusetts’ federal funds on urgent priorities like homeownership, environmental infrastructure and job-training, the Commonwealth has an opportunity to leverage significant resources to promote further economic growth and support our hardest-hit communities.”

“This legislation provides an opportunity to reduce significant burdens on our employers, enabling them to hire and retain workers in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Thanks to strong economic activity by consumers and businesses, Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to leverage these surplus funds to further strengthen the economy and support our communities. We look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature to make these critical investments.”

The Administration’s supplemental budget proposes dedicating $1 billion of Massachusetts’ FY21 surplus toward the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. This affordable proposal would help stabilize the UI Trust Fund and lessen employers’ future UI obligations. The legislation also includes language to make the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advances, Shuttered Venue Operators grants, Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, and state MGCC grants nontaxable for all Massachusetts recipients, consistent with federal tax treatment.

The bill also proposes to finally implement the income tax charitable deduction, a measure that was first approved by voters nearly twenty years ago. Given the Commonwealth’s strong fiscal situation, the proposal is fiscally responsible and would support greater resources for the local charities and non-profits who supported vulnerable populations through the pandemic.

“The strong working relationship we enjoy with our colleagues in the House and Senate allowed us all to approach an uncommon fiscal year thoughtfully and deliberatively,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan. “We are fortunate to end FY21 with an impressive surplus buoyed by rare federal activity. The Commonwealth must seize this opportunity to implement sensible fiscal policies like finally implementing a tax deduction to boost charity organizations that was approved by voters two decades ago, a measure that is affordable and should be done now.”

At the close of FY21, the Commonwealth’s Stabilization Fund now stands at a balance of $4.63 billion – the highest level ever by more than a billion dollars. The $5 billion surplus included more than $1 billion in excess capital gains deposited into the Stabilization Fund; another $1.1 billion of the surplus made a planned withdrawal from the Stabilization Fund no longer necessary.

In addition to the $1 billion UI transfer proposal, the legislation also proposes additional investments necessary to continue operating state government and invest in key priorities, including:

  • $405 million for a collective bargaining reserve to fund the retroactive and fiscal year 2022 (FY22) costs of agreements that are either in place or anticipated but not yet signed, thus mitigating pressure on the FY22 budget; 
  • $39 million to support rate increases for the human service workforce;
  • $20 million to support the workforce in Chapter 766-approved special education schools; 
  • $17 million to support an additional 800 temporary individual shelter beds throughout FY22 and pay for a one-time six-month 10% increase in provider rates, ensuring the Commonwealth’s individual shelter system has the resources necessary to protect vulnerable populations;
  • $5 million to pilot an evidence-based permanent supportive housing model for individuals experiencing homelessness, creating fast and sustainable pathways out of homelessness and;
  • $3 million in supplemental campus support for Quinsigamond Community College and Worcester State University as it absorbs nursing students displaced by the closure of Becker College.

The legislation also includes several other policy proposals including:

  • Allow survivors of servicemembers who die in training incidents to be eligible for a Medal of Liberty;
  • Grant MassHealth the authority to directly negotiate rebate agreements for certain medical supplies and other non-drug products;
  • Extend the municipal vulnerability preparedness grant program to tribes and other regional and local entities who are not municipalities; and,
  • Allow civil service evaluations to be in an electronic format and provide greater flexibility in administering civil service evaluations.

To read the Governor’s filing letter, click here.

Can We Pull Off the Biggest Homecoming in History?

Our community and many others have lost workforce talent to larger, coastal cities for decades. While the reasons behind it are complex, the steady loss of young, educated workers seemed unstoppable. Much more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has also seemed unstoppable and even more devastating. However, it sometimes happens that you can use one problem to solve another. Thanks to the unique circumstances of 2020 and 2021, our community may be able to pull off the biggest homecoming in history.

Solving One Problem with Another

Smaller cities and towns such as ours have steadily lost workforce talent in recent decades. Economic opportunities within non-urban communities have been reduced by outsourcing and the Great Recession. While large cities have reaped the benefits of the tech boom, rural areas and smaller cities have hardly felt it. Communities like ours have suffered shrinking tax revenues, aging populations, and shrinking workforces as young, educated people flock to the cities for education and employment.

However, it’s not necessarily because they want to live in the city. In fact, many talented young workers don’t live in the city, but in a suburb and deal with long commutes. Lopsided economic growth has made the big cities prohibitively expensive, but many young people need the high salaries that tech offers to pay off their student debt. However, COVID has accelerated trends that could bring our workforce talent back home.

On the one hand, the pandemic may cause people to reassess aspects of city living, such as dwelling in apartments and riding public transportation. Such changes in view are ultimately not based in fact, but it’s easy to find people already voicing such opinions. More importantly, the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the shift to remote working.

Remote working was always going to make its way into the tech industry. Operating large office buildings, requiring commutes, and providing high compensation to attract talent to expensive cities have been redundant for a decade, perhaps. One result of the pandemic is that change-averse businesses have made the leap to virtual working as soon as the pandemic forced work-from-home orders across the country. With a new freedom to work from anywhere, many are looking at affordable, comfortable life in communities like ours.

In fact, tech companies are encouraging their employees to relocate. Pragmatic businesses such as Stripe are offering impressive incentives in exchange for minor pay cuts and relocation out of expensive urban areas. Since we love our quality of life, we don’t think financial incentives are the only reason to leave the rat race.

Pulling Off the Biggest Homecoming in History

Communities around the country are trying different things to draw remote workers. Housing discounts, grants, and even tax incentives are tools being used by municipalities to attract remote workers.

These incentives will work best in combination with an appeal to the improved quality of life that we can offer. These things are proximity to nature, a peaceful place to live, affordability, and a tight-knit community. If we can provide these benefits alongside the internet infrastructure and housing remote workers need, we can bring our talent home and revitalize our community.

Baker-Polito Administration Hits Milestone of Awarding More Than $100 Million in Skills Capital Grants to High Schools, Colleges and Educational Institutions

The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $9.7 million in grants from the Skills Capital Grant Program to 47 educational organizations across the Commonwealth to update equipment and expand student enrollment in programs that provide career education. The awards announced today mark $102 million in total funding provided to high schools, colleges and other educational organizations since the program’s inception in 2015.

Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta and Education Secretary James Peyser visited Peabody Veterans Memorial High School to announce the awards and to tour the high school’s electrical engineering and culinary arts classrooms, which received a $175,000 award last year.

The Skills Capital Grant Program was originally launched in 2015 with the goal of replacing outdated equipment and technology, mainly at vocational technical high schools and community colleges. Since then, the program has evolved into a crucial component of local workforce training efforts by expanding the number of young people and adults trained and experienced with the newest technologies used by local employers. Approximately 40,000 students across the Commonwealth have directly benefitted from these grants.

The Skills Capital Grants have helped give thousands of young people opportunities in high-demand jobs, and the grants have had a tremendous impact on students, schools and local businesses,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These significant investments made over the past six years in this program with our partners in the Legislature will help train students to adapt to the changing needs of our economy.”

“Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, will face workforce challenges in the next few years, but we are poised to handle them better because of programs like the Skills Capital Grants,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “The grants enable schools, colleges and other educational institutions to revamp how students learn and gain crucial experience that serves them and employers well.” 

Since 2015, 387 grants totaling more than $102 million have been awarded to 187 different schools and educational institutions across the Commonwealth, with many organizations receiving multiple grants over the years. The state’s investment also helped institutions leverage the grants to gain an additional $25 million in local matching funds.

The competitive grants are awarded to educational institutions that demonstrate partnerships with local businesses, as well as align curriculum and credentials with industry demand to maximize hiring opportunities in each region of the state. The 2018 Economic Development Bill, filed by the Governor and passed by the Legislature, established an additional $75 million in Skills Capital Grant funding over five years.

About two-thirds of the investments made with the grants are directly aligned to reduce skills gaps in high priority industry sectors, including health care, manufacturing, IT and skilled trades. A percentage of the funding, about 5 percent, has been invested in multi-year strategic projects in manufacturing, healthcare and energy training programs which are projected to have significant regional impact.

“As we continue to address economic disparities across the Commonwealth and provide solutions to employment gaps in high-demand industries, the Skills Capital Grants play a significant role in training students of all ages for successful long-lasting careers,” said Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta. “The impact of these grant funds on students, educational institutions, and local business partners is incredibly positive and moves us toward a more equitable economy.” 

Approximately 68 percent of the funds have been awarded to traditional high schools and vocational technical schools, 24 percent going to colleges, and another 8 percent to community-based organizations. A focus of the more recent grant awards has been the launch and expansion of the Governor’s Career Technical Initiative, which supports vocational-technical schools in expanding their impact by operating programs in the afternoons for local high school students and in the evenings for workers and adult learners.

“These unprecedented and sustained investments to expand training capacity in high-demand industries, and upgrades to the quality of equipment, ensure that our students – both young people and adults – graduate with knowledge and skills that are of immediate value to them as they launch careers and to employers who need skilled workers in today’s rapidly changing economy,” said Education Secretary James Peyser.

“Training a skilled workforce is critical to the Commonwealth’s economic recovery, and the Skills Capital Grants have been a vital component of our efforts to strengthen the talent pipelines for key industries,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.  “As we continue emerging from the economic damage inflicted by the pandemic, funding this program at this milestone level will significantly increase access to employment opportunities in every region of Massachusetts and accelerate progress toward recovery.”

In January 2020, the Administration began awarding larger multi-year grants, allowing educational institutions to apply for either one or two years of funding. In this round of grants, Massachusetts Bay Community College received a two-year grant totaling $750,000 to purchase new equipment to support students in the nursing and allied health programs. Entities which receive two-year awards require a local matching contribution of $1 to every $3 of state funding.

The Skills Capital Grants are awarded by Governor Baker’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, which was created in 2015 to bring together the Secretariats of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Housing and Economic Development to align education, economic development, and workforce policies in order to strategize around how to meet employers’ demand for skilled workers in every region of the Commonwealth.

The following organizations received awards in this round:

 

Agawam High School, Agawam – $58,188, Manufacturing & Information Technology:  The school will use the grant to expand its existing early career programs in manufacturing and information technology.

Atlantis Charter School, Fall River – $75,000, Manufacturing Innovation Pathway: The grant will support the school’s manufacturing early career program by providing students with substantial resources to improve their workforce training. The grant will enable the school to leverage matching grant opportunities from philanthropic donors, local businesses, and higher education institutions.

Attleboro High School, Attleboro – $180,00, Metal fabrication: Attleboro High School will purchase programmable welding robots used by industry partners to provide students experience on the most up-to-date equipment used by employers. The school also plans to launch new adult/evening training programs to meet demand for training.

Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School, Charlton – $250,000, Veterinarian Tech: The school will renovate the veterinary hospital where students train and work alongside veterinary professionals in the fully operational veterinary hospital. The school will eventually offer afterschool and evening programs to adult learners to earn a veterinary assisting certification. Bay Path will partner with Second Chance Animal Services, an organization that provides care to animals.

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), Boston – $151,468, Electrical Technology: BFIT’s Engineering Technology program will prepare students for a wide-range of jobs in the technology sector, including robotic assembly technicians, test technicians, automation technicians, solar technicians, solar installation technicians, wind technicians, mechanical technicians, machine tool technicians, and manufacturing technicians.  The school will offer stackable certificates and associate degrees in engineering technology.

Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield – $400,000, Culinary and Hospitality: The college will establish the Berkshire Culinary Institute (BCI) to support its redesigned culinary and hospitality program.  The former cafeteria will be repurposed into a modern teaching and learning space to give students experience in culinary, hospitality and the food service industries.

Blue Hills Regional Technical School, Canton – $200,000, Engineering Technology: The school will expand its engineering and drafting/CAD programs, and purchase new robotics equipment, a CNC mill, water cutter, and workstations with power.  By improving the program, the school will help students meet increasing industry demand for skilled workers in the engineering profession.

Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater – $250,000, Information Technology and Security: The university plans to develop a cyber simulation center to expand course offerings in cyber-criminology, cybersecurity, and digital forensics to meet critical workforce needs. The university is collaborating with state, education, and industry leaders to create a Commonwealth Cybersecurity Consortium.

Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, Taunton – $228,380, Community Health & Practical Nurse Program: The school will update instructional labs in the community health and practical nurse programs to provide students with hands on experience using modern patient simulation and industry standard equipment.

Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable – $479,082, Nursing & Allied Health: The college is aiming to expand the nursing program by 50 percent by 2023-2024. With the grant, the college will purchase patient simulation manikins, accompanying AV media tools to capture and stream simulation data, IV infusion pumps, a medication management system, and four hospital beds with full set-up.

Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich – $275,000, Agriculture/Horticulture Program: The high school will purchase equipment to improve the horticulture program, specifically landscaping, groundskeeping and landscape construction. Instructors will be able to optimize the job readiness and employability of young horticulturists, arborists, and agricultural workers by accelerating their progress toward professional licensure and certifications. Cape Cod Regional Technical High School will purchase hydroponics and aquaponics systems equipment to allow new areas of instruction that aligns with economic and business development.

Catholic Charities South, Brockton – $84,127, Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide: Catholic Charities South (CCS) operates the Brockton certified nursing assistant and home health aide training program and the English Transcultural Center (ETC), which provides adult education programs and classes that include English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, computer literacy training, and employment assistance and placement. The grant will help increase the adult education programs’ capacity, allowing additional training in day and evening hours, and strengthen the programs’ ability to drive students to Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide credentials.

Central MA Center for Business & Enterprise, Whitinsville – $111,000, Welding and Metal Fabrication: Funding will support Central MA Center for Business & Enterprise to purchase additional AAR Welding Simulators to increase the learning capacity, and hands on applied learning experiences for adult workforce training and partnering high schools’ students enrolled in Innovation Pathways. The additional welders will support students to have increased hands-on instructional time to demonstrate mastery of additional skill sets required to obtain industry credentials desired by employer partners.

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, Dighton – $214,000, Advanced Manufacturing: The high school will update equipment and technology in the Advanced Manufacturing program. The grant will expand training for students and adults in the community to meet workforce gaps in the manufacturing sector. The school will purchase CNC lathes, CNC milling machines, 3-D printers, a laser machine.

Diman Regional Vocational, Fall River – $55,938, Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies Program: The school will train students and unemployed/underemployed adult learners in metal fabrication and joining technologies to meet the need for skilled welders and pipefitters. New VICON fabrication & ViSoft HVAC software equipment will be available during school hours to Diman students, and in the evening for adults in the Career Technical Institute program.

Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, Hathorne – $121,000, Construction Trades: The school will expand career and technical education opportunities in the construction trades for students in both the day program, afterschool, and adult evening classes.

Fitchburg High School, Fitchburg – $71,762, Manufacturing Innovation Pathway: Students enrolled in the high school’s manufacturing Innovation Pathway program will gain experience in manufacturing, robotics, C.A.D./blueprint reading and engineering.

Gardner High School, Gardner – $75,000, Manufacturing Innovation Pathway: The high school will purchase a new CNC machine and milling and miter equipment to support students enrolled in the manufacturing Innovation Pathway programs in makerspace, technology & engineering, robotics, intro and advanced woodworking that align to the new MACWIC certification course at Gardner High School.

Greater Lawrence Technical School, Andover – $220,000, Advanced Manufacturing and Metal Fabrication: The high school will expand the advanced manufacturing shop and upgrade equipment in the metal fabrication and joining technologies lab. The new equipment will help expand the school’s Career Technical Institute by increasing the number of students enrolled in afternoon and evening programs.

Greenfield Community College, Greenfield – $450,000, Nursing and Emergency Medical Services (EMS): The college will upgrade its clinical patient simulation lab (SIMS Lab) for both its Department of Nursing and Emergency Medical Services Program, replacing outdated low- and hi-fidelity patient simulators and components.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston – $150,000, Creative Economy Technicians: The college will update the Creative Economy Technology labs with new equipment and technology, including 3D printers and scanners, laser cutters; downdraft tables, and related support equipment and air systems. The equipment will provide MassArt graduates the skills and training they need to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation in creative occupations related to robotics and animation, engineering technology, information services and networking sectors.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Buzzards Bay – $250,000, Renewable Energy and Advanced Manufacturing: Mass Maritime will create an Advanced Manufacturing and Design Makerspace which will modernize, upgrade, and renovate existing resources that support the Energy Systems Engineering (ESEN) undergraduate program. The Academy will partner with renewable energy companies including offshore wind organizations and secondary school partners to help build out and customize the program. The new makerspace lab will be used to support the Academy’s workforce development initiatives for underemployed adult learners and create pathways for the Academy’s K-12 programs aimed to inspire women and students of color to pursue STEM fields, and vocational and apprentice pathway programs.

Massasoit Community College, Brockton – $213,196, Allied Health: The college will purchase training equipment for its allied health programs to support students learning to become radiologic technicians, medical assistants, medical practice specialists, EMTs, paramedics, community EMS paramedics, EKG technicians, and phlebotomists.

MassBay Community College, Wellesley – $750,000, Nursing and Allied Health Pathways: The college will purchase new equipment to support students in the nursing and medical imagining pathways. Students will have the opportunity to continue to the practical nursing certificate and associate degree in nursing, and then proceed to a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Framingham State University. Students gain clinical training at one of the college’s 45 partnering health care organizations.

Mattapan/Greater Boston Technology Learning Center, Mattapan – $150,000, Computer Network Support Specialist: Mattapan Tech will purchase new technology equipment to continue providing free job training to young people and new immigrants in the most vulnerable communities. The program covers a broad range of computer and network fundamentals for IT careers, based on the latest technology and software development skills.

McCann Technical School, North Adams – $96,430, Metal Fabrication & Welding: Precision manufacturing in Berkshire County is a niche market focused on the aerospace, defense, commercial, medical device, plastics, and mold making markets.  Critical to these industries is a workforce of well-trained welders, metal fabricators, and robotic welding technology programmers for both bridge and structural and pre-cast concrete fabrication. The high school will purchase welding and robotics equipment to support students in the metal fabrication program, as well as learners in evening adult training programs.

Medford Vocational Technical High School, Medford – $367,994, Construction and Craft Laborer: The high school will purchase heavy construction machinery to enhance its construction and craft laborer’s (CCL) program, as well as the Construction Academy which includes the carpentry and electrical programs.

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, Fitchburg – $250,000, Welding/Metal Fabrication: Welding is one of the top three sectors in the central Massachusetts region facing a skills gap that must be addressed. The high school will purchase new welding/metal fabrication equipment to update the existing day program, which will also used by adults in the new evening Career Technical Institute program.

Monument Mountain Regional High School, Great Barrington – $75,000, Manufacturing Innovative Pathway: Students in the manufacturing Innovation Pathway will have opportunities for hands on instruction with several multi-material 3D printers, laser cutters, a welding simulator and automation simulator through Project Lead the Way (PLTW) project-based learning curriculum.

Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner – $250,000, Dental Hygiene: The college will outfit its dental clinic with a modern sterilization center and upgrade the dental treatment rooms and radiographic equipment to industry standards. The dental clinic is housed within Community Health Connections in Fitchburg, which dental hygiene and assisting students provide patient care. Training provided to students will improve with state-of-the art sterilization and infection control procedures and processes that comply with CDC and OSHA guidelines and align with state licensing requirements.

Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School, Wakefield – $61,000, Allied Health Programs: The school will upgrade and modernize equipment in the health assisting and dental assisting programs, which serves more than 180 students.

Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester – $250,000, Electronic Engineering Technology: The school will expand training capacity in the electronics engineering technology program for high school students, and those in adult education programs.

Peabody Public Schools, Peabody – $125,000, Medical Assisting: The school will purchase simulation-based training equipment for medical assistant students to gain hands-on practice and knowledge. The equipment will include patient simulators, electronic thermometers, spirometers, pediatric scales, diagnostic equipment, and vision and hearing screeners.

Quaboag Regional High School, Warren – $75,000, Healthcare Innovation Pathway: Students in the healthcare Innovation Pathway will gain skills for entry level health care positions and receive Certified Nursing Assistant and Certified Medical Assistant certifications. With the grant, the school will purchase EKG machines, blood pressure and phlebotomy training arms, testing/diagnostic machines, CPR manikins with feedback devices as well as Project Lead the Way equipment for the Biomedical Sciences.

Quincy High School, Quincy – $162,400, Carpentry Technology: The high school will enhance the carpentry technology curriculum to strengthen students’ critical carpentry skills. The carpentry program is supported by community partners, including Callahan Construction, City of Quincy Inspectional Services, and A.H. Campbell and Son, Inc. who will work in collaboration with the high school to ensure graduates find gainful internships, apprenticeships, employment opportunities, and/or post-secondary education upon graduation.

Quincy College, Quincy – $333,881, Pharmacy Technician and Medical Laboratory Technician: The college will purchase training equipment and new instructional technology for pharmacy technician and medical laboratory technicians, both occupations that are in demand in the region.

Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester – $231,522, Computer Systems Engineering Technology: The college will enhance its Systems Engineering Technology (CSET) Lab on its Worcester campus to allow more students to enter the fast-growing Information Technology industry as Computer User Support Technicians and Information Security Analysts.  As part of their required experiential learning, CSET degree students work with local employers to troubleshoot computer networking infrastructures, manage common third-party applications, design data storage solutions and much more in a structured, paid work environment.

Salem High School, Salem -$116,000, Automotive Technology: Salem High School will modernize its automotive technology program to ensure students have the skills required by local employers. Equipment and technology purchased including modern brake, alignment, tire, and diagnostic training equipment will enable students to prepare for ASE industry standard certifications.

Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, Northampton- $234,000, Automotive Technology: The school will modernize the automotive technology and collision repair programs to prepare students as electric vehicle technology becomes more widespread. The ATECH Classroom Management system includes hands-on training aids in engine performance, electrical, emissions, hybrid, starting and charging brake, and restraint systems.

Somerville High School Somerville, MA – $268,000, Advanced Manufacturing: The high school will upgrade and build upon it advanced manufacturing program by adding industry-standard 3D printing/additive manufacturing equipment. Students working with this new equipment will have new opportunities for industry credentialing.

South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, Hanover – $256,000, Allied Health Technology: High school and adult students will gain knowledge and skills in health care to pursue careers as certified nurses’ assistants, licensed practical nurses, blood pathologists, and EKG technicians.

Southeastern Regional School District, South Easton – $380,000, HVAC and Electrical: The school will install new electrical and HVAC equipment to support high school students in the traditional day programs and others enrolled in the and Career Technical Initiative training program. Students will earn education and work experience hours toward apprenticeship and/or licensure, along with other industry-recognized credentials. Electrical students will also graduate as PLC technicians, allowing them to install, program, and repair programmable logic controller systems in a variety of industrial applications.

Swampscott High School, Swampscott – $74,250, Manufacturing Innovation PathwaySwampscott High School is launching a newly state approved Innovation Pathway program in Advanced Manufacturing in the fall of 2021.  Grant funds will help create a manufacturing and fabrication lab that includes hand tools and basic wood and metal working machinery as well as 3-D printers, replicators, a laser cutter and a CNC machine for exposure to more industry-standard manufacturing processes and support students in attaining MACWIC and OSHA certifications, and specific certifications in industry-standard software such as Solidworks.

Taconic High School, Pittsfield – $171,615, Information Support Services and Networking: The high school is launching a new Information Support Services and Networking Program (ISSN) to meet the local workforce demand. New equipment will outfit two new IT computer labs that will provide a learning resource for students to become certified in COMP A++ and Cisco Networking Assistant.

Tantasqua Regional Vocational High School, Fiskdale- $110,511, Culinary Arts and Hospitality: The school will retool the kitchen for the culinary program and student-run restaurant to match current industry standards and prepare students for cooperative education placements, as well as full-time employment in the region. Student’s enrolled in the programs earn their OSHA 10 cards, ServeSafe Alergen, Manager, and Alcohol, in addition to First Aid/CPR credentials.

Waltham High School, Waltham- $152,871, Health Assisting: The school will purchase industry-standard health care equipment including EKGs, Pulse Doppler and Vital Sign machines hospital grade furniture, training models, mobility equipment to support students enrolled in the newly launched Chapter 74 Healthcare Assistant Program to gain Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) industry recognized credential. The healthcare industry is identified as a priority sector in the Greater Boston Regional Blueprint.

Watertown High School, Watertown – $218,073, Medical Assisting: Watertown High School is launching a medical assisting program to meet workforce needs in Greater Boston for more healthcare professionals. New equipment will closely mirror that found in a doctor’s or hospital’s patient examination rooms, labs, and ancillary offices such as exam tables, cabinets, lab tables, centrifuges, microscopes, EKG machines, AED machines, patient simulation mannequins, phlebotomy arms, computers, and software.

Weekly Roundup – There’s More Of Us

Article Source: State House News Service

Author: Katie Lannan

 

Last August, Gov. Charlie Baker’s test-or-quarantine travel restrictions meant many people were sticking close to home for their summer trips, or left trying to discern the protocols they’d need to follow for, say, a quick border-crossing jaunt to Narragansett Beach.

This year, things are different. Vacation season is back in earnest on Beacon Hill and elsewhere, complete with a heatwave, quiet halls at the State House (that is, even quieter than still-closed building has been for months) and, for much of last weekend, Acting Governor Bill Galvin.

Baker’s weeklong family trip to California overlapped with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito’s own weekend visit to Pennsylvania, leaving the secretary of state officially running the show for a couple days until Polito returned.

Before the week was out, Galvin would have the chance to deploy one of his duties that’s even rarer than stepping into the acting governor role — unveiling the state’s updated population numbers post-Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Thursday release of data from its 2020 count tracked a 7.4 percent population increase in both Massachusetts and the country as a whole over the decade. Galvin, the state’s Census overseer, said dramatic growth in cities and other changes means significant adjustments lie ahead for Congressional and state legislative districts.

The exact shapes and boundaries of those districts will be left in the hands of lawmakers, but uneven growth points to the possibility of larger districts out west, where Berkshire and Franklin counties lost residents, and more compact or shifted districts in the eastern part of the state, where large cities got bigger.

Boston, Galvin forecast, could gain another seat in the state House of Representatives.

Before that can happen, though, the city’s voters will choose their next mayor. With about a month to go before the preliminary election, endorsement announcements have been swirling as new ads hit screens and candidates direct their jabs at City Hall.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey instituted a new policy that will require the city’s 18,000 workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing, gradually phasing in the mandate by mid-October.

Though she’s panned the idea of vaccine passports like New York City is pursuing, Janey’s been hinting for a few weeks that this move was coming, and other mayoral candidates were quick to knock its pace.

City Councilor Andrea Campbell called it “the type of decision that should take hours or days – not weeks,” and John Barros labeled it “overdue,” saying Janey should have put the rule in place when City Hall employees returned to in-person work. Councilor Michelle Wu said the city needs “more than half measures,” calling for vaccine regulations for spaces like gyms, salons and restaurants.

No one knows what COVID-19 dynamics will look like in 2022, but the virus and state government’s handling of it is also an issue on the winding campaign trail to next year’s governor’s race.

Two Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls are pushing for changes in how the state communicates information about the pandemic.

Danielle Allen wants to see Baker create an alert system modeled after weather advisories that would monitor risk levels, triggering changes like more testing or mask mandates in schools if infections hit certain levels in a particular area. Former state Sen. Ben Downing called for “Beacon Hill to begin the process of auditing the Baker Administration’s Department of Public Health for their omissions in reporting on hospitalization data by age, race, and other demographics.”

The third Democrat in the field so far, Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, collected endorsements from eight of her colleagues in the Legislature and four progressive municipal officials from Boston, Worcester and Lawrence.

While lawmakers take their own version of a summer break this month, several still have their eyes on the looming back-to-school season — and on the Baker administration’s decision to recommend, but not require, in-classroom masking for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, unvaccinated older students and unvaccinated adults in schools.

Public Health Committee co-chairs Rep. Marjorie Decker and Sen. Jo Comerford, who have custody of a bill that would require universal masking in schools, wrote in The Boston Globe this week that Baker should put a stronger school mask mandate in place. And the sponsor of that bill, Sen. Becca Rausch, has been collecting comments from parents and others who want to see students and their teachers mask up this fall.

As various school committees and boards of health vote on their own policies, it’s becoming clear that — at least for now — mask and vaccine rules will be the domain of individual municipalities and employers.

“I think communities are doing exactly what we hoped and anticipated that they would do, which is making the decision that makes the most sense for them,” Baker said Thursday, visiting digital learning company Cengage in his first public event since before his California trip.

The governor touted the state’s high vaccination rates and forthcoming clinics set up with school departments, saying he expects some communities will likely have “north of 80 percent of their kids at the seven to 12 grade level” vaccinated by the time school starts.

For younger students who still aren’t vaccine-eligible, Baker said he anticipates an emergency-use authorization for a vaccine at some point in the fall. The administration’s “strong recommendation” that kids in grades K-6 wear masks reflects the fact that the shots aren’t available to them, he said.

“We’ve also made our pool testing program available, which was a big success last spring — about 1,000 schools participated in it — we’re making that program available to any school district, and any school in Massachusetts, public school, that wants to participate,” he said. “And I think you put all those things together, and we are perfectly positioned to make sure that kids and adults will be safe when they go back to school, and we fully expect everybody to be in person.”

The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on face coverings would now have everybody in Massachusetts — vaccinated and unvaccinated — wear masks in indoor public places. That recommendation, issued late last month, applies to counties experiencing “high” or “substantial” COVID-19 transmission — now the whole of Massachusetts.

The federal eviction moratorium is also linked to those transmission levels, so it applies across each of the state’s 14 counties.

That hasn’t stopped some lawmakers from wanting to put their own state-level ban in place. Eighty-two of 200 lawmakers signed on to a moratorium bill that was the subject of this week’s sole committee hearing.

Holding a hearing in the middle of the traditional August recess is atypical, and could mean the bill or related policies might get pencilled in to the post-Labor Day agenda.

When the fall term arrives at New England Law Boston, it’ll happen without Scott Brown at the school’s helm. The former senator and ambassador to New Zealand resigned after about seven months as president and dean of the faculty, saying it’s time for him to re-enter the political arena.

The former Wrentham Republican now calls New Hampshire home. Even if it’s not the Bay State political arena he’s seeking, he nonetheless might have sights on its regular arenas, bandstands, bars and theaters — his rock cover band, Scott Brown and the Diplomats, has a show planned at Salisbury Beach on Saturday, and is set to hit the Wrentham Town Common later this month.

Deal-seeking shoppers might opt for Wrentham this weekend instead, hitting the outlets there to take advantage of the two-day break from the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.

Baker had sought to turn the annual sales tax-holiday into a two-month vacation, filing a bill in June that would have extended the tax-free period throughout all of August and September.

Legislative leaders and several other Democrats panned the idea, leaving the bill on ice throughout the dog days of summer. It’s been before the Revenue Committee since July 1, with a hearing not yet scheduled.

A different type of tax may be top of mind for Rep. David Linsky. The Natick Democrat told the News Service this week that he’s on a payment plan with the Internal Revenue Service to pay back “every dime” of his $154,000 owed in unpaid federal income taxes and has already started to chip away at that balance.

State House staffer income is the subject of a trio of new bills from Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven and Sen. Diana DiZoglio. The lawmakers’ package proposes setting a minimum salary of $55,000 for full-time legislative staffers, providing them with yearly cost-of-living adjustments and offering retroactive bonuses to offset pandemic-related work costs.

That proposed wage floor would represent a raise for many staffers. As far as windfalls go, though, it would be fairly modest compared to the influx of federal dollars the state and cities will amass from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Mayor Janey this week announced a listening campaign to help Boston plan how to spend about $400 million in ARPA money, similar to the hearing process legislative budget writers are undertaking to determine how to allocate the state’s billions.

The Ways and Means Committee’s hearings started in July and are on hold for the month, with plans to pick back up after Labor Day. Like so much else, those spending questions will still be there on the other side of August.

STORY OF THE WEEK: School mask debates continue to simmer as summer vacations wind down.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Crumple that outdated map in your pocket; the Census numbers are here and it’s time to draw some new districts.

Population Surge Points to “Significant” District Changes

After months of pandemic-induced delays, the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released the local-level population and demographic data from the 2020 count of the nation’s population, triggering a sprint to redraw the boundaries of the state’s legislative and Congressional districts over the coming months.

The 2020 Census counted 7,029,917 people living in Massachusetts, a 482,288-person or 7.4 percent increase over the last decade that outpaced the 4.1 percent average in the Northeast and equaled the growth rate of the country as a whole. The state’s growth has been uneven, likely requiring the western Massachusetts districts represented by U.S. Rep Richard Neal and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern’s western/central district to be expanded in size to meet the 781,497-constituent target set by Census officials, while the footprint of eastern districts close to Boston may need to shrink or shift west.

Armed with the detailed local data showing population gains in all 10 of the largest Bay State cities — Boston (+58,053), Worcester (+25,473), Springfield (+2,869), Lowell (+9,035), Cambridge (+13,241), New Bedford (+6,007), Brockton (+11,833), Quincy (+9,365), Lynn (+10,924) and Fall River (+5,143) — and decreases in Holyoke (-1,642), Pittsfield (-810), North Adams (-747) and Westfield (-260), the Legislature can truly begin the process of reshaping voting districts to account for shifting population centers with a few sometimes-conflicting priorities in mind, like maximizing minority representation and protecting incumbents.

Outside the 10 most populous cities, Lawrence saw the greatest population growth (+12,766) followed by Revere (+10,431), Everett (+7,408), Haverhill (+6,908) and Malden (+6,813). Secretary of State Bill Galvin said Thursday afternoon that Massachusetts now has nine cities with more than 100,000 residents and Worcester, the state’s second-largest city, has surpassed 200,000 residents for the first time.

“We’ve had significant changes within our state. We’ve seen cities grow dramatically … Many of the suburban communities grow as well,” Galvin, the state’s liaison to the Census, said. He added, “Particularly gratifying was seeing some of the communities that we were most concerned about, where we knew there were significant populations of non-native born persons, being fully counted. So, for instance, the city of Lawrence is now at 89,000, a dramatic gain. The city of Revere had the greatest percentage gain. The city of Chelsea, one of the concerns we constantly expressed, is now at 40,000 people. The city of New Bedford is at 102,000 people. These are all communities that, even to the last days of the Census, we were constantly struggling to make sure people were counted in those communities.”

The only two counties in Massachusetts to shed residents over the last decade were Berkshire (-2,193) and Franklin (-343). Every other county saw population growth, led by the gains of 128,917 people in Middlesex County, 75,913 people in Suffolk County and 66,670 people in Essex County. By growth percentage, Nantucket County led the way with a 40.1 percent gain (an increase of 4,083 people).

That’s at odds with the national trend, the U.S. Census Bureau said Thursday. Across the country, less than half (47 percent) of the nation’s 3,143 counties gained population over the last decade.

Galvin said the new numbers from the Census mean that Congressional districts will include 781,000 people, state Senate districts will include more than 175,000 people and state House of Representative districts will include almost 44,000 people.

“So all of these districts are going to have to change. And there’s going to have to be some significant adjustment made,” Galvin said. “Just to take Boston because it’s the largest city as an example, Boston appears to have gained — did gain — 58,000 people. That means it probably would gain an additional, potentially an additional, seat in the House of Representatives.”

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, led by Assistant House Majority Michael Moran and Senate President Pro Tempore William Brownsberger, has already held more than 18 hearings on the redistricting process and is expected to hold more public hearings once its proposed district maps are available.

Moran told the News Service on Thursday that the committee’s third-party vendor is working now to put the latest Census data into a format that meets the committee’s parameters. Once it is, lawmakers will begin diving into the numbers and digesting it with the testimony from redistricting hearings.

But he is also mindful of the Census Bureau’s plan for another data release — the Census says it will be the same data but presented in different formats — by Sept. 30. Moran said the committee has to use official Census data and “given the Census’ credibility in the last year and a half,” he is not considering the data released Thursday to be the official numbers.

“My job isn’t to be first on this stuff, my job is to be correct,” Moran, who led the last round of redistricting for the House, said. He added, “As far as I’m concerned and the House is concerned — and I think you’ll see Senator Brownsberger is in a similar position — our job is to get it right. And we’re going to look at these numbers when they’re in a safe space for us to look at them.”

There could be other proposed maps in the mix as well. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and Republican Sen. Ryan Fattman plan to oversee the redistricting process for the Senate minority caucus and are leaving their options open as they scrutinize the fresh data, a Tarr spokesman said. For the House Republicans, Rep. Paul Frost will serve as the redistricting point person.

“Whether the caucus produces its own proposal will be dictated in large part by what the preliminary maps look like, but we certainly plan to offer our input throughout this important undertaking and will be working to ensure that the entire process remains open and transparent,” House Minority Leader Brad Jones said.

Shortly after the data was made available, advocates with the Drawing Democracy Coalition said they plan to use it to produce the organization’s own “unity map” that would keep communities together and ensure equitable representation for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian-American communities, people of color, immigrants, and low-income communities. The group said it plans to eventually submit its map to the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting.

“Redistricting is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to better ensure authentic representation and open new opportunities for building power for BIPOC, immigrant and low-income communities,” the coalition said in a statement. “Especially as efforts are underway across the country to restrict access to voting, it is more important than ever to ensure that voters can elect representatives of their choice. While today’s release of the redistricting data is several months delayed, the Drawing Democracy Coalition is confident that, along with the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, we have a strong plan in place to ensure that the process remains fair and transparent and that the new district maps are approved by the November 8, 2021 deadline.”

State representatives planning to seek reelection in 2022 must reside within their district boundaries for at least one year ahead of time, making Nov. 8, 2021 a soft deadline for the new maps that would give candidates a chance to ensure they can be eligible for next year’s election.

Drawing Democracy said it has already received and shared with the Special Redistricting Committee 99 “community of interest” map submissions “providing valuable insight from local residents into what areas of their communities are most important to keep together.”

Once the group’s unity map is drafted, it will go through “extensive legal review” to make sure that it is in compliance with the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Massachusetts Constitution and state laws. Drawing Democracy plans to solicit input from its coalition members at five virtual listening sessions, make any necessary tweaks and then present it to the legislative committee for consideration.

“During redistricting in 2011, the final maps approved by the legislature closely resembled the unity map presented by Drawing Democracy,” the group pointed out Thursday in its announcement.

Thursday’s data release from the U.S. Census Bureau follows its April release of congressional apportionment data, which provided total state headcounts to be used to determine each state’s number of U.S. House of Representatives seats and in funding formulas. Massachusetts added 482,288 people since the last Census in 2010, ensuring that its delegation to the U.S. House will remain the same size rather than shrinking by one as happened after the 2010 count.

But that April data was not enough to draw maps of voting districts within states because it did not get into the granular details like where in a state people live, or their age, race and ethnicity.

The redistricting data released Thursday gets down to the individual Census block, counts only residents (the apportionment data also includes “federally-affiliated” people living overseas), and includes race, ethnicity and some housing information. It became available Thursday in what the Census called a “legacy format” that states, redistricting software vendors and groups like the National Conference of State Legislatures are familiar with.

The Census plans to release the same data in manners more accessible to the public by the end of September, including through the data.census.gov platform. Governors, state legislative leaders and any redistricting commissions around the country will get DVDs and flash drives with an integrated data browsing software by the end of next month.

But by then, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law said, “many states are expected to start and potentially even complete their map-drawing processes.”

WorkNorthCentral Hiring Event

Are you looking to start your career, make a career change or shorten your commute?

Land your next job at the WorkNorthCentral Hiring Event! The Hiring Event will be held on Tuesday, September 28th at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, MA. The event is FREE for job seekers!

Job seekers will be able to take advantage of full day of programming including a Resume Workshop, Interview Skills Workshop, “What are our resources?”, Social Media and Job Searching, a Presentation on Jobs in Manufacturing, a Presentation on Career Counseling, Free Headshots by Habakkuk Media Services – Photography and Portraiture and Prize Raffles through the day.

The WorkNorthCentral Hiring Event will have over 25 employers ranging from banks, healthcare, education, non-profit, manufacturers and many more. To see a full list of the hiring companies or register for the Hiring Event, visit NorthCentralMass.com.

Chamber Hosting Office Hours with State Economic Development Officials

In a partnership with the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and MassDevelopment, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce will be hosting state economic development officials for one-on-one appointments with local developers, manufacturers and business owners.  The meetings are an opportunity to discuss any specific matters related to their business or the expansion of their business, as well as to review state resources available to support business growth and expansion.

Kevin Kuros, Central Massachusetts Director for MOBD and Rob Anderson,

Vice President of Business Development for MassDevelopment will be available at the Chamber office by appointment on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 between 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The appointments are in thirty minute increments and are first come, first serve. The meetings are free and confidential, available on a non-discriminatory basis, and are handicapped accessible.

MOBD helps businesses relocating to Massachusetts and businesses wishing to expand their current operations here.  MOBD is responsible for managing the state’s Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) which provides tax credits for qualifying business expansion projects.  In addition, they provide information on other state economic development programs, including the state’s R&D tax credit, the Mass Life Science Center tax incentives, the Workforce Training Fund grant program, the Mass Clean Energy Center programs, the STEP grant offered through the Mass Office of International Trade and Investment and other state resources.

MassDevelopment, the state’s quasi-public finance and development agency provides real estate and equipment loans and other programs to support manufacturers, non-profit organizations and developers of rental housing.  In addition, they also manage the state’s Brownfields Tax Credit Program, Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and New Markets Tax Credit Program.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce at (978) 353-7600 ext. 222.