Westport
in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Thursday,
July 31, 2014
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as noted
Quick
Article Index . . .
South Coast Youth Conservation Corps
Provides Rare Opportunity for Teens.
State
Legislature passed Substance Abuse Recovery Bill.
Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital
announces five 2014 scholarship winners.
The Feast of the Blessed
Sacrament World's Largest Portuguese Feast - New Bedford, MA.
Suspected
revenge killing takes the life of Westport policeman’s German Shepard.
SouthCoast Energy Challenge plans Dartmouth home solar tour
on Sunday, August 10th.
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South Coast
Youth Conservation Corps Provides Rare Opportunity for Teens. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, July 29, 2014 South Coast Youth Conservation Corps
Provides Rare Opportunity for Teens. If you’re outside
on the South Coast this summer, walking a trail, picnicking in the park or
buying veggies at a local farmer’s market, you just might bump into a group
of young people wearing matching green T-shirts and khaki hats. Although a
pack of teenagers might arouse suspicion under some circumstances, these
teens aren’t getting into trouble, on the contrary, they’re members of the
South Coast Youth Conservation Corps. Youth are
planting trees, growing organic produce and clearing hiking trails this
summer for the benefit of their community. Created in 2003 by The Trustees of
Reservations (The Trustees), the nation’s oldest regional land trust and one
of Massachusetts’ largest land conservation organizations, the Youth
Conservation Corps was expanded in 2012 to provide more than 30 urban youth
with paid summer jobs in New Bedford, Fall River and Westport. With the
unemployment rate among 16-to-24-year-olds topping 14.2%, more than twice the
national rate, the Youth Conservation Corps program offers a meaningful work
experience while building environmental awareness, community involvement and
leadership skills. Planting trees in
Fall River and New Bedford are two examples of the many Youth Corps projects
that will benefit the community for many years. Working with the Fall River
Street Tree Committee, one Youth Corps crew is planting trees in the Bay
Street area as part of a large grant for tree planting awarded to the city by
the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Another crew is planting
Atlantic White Cedar trees as part of a cedar swamp restoration project and
working with New Bedford arborist Chancery Perks, a former youth corps
member, to plant trees around the Whaling City. In addition to providing
clearer air and water, increased property values and reduced heating and air
condition costs, these trees provide a sense of accomplishment that comes
from making a lasting contribution to the community. As one Youth Corps member said, “My Youth Corps experience changed my
sense of involvement and leadership in my community, to lead by example.” Another youth added, “Seeing what my crew has done so far has made me
realize that even small groups of people can make a huge difference. It has
also showed me the importance of getting involved. The only way you can
change things for the better is to get involved.” Building work
skills and offering learning opportunities, while deepening the connections
between young people, their community and the natural world, is the mission
of the Youth Conservation Corps. The words of the youth themselves express
the impact of the program best. “My experience has made me step up. I am now more willing to be a
leader in my community when it comes to environmental projects. I will want
to be more involved in my community. I will hopefully step up a lot more when
I notice that something needs to be done,” said one recent Youth Corps
member. The South Coast
Youth Corps offers a powerful learning experience that builds leadership and a
sense of personal responsibility through practical projects that provide real
benefits to the local community and environment. The Trustees are
piloting a statewide effort to grow the Youth Conservation Corps
program and operate five Youth Corps programs regionally, including programs
in Boston, Holyoke, Leominster, Cape Ann, and the South Coast. Youth Corps
programs are led by educators who are intimately acquainted with the
character of the community and landscapes in which each Corps operates. Funding
for the South Coast Youth Conservation Corps is provided by the Southeastern
Environmental Education Alliance (SEEAL) a fund of the Community Foundation
of Southeastern Massachusetts, The Trustees of Reservations, the Island
Foundation, the City of Fall River, and the United Way of Greater New Bedford
Summer Fund. For more
information about the program contact Education Coordinator Linton Harrington
at 508.636.4693 ext. 104 or lharrington@ttor.org. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, July 29,
2014 This August the Dedee Shattuck Gallery is
pleased to present Jamie Young and Bryan McFarlane in exhibition from Wednesday, July 30th
through Sunday, August 24th. Artists'
Reception is Saturday, August 16th from 5-7 p.m. This exhibit
pairs two established oil painters who explore the identity of place. Jamie
Young lives and works in Ashfield, Massachusetts, a
Berkshire community known for incubating talented artists. Bryan McFarlane is
a Boston painter and a professor at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Jamie Young lives and works in Ashfield Massachusetts, a Berkshire community known for
incubating talented artists. Her studio is in a beautifully refurbished
building on her horse farm, but she often loads up her truck bed with her
easel and paint to travel through the rolling hills and hay meadows capturing
the light and landscape. She is a studio painter by practice, but often
sketches and paints studies for her large canvases en plein-air.
Young seeks to capture the feeling of a place and the quality of light rather
than creating a formal representational landscape painting, embedded in her
images of flora are observations of climate change. Her works are energized
and gestural, representing the passion with which she captures the beauty of
her surroundings. She is particularly attracted to wild vines enveloping
leafy trees, bows dipping into rippling rivers, and sunlight shimmering on
foliage. This exhibit will feature a selection of Ashfield
paintings, as well as paintings of our own Westport, Massachusetts. Her
unique perspective, warm golden color palette, and energetic painting style
will enliven our walls for the month of August. Bryan McFarlane is a Boston painter and a
professor at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. McFarlane splits time
painting his large scale, semi abstract, oils between his studio off of
Harrison Avenue in Boston, and one in China. McFarlane was born in Jamaica,
and has travelled extensively including to his father's home country of
Ghana. Whether he is in Jamaica, Ghana, China, Boston, or Dartmouth
Massachusetts, McFarlane is always examining the arts and expressive styles
of his surroundings. He then synthesizes them in dynamic compositions that
are inspired by these varied creative environments, but also take on themes of
identity, climate change, and globalization. His works are abstract, but
contain occasional representational elements, depicted in a style that draws
from Caribbean, West African and Boston painting techniques. State
Legislature passed Substance Abuse Recovery Bill. EverythingWestport.com Friday, August
01, 2014 BOSTON – The
Legislature on Thursday approved the compromise Substance Abuse Recovery
Bill, increasing opportunities for long-term substance abuse recovery in the
Commonwealth by supporting a continuum a care and removing barriers that
stand in the way of effective treatment, Senator Michael J. Rodrigues
(D-Westport) announced. “With addiction
levels at the highest in history, Massachusetts is in the midst of a drug
epidemic. Addiction can truly be a matter of life and “This legislation is the culmination of work by a great many individuals
from a broad spectrum”, added Representative Patricia A. Haddad (D-Somerset)
House Speaker Pro Tempore, “researchers, substance abusers, social workers,
health care providers, insurers and community stakeholders all have convened
and assisted us in crafting this much-needed piece of legislation.” "Substance
abuse is not just an inner city problem. It is happening in our suburbs and
it is happening in our rural areas. This bill takes a giant step forward in
treatment of this universal scourge," said Representative Paul A. Schmid
(D-Westport). State
Representative Carole Fiola added, "There is
no single solution to substance abuse treatment, and many steps are involved
in the process. This comprehensive bill addresses treatment by
removing barriers to access in addition to providing a means to obtain
meaningful data and allowing providers an opportunity to save lives.
Substance addiction is a horrid epidemic in our region, and this legislation
is landmark step in fighting it." The bill will
increase the quality of and access to treatment by removing multiple prior
authorization requirements. For all MassHealth Managed Care Entities, this bill will remove
prior authorization for Acute Treatment Services and will require coverage of
up to 14 days of Clinical Stabilization Services with utilization review
procedures beginning on day seven. For those covered
by commercial insurers, this bill will remove prior authorization for Acute
Treatment Services and Clinical Stabilization Services and require coverage
for a total of up to 14 days with utilization review procedures beginning on
day seven. For both MassHealth and commercial
insurance, the facility will be required to provide the carrier with
notification of admission and an initial treatment plan within 48 hours of
admission. Additionally,
prior authorization will no longer be necessary for substance abuse treatment
if the provider is certified or licensed by the Department of Public Health.
All insurance carriers will be required to reimburse for substance abuse
treatment services delivered by a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
In addition, it
directs the Center for Health Information and Analysis to review the
accessibility of substance abuse treatment and adequacy of insurance coverage
and tasks the Health Policy Commission with recommending policies to ensure
access and coverage for substance abuse treatment throughout the
Commonwealth, as well as review denial rates for substance abuse treatment
coverage by commercial insurers. Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital announces five
2014 scholarship winners. Two recipients, Amalia K. Davis and Jessica Nunes,
are from Westport. EverythingWestport.com Friday, August 01, 2014 Pictured below, left to right: Marion
Greer, Scholarship Chair for the Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital;
Louise McCarthy, President of the Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital; Amalia K. Davis; Kirsten Petrarca;
Jessica Nunes; Nicolas Raposo;
Karen Long, Auxiliary member; Judy Morgenstein,
Auxiliary member; Not Pictured: Kaitlyn Machado
The Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital recently announced $5,000 in
scholarship awards for individuals who are pursuing a career in healthcare. The Auxiliary presented five $1,000 scholarship awards to area high
school seniors during its annual Scholarship Luncheon held on June 4 at the Fall
River Country Club. The Scholarships were presented by Auxiliary President
Louise McCarthy. “The committee and I were delighted to meet and spend some time with
the scholarship recipients at our annual luncheon,” said Marion Greer,
Scholarship Chair for the Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital. “They are
an exceptional group of students with a great future ahead of them.” The 2014 Scholarship
winners are: Amalia K. Davis, a graduate of Westport High School, will attend
the University of New Hampshire to pursue a career in Neuroscience. Kaitlyn Machado, a
graduate of Somerset-Berkley High School, will attend Bristol Community
College to pursue a career in Dental Hygiene. Jessica Nunes, a graduate of Westport High School, will
attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Kirsten Petrarca, a graduate of Tiverton High School, will
attend Boston University to pursue a career in Speech, Language and Hearing
Sciences. Nicholas Raposo, a graduate of BMC Durfee
High School, will attend Boston College to pursue a career in nursing. The Auxiliary of Charlton Memorial Hospital, founded in 1956, is a
non-profit organization whose purpose is to render service to Charlton
Memorial Hospital, its tax-exempt subsidiaries, its patients and to assist in
promoting the health and welfare of the community. The Auxiliary raises money
throughout the year by hosting fundraisers, a spring gala, raffles, and
jewelry and apparel sales. Joining the Auxiliary is a great way to become involved in your
community hospital. Members serve as ambassadors to the community on behalf
of the hospital. For more information or to join, please contact Jennifer
Szabo at 508.973.7472 or by email at: szaboj@southcoast.org. The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament World's Largest
Portuguese Feast - New Bedford, MA. 100th Annual
Celebration – Thursday, July 31st through Sunday, August 3rd, 2014. Annual Feast shortening of
lines waiting to buy tickets for food and drink has become a part of the
annual Portuguese Feast of the Blessed Sacrament. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, July 31, 2014 There are few fairs or festivals that can claim 100 years of welcoming
guests from near and far to celebrate the culture, traditions, and history of
anything. The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is often called “the Madeira
Feast” because its roots are in the tiny mountain and shore side villages of
the island of Madeira, the “Pearl of the Atlantic”. Read
more...
The 2014 committee has taken steps to reduce the time anyone waits to
purchase the one dollar tickets. The Feast became a “no cash” event more
than ten years ago. An additional eight ticket dispensing machines will bring the total
number to 12 locations to purchase tickets for everything on sale at the
Feast. Menu boards will be placed at the easy-to-find locations so feast
goers will know how many tickets to buy. Booths selling raffle tickets and
souvenirs will continue to accept cash. The new machines arrived in the spring and have been calibrated and tested
to insure proper operation. While special ID bracelets will still be
mandatory for anyone wishing to purchase any alcoholic beverage, the new
machines will assure faster and more convenient service. The ticket machines will accept 1, 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills and
dispense an equal number of tickets. Prices for food and drink at the Feast
remain at similar levels as 2013 with only slight increases wherever
necessary. Admission continues to
be free for the event, making it the only major festival in Southeastern
Massachusetts that provides continuous live entertainment during the entire
event at no charge. Information on the 2014 event is available on the group’s
updated website www.PortugueseFeast.com
or by phone at 508.992.6911. Normally, the Feast opens with a well-known headliner act on the
first night, but when you are celebrating 100 years . . . there are special
considerations. For the first time, the Feast committee
recognized the need to address those people who continued to say, “Oh, I
don’t go to the Feast it’s too crowded and noisy.” Six more hours have been
added to the schedule with the grounds, food and beverage stands, and special
entertainment now scheduled for Friday afternoon from Noon to 6:00 pm. Feast
Vice President, David Lucio smiled when he said, “On Friday afternoon, many
feast-goers are still at work. Parking will be easier and all of our most
popular foods will be fresh out of the ovens . . . only earlier! We hope this
will attract a formerly set group of people who wanted to attend the Feast
without the crowds.”
Suspected
revenge killing takes the life of Westport policeman’s German Shepard. “This
dog had a higher purpose. He had been
training for one year as a Search and Rescue dog.” EverythingWestport.com Saturday, August
02, 2014 Letter to the
editor: I am writing this
letter to the editor not to explain police accomplishments in Westport but to
express my role as a crime victim.
Three months ago on April 2, my girlfriend and I had to euthanize our
5-year-old German Shepherd named Siren. Siren had become ill basically
overnight and he didn’t want to walk.
Within a few hours he couldn’t walk.
After an initial visit to Acoaxet Animal Hospital and follow-up visit
to Tufts University (Cummings School of Veterinary medicine), tests revealed
bleeding which had pressed against his spinal cord. The wonderful doctors from both hospitals
were caring and kind professionals.
Police Det. Jeff Majewski’s dog, Siren. Photo credit: Massachusetts
Vest-A-Dog After an MRI we
made the difficult decision (one that most of you who read this have probably
been forced to do yourselves as pet owners) to euthanize him to stop his
pain. It was a selfless decision as we
wanted to keep this dog alive. Siren
was a family member, a trusted companion, a guardian and a friend — the kind
of friend who listened without judgment, shared life experiences and helped
you get through tough days at work. But above all
this dog had a higher purpose. He had
been training for one year as a Search and Rescue dog. One day that dog might have found a missing
child or helped to locate an elderly person who wandered off from home. A few days ago we learned
that Siren’s necropsy revealed poison in samples of his liver. He had been killed. – Jeff Majewski I have been a
Westport police officer since 1989. In
the last 25 years I have arrested many people and sent an assortment of them
to jail and prison. I have done all
this and put myself in harm’s way for a greater purpose. I have done my job at a sacrifice often to
my family’s needs and wants. I have treated
crime victims and even some deserving suspects with empathy. It is a word that is many times discarded
in today’s world. As I wrote this
letter I tried to think of what caliber of person would hide in the shadows
with the intent to target an animal in a fenced-in yard. Part of my job is to profile people’s
behavior and try to figure out what drives them to do the things they do so I
can solve crime. In the past 25 years
I am sure I have made people angry, happy, sad and frustrated. Unfortunately I have also had victims unhappy
with an overburdened criminal justice system that doesn’t always function
flawlessly. I have even had people I
arrested thank me and sometimes threaten or assault me. I always viewed
it as part of what comes with the job as long as someone doesn’t cross that
sacred line in the sand. What type of
degenerate would enact personal revenge on a family’s pet. Siren at 100 pounds was an imposing figure
who had a beautiful amber coat and bold European German Shepherd looks. This was a cowardly act that happened at my
home in my fenced in yard. I have
reflected on that time when he got sick to see who may be responsible. I have criminally charged suspects with
this felony crime for causing much less pain to an animal. Too many times I have had to endure the
sight of people who starve and mistreat animals who need care and safe place
to live. A friend and
mentor (when I was a rookie police officer) always mentioned a quote by
Theodore Roosevelt during his “dare greatly” speech. It is a mantra for one’s life. In part that speech talked about how the
credit (in life) belongs to the person who is actually in the arena whose
face is marred by sweat and dust and blood, who spends himself in a worthy
cause … so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who
know neither victory nor defeat. “Only a coward of the lowest
sort would abuse or neglect an animal. To that person and their friends,
family and acquaintances, Karma is one day coming your way. To the rest of the animal loving world I am
offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to
criminal charges against this timid soul.” – Jeff Majewski I did not write
this letter so that people would feel badly (some hardened souls might
not). I wrote this letter to the
neighbors, friends, relatives and family of the person who may have done this
despicable deed. I realize that people
commit crimes for a number of reasons, from substance abuse problems to a
desire to prey on weaker victims for money or just the thrill of it. To the culprit who poisoned this dog, you
either told someone already, you will tell someone in the future, or you can
take this secret to your maker. I am not on a
witch hunt but a specific mission to be sure that I attribute responsibility
to the right person who killed this dog.
There is a place for you somewhere and I am not going anywhere anytime
soon. Jeff Majewski Westport SouthCoast
Energy Challenge plans Dartmouth home solar tour on Sunday, August 10th. Although
the solar tour is focused on Dartmouth installations, it is free and open to
all residents of the South Coast region. EverythingWestport.com July 30, 2014 The SouthCoast Energy Challenge is pleased to announce a
summer solar home tour that will take place on Sunday, August 10 from 4-6
p.m. in Dartmouth. The solar tour is
designed to give homeowners a chance to view solar installations up-close and
ask questions of the solar experts attending the tour. The van tour will
visit four locations to see a variety of solar installations, both rooftop and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic, as
well as solar hot water systems. The tour is part
of the educational programs presented during the Dartmouth Solar Challenge.
One resident who attended the solar tour offered last spring became
Dartmouth's first solar installation of the ongoing Energy Challenge. "I attended with my
sister," said homeowner Donna Martin of a new solar array sized to cover
100 percent of their home electric needs. The tour, like the workshops, is extremely
informative and interactive," she added.
The tour offers
participants the chance to see how solar energy works on a small scale at
homes and small businesses in their community, and have their questions
answered. It can inspire people to make energy choices that reduce costs and
reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut pollution from power generating
plants. New solar PV
owner Jack Martin calls solar "the way of the future, and
environmentally the right thing to do." "The Town of
Dartmouth has been an amazing partner, and supportive of our program since
its conception. The town is committed to helping residents save money and
increase solar energy," said Karen Stewart, assistant director of the
Challenge. "Dartmouth
now has over 2,708 people participating in the Energy Challenge. That success
led to the Dartmouth Solar Challenge, a targeted solar campaign aimed at
doubling the amount of residential solar capacity this summer, while offering
a very attractive tiered rebate," she added. Space for the
solar tour is limited and registration is required. Although the Solar Tour
is focused on Dartmouth installations, it is free and open to all residents
of the South Coast region. To pre-register,
call the SouthCoast Energy Challenge at 508.910.1871.
For more information, visit the website www.DartmouthSolarChallenge.org. © 2014 Community Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
