State May Sell Fernald Land to Waltham

  

The state may offer the Fernald land for sale to the city sometime in the next 30-45 days, according to a communication from the mayor to the City Council. The City Council will discuss whether CPA funds may be used to purchase the land.

 

Since taking office, Rep. Stanley has worked hard to improve and reform the state land disposition process for everyone's benefit. Since 2004, when Governor Romney first announced his decision to close the Fernald Center, Rep. Stanley has fought to ensure Waltham's participation in decisions regarding the disposal of state land and encouraged increased community participation in the disposal process.  In 2004, Rep. Stanley wrote legislation to establish the 16-member committee to protect Waltham and its citizens from overdevelopment. 

 

 

    

The Fernald Center 

 

Rep. Stanley Visits Roxbury Community College

  

On October 24th, Rep. Stanley visited Roxbury Community College with Rep. Sean Garballey and Rep. Gloria Fox.  Representatives have recently joined the Public Higher Education Caucus in making visits to public higher education campuses across the state.  In an effort to have legislators think about the larger needs of public higher education, the caucus had encouraged legislators to visit a campus outside of their own districts.

 

Many legislators visited campuses across the state to meet with administrators, faculty members, and students as part of a project to raise awareness of and appreciation for public higher education. The project, organized by the state legislature's Public Higher Education Caucus, encouraged senators and representatives to visit one of the Commonwealth's 29 community colleges, state universities or UMASS campuses to learn about the strengths and needs of each campus.

 

$65M in local aid restored

    

Governor Patrick's signed the recently passed supplemental budget H3737, which included additional local aid disbursements that will then be made as a result of Section 198 of the FY '12 budget, Chapter 68 of the Acts of 2011.  During the FY '12 budget development process, $65M of Unrestricted General Government Aid was held back due to serious concerns over the pace of revenues coming in to the State.  Sufficient tax revenues have been certified to reflect funds sufficient to restore this withholding of Local Aid.  As a result, the City of Waltham will receive an additional $587,280 and the Town of Lexington will receive an additional $93,726.

 

Prescription drug takeback day scheduled for Oct. 29

               

Massachusetts residents will be able to properly and safely dispose of any unused or expired prescription drugs at more than 200 drop-off sites statewide on October 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the 3rd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  Please click here for list of drop-off locations.  

The Take Back program, coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in cooperation with local police departments, municipal offices, and medical facilities, was started last year in response to the growing need to provide safe ways for people to dispose of their prescription medications. So far, more than 305 tons of prescription drugs have been turned in nationwide at Take Back days held last fall and this past spring. The service is free and anonymous; drugs can be turned in with no questions asked.

  

Project Will Connect Leftover Crops with Anti-Hunger Efforts

 

Members of the Massachusetts Gleaning Network will collect leftover crops from commercially harvested farming fields or from fields where it is not profitable to harvest and then provide the food to emergency food providers. According to Gov. Patrick's administration, dozens of gleaning projects are scheduled through early November.  Network members, which include includes farms, volunteers, service agencies and food banks, include Project Bread, Boston Area Gleaners, Rachel's Table of Springfield, Island Growers of Martha's Vineyard, the Farm Service Bureau and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.  For additional info, please click here.

 

House Passes Supplemental Budget

   

Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing a balanced supplemental budget. The budget reinvests $350 million in the Stabilization Fund, devotes more than $28 million for those most in need and provides $23 million in order to keep local courts open.

  

The investment in the Stabilization Fund follows the decision last month of Standard & Poor's to increase the state's bond rating from AA to AA+, a move that will save Massachusetts millions in borrowing costs. The bill also provides $19 million for damage as a result of this past summer's tornado, the 2008 ice storm and the 2010 floods in southeastern Massachusetts.

  

State Secures $1.7 Million in Federal Funds to Combat Childhood Obesity

  

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has received $1.7 million in grant funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a series of pilot programs focused on combating obesity among young people aged 2-12. The pilot project, Mass in Motion: Community-Clinical Partnerships to Reduce Childhood Obesity, will focus on children from low-income families in the cities of Fitchburg and New Bedford.

  

The new project seeks to build on a variety of anti-obesity activities already underway at the community level in Massachusetts as a part of the state's Mass in Motion wellness initiative, launched by the Patrick-Murray Administration in 2009. The funding will be used to pilot a series of evidence-based obesity prevention efforts in primary health care settings, child care programs, and schools and after-school programs in the selected communities. The project also includes a social marketing campaign to educate parents on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for their children.

  

The grant application was developed in partnership with the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality. DPH will serve as the lead agency for the grant award.

  

State Health Officials Announce New Public Information Campaign on Health Impacts of Salt in Processed Foods

  

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has unveiled a new statewide campaign to alert residents to the amount of salt in processed foods. The "Choose Less Sodium" campaign materials are designed to educate Massachusetts residents about the negative health impacts of excess sodium and encourage people to make more informed choices when purchasing processed foods and ordering meals at restaurants. The average American eats about 50 percent more salt than is recommended by health experts. However, the main culprit isn't the salt shaker - almost 80 percent of the sodium we consume has been added by food manufacturers and restaurants during processing, packaging, or cooking.

  

The campaign will appear in multiple formats across the state, including a televised public service announcement (PSA), transit display advertisements in the 10 major transportation systems in Massachusetts, and as an informational poster at health care provider offices, community health centers, and other community locations. The materials will also be available in Spanish and Portuguese.

  

In addition, DPH has developed a sodium fact sheet and other materials (available at www.mass.gov/dph/salt) to help residents make healthier choices when purchasing food outside the home.

  

Massachusetts' SAT Scores Continue to Outpace the Nation as Participation Rates Climb

  

MassDOT RMV urges eligible drivers to renew their licenses online. 

 

The number of license renewals is expected to increase by 50 percent beginning in November and continue at higher levels for the months thereafter. November is the beginning of a five-year license renewal cycle that began in 1991, replacing the previous four-year cycle.   The result of that change is one year every five years with a reduced number of license renewals.  That lower volume year ends as of November 1, and transactions will increase. The RMV has responded by launching a publicity campaign through Highway Division billboards and public service announcements at the MBTA to urge drivers to check their license expiration dates and renew online.

  

Services available on the MassDOT RMV website include applying for a first time license; converting an out-of-state license; scheduling a branch appointment; registration renewals; ordering a driving record, crash report or Fast Lane transponder; viewing the status of a license, registration, driver education certificate and title; signing up for organ/tissue donation; and canceling a registration plate.  

 

Unclaimed Property Listings for Massachusetts

 

The Massachusetts Treasury has identified thousands of new individuals, charities and businesses over the last six months alone that are entitled to over $61 million in unclaimed property. Unclaimed property includes forgotten savings and checking accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and contents of unattended safe deposit boxes.  Most accounts are considered "abandoned" and turned over to the Treasury after three years with no activity.  Over the last six months alone, $61.3 million in new unclaimed property has been turned over to the state, adding to a total of $2 billion that the Commonwealth is holding in trust until rightful owners can be identified.

  

The newly released list includes four accounts over $100,000, nineteen accounts between $50,000 and $100,000, and over 3,700 accounts in excess of $1,000.  In addition to bank accounts, the new accounts include 1,180 owners of safe deposit boxes, 546 owners of mutual funds, and 9,062 owners of stock.  It is estimated that one in ten people in Massachusetts has unclaimed property in their name.

  

The Treasury releases an updated list of unclaimed assets every six months as new accounts are turned over to the Commonwealth.  There is no time limit to claim this property and, in many cases, claimants will receive interest.  To determine if they have unclaimed property, citizens can call 888-344-MASS or visit www.findmassmoney.com.    

 

Application Deadline for Small Business Banking Partnership Extended

 

Treasurer Steven Grossman extended the deadline by which community banks must apply for membership in the Small Business Banking Partnership from September 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012. The Small Business Banking Partnership moves Treasury cash reserve funds typically held by large national and international financial institutions and deposits them in amounts of up to $5 million in Massachusetts banks. In exchange for the infusion of new deposits, the banks sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signaling their intent to enhance their loan portfolios to small credit-worthy Massachusetts businesses.

 

The first deposits were made in early May of this year, and the Treasury quickly surpassed the initial $100 million that had been set aside for the program, prompting it to designate another $100 million to the initiative. Presently, the Partnership has over $121 million on deposit with 27 community banks across the Commonwealth, many of which have already extended new loans leveraged through the deposits to small businesses.

 

In addition to the banks with Treasury money on deposit, 24 banks statewide have made a commitment to participate in the Small Business Banking Partnership and are in varying stages of signing up for the program. Treasurer Grossman said he has been travelling across the state to promote the program with bank officials, with an eye toward ensuring that all community banks are aware of the benefits of the Partnership before the application period closes on the newly extended deadline of January 1, 2012. All deposits that the Treasury makes in these community banks are protected through either insurance or collateral, and the interest rate on the money is comparable to what the Commonwealth receives at out-of-state financial institutions.

 

Massachusetts Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program Converts to Waitlist

 

The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that the Massachusetts Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program is expected to roll into a wait list process, as participants have successfully expended most of the program's funding. The percentage of appliance rebate funds reserved through the program is currently at 88 percent or $229,850. The Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program began on July 28 as part of the Patrick-Murray Administration's commitment to helping consumers reduce their energy use and costs, while stimulating retail sales. Once program funds have been depleted, the rebate program website will automatically notify customers that they may place their applications on a wait list. Customers may apply to the wait list via the rebate program website at www.massenergyrebates.com or the toll free call center at (877) 574-1128, which is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.  

 

MBTA Launches App for Customer Concerns

 

A new application is available on iTunes which allows customers to convey concerns or complaints about MBTA service. The new application lets customers send photos and comments directly to the T's operation center. Once the pictures and comments reach the MBTA's control center, they are parceled out to members of the maintenance or operations staff.

 

Renew Your Boat, Recreation Vehicle and Snowmobile Registration Online!   

  

Through the Massachusetts Environmental Police Online Registration System, you can now renew your motorboat, snowmobile, or recreation vehicle registration online. Please click

here for more information.