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Transit center promotes development in Franklin County

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

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Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield with Governor Patrick, Lt. Governor Murray, and U.S. Representatives John Olver and Jim McGovern. This project epitomizes the efforts of the stimulus program by providing immediate jobs, creating new opportunities for future economic growth, and by reducing our impact on the environment with new energy-saving technologies.

With $12.8 million of ARRA funds covering over 80% of the total budget, this transit center will serve as a hub for all of Franklin County and will soon be the home of the Greenfield rail station on the restructured Amtrak Vermonter high speed line.  This rail line – the “Knowledge Corridor” - will run all the way from New Haven, Connecticut to White River Junction, Vermont.

Improved transportation is a key element of economic development because it allows for the movement of workers, products, and raw materials to jobs, stores and factories throughout the area. With the unpredictability of gas prices in recent times, it is crucial that our infrastructure allows more people to move around the region at a reasonable cost. On top of the 287 people who received ARRA funded paychecks from the creation of this transit center, many more will benefit from the improved transportation system. 

In addition to the environmental benefits that public transportation provides, the building itself will have very
 little impact on the environment. This transit center is the first zero-net-energy transit building in the entire country, meaning it produces all of the energy that it consumes. This is achieved through a combination of solar panels, geothermal heating, and a boiler powered by wood pellets as well as numerous energy saving techniques including low-energy light and water fixtures and state of the art insulation.  Even the design of the building plays a major role in conservation.The John W. Olver Transit Center is a building that Greenfield and Franklin County residents should be proud of. It exemplifies both Governor Patrick’s and President Obama’s commitment to improving infrastructure necessary for economic development while protecting, preserving and enhancing the world around us.

The John W. Olver Transit Center is a building that Greenfield and Franklin County residents should be proud of. It exemplifies both Governor Patrick’s and President Obama’s commitment to improving infrastructure necessary for economic development while protecting, preserving and enhancing the world around us.

Renovations revived, thanks to Stimulus

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

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One of the most satisfying aspects of the Stimulus Program is investing to jumpstart much needed renovations
 that had been stopped due to the economic downturn. Many of these projects were scheduled to begin but with a struggling economy, the financing of these renovations became impossible, especially for local nonprofit-run housing units.

Recently, I visited a few of the ARRA-funded overhauls of Urban Edge’s low-income apartments in Jamaica Plain. The entire project, made up of 103 family-sized units, cost $17.7 million with about $10 million funded by stimulus grants. Each apartment in the five 100-year-old buildings that I had the pleasure of visiting has been completely rehabilitated with energy efficient insulation as well as energy saving appliances and lighting. High efficiency boilers have been installed in each building and shared laundry facilities have been upgraded with new washers and dryers to further cut down on water and energy consumption.

The energy savings that will be realized as a result of this project will help Urban Edge to keep rents affordable for these units and to keep more families in their homes during these improving, but still difficult, economic times. On top of that, these renovations have vastly improved the quality of life for the tenants by making their homes look and feel healthier.

The Recovery Act has allowed projects like this one to stay on course even when the financial markets crashed. I am extremely proud to be involved with Stimulus because of developments like this since the effects are felt throughout the entire economy. Green renovations provide savings for the tenants, work for the contractors and suppliers, and make long-lasting improvements in neighborhoods all over the Commonwealth.

Charlestown rink receives energy efficient improvements

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

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As Director of the State’s Recovery Office, I have visited well over one hundred different ARRA-funded projects over the past three years ranging from multimillion dollar research ventures that push the boundaries of current technologies, to the local development projects and renovations that make all the difference to a community.

Many times these local projects are eclipsed by the more costly and innovative projects. Yet in addition to important jobs they provide so much more to a community. Recently, along with Lt. Governor Murray, I attended the celebration of the stimulus-funded installation of energy efficiency improvements to the Emmons Horrigan O’Neil Memorial Rink in Charlestown. We discussed the major impact that the rink has had on the community and how these improvements will continue that positive influence.

 It’s not just the fact that the energy efficient ceilings save 25-40% on the $142,000 average energy bill each year, or that the decrease in temperature, made possible by the new ceilings, will help to keep the ice crisp and solid to intensify the skating experience. 

As important, the updated facility will impact the community long after the job is completed by providing a place for kids to learn teamwork and perseverance through team sports as well as a space for families to come together and enjoy themselves.

The Charlestown rink isn’t the only facility that DCR is renovating either. Skating rinks in Dorchester, Hyde Park, South Boston, and Weymouth will receive the same treatment.

The first goal of ARRA is to put people back to work by creating new jobs and developing lasting industries to further perpetuate employment. I believe that the impact that these projects have on the surrounding communities is an equally important role of the stimulus program and I am glad to be a part of it.

Massachusetts Takes Aim at Red Tape

Today Governor Deval Patrick will announce a strategy to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on Massachusetts businesses. The announcement will take place this afternoon at a meeting of The Alliance for Business Leadership.

For more information about this strategy, here is an except from today's Wall Street Journal:

 

Massachusetts Takes Aim at Red Tape

By: Jennifer Levitz

Under Massachusetts regulations, a hair salon owner who wants to sell her shop to an employee must first temporarily close down. A funeral director can't hire a part-time apprentice—only full-time is allowed. The state's legal size for a sea clam differs from what federal requirements specify. 

These and other "nuisance" regulations, as many businesses describe them, are coming under scrutiny by Gov. Deval Patrick, who on Monday is expected to announce that he's tossing or tweaking 150 requirements—pertaining to everything from sea bass to sewer lines—that get in the way of doing business.

The governor, a second-term Democrat in a left-leaning state that has a reputation, fair or not, for being heavy handed with the red tape, also is reviewing some 800 regulations across 60 state agencies.

The governor will require that no new regulation be approved without completion of a "small business impact" statement answering 20 questions, such as, "Is this likely to encourage or deter the formation of business? Who did you consult from the small business community to come to this conclusion?"

Mr. Patrick's administration has been working on the initiative for months, launching a systematic review of regulations in October. 

"Unnecessary paperwork or duplicative reporting is a drain on everybody, on a business trying to make a payroll and on you, dealing with shrinking resources," Mr. Patrick said in a video he filmed Friday that will be sent to thousands of state employees Monday. "Let's focus on what's necessary and stop doing what's not." ...

...Massachusetts ranked 24th among U.S. states in overall business tax climate in fiscal year 2012, an improvement over a ranking of 28th the year before, according to the annual State Business Tax Climate index released last month by the non-partisan Tax Foundation in Washington.

The state's latest unemployment rate is 6.9%, below the 8.3% for the nation.

"We're certainly aware that there is an external reputation outside of Massachusetts that maybe we're heavily regulated, and that's bad for business," said April Anderson Lamoureux, the state's assistant secretary for economic development.

"We don't think that's always the case, but if people are criticizing us for our regulatory climate, Gov. Patrick said, 'Well, let's figure it out, let's change that perception.'" ...

...The review found scores of "duplicative" and "unwieldy" requirements, she said. It had a daily and weekly allowable maximum commercial catch for sea bass, for example, so a great day of fishing "could be illegal in Massachusetts even though you were within your weekly limit," she said. The state is scrapping the daily limit.

Currently, businesses that want to get a sewer connection must secure both a local permit and state permit. The state will now defer to municipalities to make the decision, losing state permit fees as revenue but freeing up that staff to do other projects.

Salons that wanted to transfer ownership to an employee had to close—while paperwork was processed—before reopening under the new owner, Mr. Patrick said in an interview, shaking his head, "I don't think anyone even knew why. We don't need stuff like that, that interferes with a small business person just trying to make a way."

To read the rest of the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204276304577261200963166884.html (Paywall)

 

First Graders from Orchard Gardens Visit the White House

President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick listen as Orchard Gardens Elementary School students recite Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have a Dream" speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Feb. 28, 2012.  (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

On February 28th, Governor Deval Patrick brought a first grade class from Orchard Gardens K-8 School in Roxbury to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

The students recited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech for the President in the Diplomatic Reception Room in celebration of Black History Month.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids,” said Governor Patrick. “I am so proud of the educators and students at Orchard Gardens for the progress they have made academically.”

The school opened in a brand new facility in 2003 bringing promise to a troubled, though deeply engaged neighborhood.  Despite its state-of-the-art facility, its committed and well-intentioned stakeholders, and supportive community, the school had languished with poor test scores. In 2010, the school was designated as one of Boston’s turnaround schools and is now empowered to take full advantage of the flexibilities allowed by the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Achievement Gap Act and federal turnaround grant funding. The school has already demonstrated incredible progress.

As a turnaround school, Orchard Gardens’ new school leader, Andrew Bott has been able to overhaul staff and hire only those who are deeply committed to mission of school, extend school hours, infuse professional development, use data as a driving force and make appropriate programmatic changes to fit needs of students.

In addition to a rigorous curriculum, students have music, art, drama, dance, gym, and sports. Middle school students now stay at the school until 5:15 p.m. to take advantage of extra learning time.

Early signs indicate that students are already faring better academically and emotionally, and the school has seen parental involvement dramatically increase.  While MCAS scores at Orchard Gardens are still low, they were much higher 2011 than in 2010. In English, the portion of students in grades 3-8 scoring proficient or advanced this past spring increased 10 percentage points to 30 percent. In math, the scores in those categories jumped 16 percentage points to 35 percent.

 

 

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House. 

 

Protect Massachusetts Military Bases for National Security & Economic Growth

Tim Murray

Lt. Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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Recent announced proposals by Westover Air Reserve Base and Hanscom Air Force Base reflect a difficult reality that federal budget cuts will have an impact on military bases in Massachusetts and across the country. These proposals were unveiled shortly after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced plans to reduce military spending by approximately $500 billion over the next decade. While these developments highlight the challenges we face ahead in Massachusetts, the military presence in Massachusetts is too important for our national security and economy to be taken for granted.

Lt. Governor Murray tours Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.

As the debate unfolds in Washington D.C. and across the country, it is important for Massachusetts to showcase and support the vital missions of our active military installations. As part of its budget cuts, the Defense Department proposed that Congress establish another Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) to consider and implement possible base closures throughout the country. There has been strong, vocal opposition to this proposal, including from our own Congressional delegation, which is working hard with our Administration to protect our bases. We all must, however, be prepared in case this BRAC becomes a reality. 

Massachusetts bases coupled with businesses in the defense and aerospace industries generate more than 120,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. Defense contracts awarded to Massachusetts companies have almost tripled since 2000, because of our state’s strong, innovation-based economy and our world-class education, research and engineering institutions that support it. This is just one example of how important the military and defense industry is to Massachusetts, and we know there is plenty more information to best position and promote each military base to better position, promote, and protect these assets. 

Over the last year, I led a series of strategy meetings with our cabinet secretaries, and private sector groups such as the Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative, to gather current data and perspectives, and today, I signed an Executive Order formalizing these ongoing efforts by creating the "Commonwealth’s Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.”  In addition to engaging local and regional support to help promote and protect the state’s military bases, the Task Force will develop, coordinate, and implement actions in the areas of workforce training, infrastructure improvements, environmental and utility savings, housing and transportation to support the missions at military bases across the Commonwealth.  Additionally, the Task Force will identify step the state can take to remedy problem areas before preliminary recommendations from the federal government are adopted and missions are implemented.  Lastly, I along with all members of the Task Force will advise the Governor and Executive and Legislative Branch officials regarding the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense to close, realign, restructure, streamline, or in any way impact military bases in Massachusetts.

As I move forward with the work of the Task Force, I am also visiting the state’s six major military bases to get a first-hand look at their operations, raise public awareness of their missions, and strengthen local and regional partnerships important for the bases. I began the tour at Barnes Air National Guard Base, an exemplary base that provides 24-hour protection for the northeastern region of the United States. Over the next few months, I will also visit Westover, Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod, the Natick Soldier Systems Center and Fort Devens. Understanding and promoting the strategic location, national security mission, and economic impact of these bases is a true statewide initiative. Our work in this region must extend to other military bases in Massachusetts as we plan for base consolidations nationally. 

In light of federal budget challenges, as the military collectively looks to deliver greater efficiencies and savings, we as a Commonwealth need to put our best foot forward to promote, protect, and even expand missions at each base in Massachusetts. 

 

Remembering and Looking Forward: Black History Month

Throughout the month of February, the Patrick-Murray Administration will host a series of events and discussions across the Commonwealth to celebrate Black History Month, commemorating the past, present and future of African-American culture in Massachusetts. 

Part of the celebration is a video highlighting the contributions of African-American leaders working within the Administration. 

The video includes testimonials from Governor Deval Patrick and leaders of his Administration, including: Major General Joseph Carter, The Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard; Sandra McCroom, Undersecretary for Criminal Justice, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security; Ron Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Access and Opportunity, Executive Office of Administration and Finance; and William “Mo” Cowan, Chief of Staff to Governor Patrick

Patrick-Murray Administration Black History Month events:

(more details to follow)

• Thursday, February 16, 10:00 a.m., Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray host an event at Caffrey Towers in Brockton to salute the “pillars” of our senior community for Black History Month.
• Thursday, February 23, Governor Patrick joins a panel at the Governor's Western Massachusetts Office in Springfield to explore the legacy of African-American leaders from the past, present and future.
• Wednesday, February 29, Governor Patrick attends a closing reception at the African Meeting House in Boston, featuring members of the faith community and civic leaders.
• During the last two weeks of February, African-American leaders from the Patrick-Murray Administration will appear live on TOUCH 106.1 FM radio to discuss the Administration's goals and priorities.

 

A future in clean energy, with stimulus' help

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

View Jeffrey's Bio

One of the hallmarks of the Recovery Act is its dual objectives within each of its programs: Creating jobs for today and developing industries for tomorrow.

Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the Recovery Act’s investment in clean energy. The state received $245 million in clean energy and environment programs. In total, federal and state stimulus investments in energy/environment in Massachusetts was $790 million.

I recently visited a number of companies that received stimulus grants through the federal Department of Energy and saw firsthand the impact these companies are having now on their employees and the potential impact the products these companies are developing will have on our country’s economic and environmental future.

One of these companies, Ginkgo BioWorks, received a $3.5 million grant from the Department of Energy as well as a $99K Small Business Innovation Research grant. The company is engineering organisms in an attempt to develop an alternative fuel source. If successful, the product would have enormous implications for our reliance on imported fuel as well as what we are emitting into the environment. The stimulus grants are helping them do the critical research and development they need to do to develop this fuel. It also created 19 crucial jobs.

Another company I visited, Resolute Marine Energy, is developing a wave energy converter that will generate energy from the power of waves. They received a $1.1 million grant from the Department of Energy to help them develop this futuristic looking product that captures energy from the action of the waves. The vision of Resolute co-founder Bill Staby is that there will be a field of these wave energy converters generating useable energy. “We want to build a device small enough that it can be easily deployed,” he told me. According to Staby the stimulus funds were “hugely helpful” in helping the company develop and test the wave converter, as well as hire the employees they needed to get the product built.

At Coincident, which is housed in a six-story abandoned building in South Boston shared by other clean energy companies and dubbed Greentown Labs, the goal is to develop an energy management system that homeowners can use to manage their energy use more efficiently. Jason Hanna, the company’s founder told me that the company’s $1.1 million stimulus award from the Department of Energy was a “tremendous opportunity.” He noted that while there are other companies in this space, Coincident’s goal was to make their system affordable.

Pellion Technologies is working on the issue of the moment in the startup world: How to build a cheaper, longer lasting battery. Pellion’s idea is deceptively simple - to develop batteries from magnesium ion instead of the current lithium ion.  When I went to visit them, Dr. Robert Doe, one of the company’s founders told me that the company was largely virtual until it won a stimulus-funded grant from the Department of Energy for $3.3 million. The funds enabled Pellion to hire 21 employees and focus on its research and development. While Pellion’s magnesium batteries have many applications including cell phones and laptops, the company’s goal is to see these batteries power electric cars – and Poe’s credits the stimulus’s clean energy program with helping to get them there. “The ARRA funds let us go from two people and an idea to 25 and growing,” he said.

State of the Commonwealth 2012

On January 23, 2012, Governor Deval Patrick delivered his fourth State of the Commonwealth address. In his address he promoted an ambitious agenda on getting people back to work, lowering health care costs and strengthening public safety. In each of these areas, the Governor again asked the Legislature and the people to make hard choices.

Governor Patrick also discussed a set of reforms to help Massachusetts community colleges meet regional workforce demands by providing workers with the skills they need to help fill the estimated 120,000 current job openings in the state. Learn more about the Governor's proposal for the fifteen individual community college campuses to come together as a unified, state-wide system offering a more streamlined curriculum as well as locally developed, regionally specific jobs and skills training.

Prior to the Governor’s address, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray recognized Jon Davies Jr., son of the late Firefighter Jon Davies Sr. of Worcester, who died last December trying to rescue a missing tenant from a residential blaze. Davies was seated with First Lady Diane Patrick in her gallery area.  A moment of silence was offered for Firefighter Davies and Firefighter James Rice of Peabody, who also lost his life in the line of duty last December. Worcester Deputy Fire Chief Geoffrey Gardell and Peabody Fire Chief Steven Pasdon joined the Lieutenant Governor at the rostrum for the moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Emma Henderson, a 12-year-old student from John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton sang “The Star Spangled Banner”. The invocation was conducted by Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner of Just Congregations and the benediction by Rev. Dr. John M. Borders, III, of the Morning Star Baptist Church in Boston.

• Read the Governor's State of the Commonwealth Address
• View photos from the evening's events

 

 

 

Stimulus at work: Providing jobs, access and economic opportunity on the South Coast

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

View Jeffrey's Bio

I recently attended the opening of a new interchange on Route 24 in Fall River. Exit 8B, as it will be called, was funded by the Recovery Act and it struck me, as I stood there on the bridge of the interchange overlooking the highway – amidst workers, state officials and local politicians – that this project represents everything that the stimulus program is about.

First - and foremost - the $35 million project put lots of people to work. From engineers to construction workers to laborers, the project involved many people in many different sectors.

The interchange is also critical to the long term economic development of the South coast area. It is the interchange that is vital to the development of the 300-acre SouthCoast BioPark in Fall River and Freetown, a biotechnology park that is being anchored by UMass Dartmouth and demonstrates enormous economic development potential for the region.

On the other side of the highway, in Freetown, the interchange is providing improved access to the 325-acre Riverfront Business Park. Stop and Shop has its distribution center there and couldn’t expand without this interchange.

This new interchange is the largest Recovery Act funded highway project in the state and it provided a region not only with much-needed jobs in the short term but also with long term economic hope for the future. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: That is what the stimulus program is all about.