Ceremonial Resolution | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | September 2023

Photo Credit: Matthew J. Lee / The Boston Globe

1 in 285 children in the US will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and to show support for families impacted by cancer - four bridges will be glowing gold this evening to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.

I co-sponsored an important Ceremonial Resolution commending Milton Glows Gold, The Michael C. McHugh Memorial Fund, and The Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Alliance (Reid's Ride / Reid R. Sacco Adolescent & Young Adult -AYA- Cancer Alliance) for recognizing September 2023 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The Fore River Bridge connecting Quincy to Weymouth, The Zakim and Longfellow bridges in Boston, and the Kenneth M. Burns Memorial Bridge in Worcester will all shine bright gold.

Ceremonial resolution below:

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  SRes136

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

^{_______________}

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

^{_______________}

 

RESOLUTIONS COMMENDING MILTON GLOWS GOLD, THE MICHAEL C. MCHUGH MEMORIAL FUND, INC. AND THE REID R. SACCO ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CANCER ALLIANCE FOR RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 2023 AS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

 

            WHEREAS, MILTON GLOWS GOLD, THE MICHAEL C. MCHUGH MEMORIAL FUND, INC. AND THE REID R. SACCO ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CANCER ALLIANCE ARE RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 2023 AS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH; AND

            WHEREAS, OVER 40 CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER EVERY DAY, AND APPROXIMATELY 1 IN 285 CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER BEFORE THE AGE OF 20; AND

            WHEREAS, CANCER IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH BY DISEASE PAST INFANCY FOR CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH 1 IN 5 CHILDREN WHO ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER NOT SURVIVING AND THERE BEING MORE THAN 12 TYPES OF CHILDHOOD CANCERS AND 100 SUBTYPES OF CHILDHOOD CANCER; AND

            WHEREAS, GOLD IS THE OFFICIAL COLOR OF CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH BECAUSE GOLD SYMBOLIZES THE RESILIENCY OF CHILDHOOD CANCER HEROES, AND SUPPORTERS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WEAR A GOLD RIBBON TO SYMBOLIZE THEIR SOLIDARITY WITH THE CAUSE; AND

            WHEREAS, NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1990 IN A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION BY PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH; NOW THEREFORE BE IT

            RESOLVED, THAT THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE HEREBY COMMENDS MILTON GLOWS GOLD, THE MICHAEL C. MCHUGH MEMORIAL FUND, INC. AND THE REID R. SACCO ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CANCER ALLIANCE FOR RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER 2023 AS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND THANKS ALL OF THESE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR VALUABLE COMMITMENT TO THE COMMONWEALTH; AND BE IT FURTHER

            RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE TRANSMITTED FORTHWITH BY THE CLERK OF THE SENATE TO MILTON GLOWS GOLD, THE MICHAEL C. MCHUGH MEMORIAL FUND, INC. AND THE REID R. SACCO ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CANCER ALLIANCE.

SUBMITTED BY:
SENATOR TIMILTY
COSPONSORS:
SENATOR PAYANO
SENATOR OLIVEIRA
SENATOR TARR
SENATOR ELDRIDGE
SENATOR LEWIS
SENATOR VELIS
SENATOR KEENAN
SENATOR BRADY
SENATOR MOORE
SENATOR PACHECO
SENATOR COLLINS
SENATOR O'CONNOR
SENATOR FATTMAN
SENATOR DIDOMENICO
SENATOR GOMEZ

9.7.23 Visit to The Food Project | Reynolds Farm | Wenham, MA

Had the pleasure of visiting the Reynolds Farm in Wenham. This is conservation land owned by the town of Wenham – overseen by the Conservation Committee. On this farm, The Food Project of the North Shore runs its non-profit on over 34 acres – growing vegetables and cover crops to create good, healthy soil. Approximately 250,000 pounds of crops are grown per year.

The Food Project is awarded $4 million through the State and Federal Budget. Much of the food grown supports The Food Project’s CSA farm shares and customers in the community. Produce from the Reynolds Farm also supports food access initiatives through the SNAP-HIP farmers’ markets in the City of Lynn and other hunger relief programs.

140 teenage students work at the farm – mostly during the summer months – from Wenham, Lynn, and surrounding areas. They learn how to farm: planting seeds, caring for gardens, and picking vegetables.

Thank you to all the staff, including Ludia Modi, Director of Learning and Programs, and John Wang, Co-Director of Strategy and Organization Support at The Food Project for carrying on this important community initiative. Both started in The Food Project in their teens and now are an important part of the success in carrying on this program.

#wenhamma #TheFoodProject #ReynoldsFarm #statesenatorbrucetarr

Yom Kippur | G'mar Chatima Tovah

Blessed Yom Kippur - May your wishes get sealed in the Book of Life. Have an easy and meaningful fast.

G'mar Chatima Tovah.

Senator Tarr Interview with NBC10 Boston News | RE: Governor's Supplemental Budget

 

In case you missed it, catch my interview with Matt Prichard from NBC10 Boston RE: Governor's supplemental budget.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-lawmakers-grapple-with-how-to-budget-for-migrant-crisis/3141301/

MA Cannabis Control Commission | Call for Transparency and Accountability

 

Events and circumstances at the MA Cannabis Control Commission deserve scrutiny and action. I am working with my colleagues toward that end. On September 8th, I signed a bi-partisan letter with my colleagues requesting the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy bring transparency and accountability to the situation.

Links to recent reports on continuous problems at the MA Cannabis Control Commission are below:

Boston Globe article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/18/metro/legislature-oversight-hearing-cannabis-control-commission/

Boston Herald article: https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/18/cannabis-control-commissioners-butt-heads-over-acting-pot-chair-role/?clearUserState=true

Gloucester Daily Times opinion article: https://www.gloucestertimes.com/opinion/our-view-whats-the-story-with-the-cannabis-commission/article_aa2d9a2c-a4f0-597e-a01b-d73dd84a7ae9.html

How to Apply for the Municipal ADA Improvement Grants | MA Office on Disability

On July 21st, I sponsored a presentation in partnership with the Massachusetts Office on Disability at Essex Regional Tech.

We reviewed the steps to take to Apply for the Municipal ADA Improvement Grants that MOD is offering. The Massachusetts Office on Disability will continue to accept completed applications through the end of October 2023 for FY2024.

Thank you to Evan George, MOD ADA Grant Compliance Coordinator, and to all who attended, including several DPW Directors and ADA Coordinators from my district. Our presentation focused on the importance of accessibility for all to better serve our communities by improving accessibility.

Evan spoke on grant eligibility, grant types, administration, and the application process. These grants will support capital improvements dedicated to programmatic access and/or removing barriers disabled people encounter at municipal facilities. Again, the Massachusetts Office on Disability will continue to accept completed applications through the end of October 2023 for FY2024.

The following links are for your information and will be quite helpful in completing the application process for your community.

- Link to presentation from 7.21.23 describing in detail
how to apply:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FNEv8WMTatxUUvCMP3UcQU2jEkE0BFz/view


- Link to Apply for ADA Improvement Grant:

https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-municipal-americans-with-disabilities-act-ada-improvement-grant

I encourage all municipalities to use this information to apply for available ADA grants to better serve our communities in improving accessibility for all.

MEMA Denies Federal Funding Request for August Storm Flooding

 

My office received the following information from MEMA in regards to denying the Federal Funding Request for August Storm Flooding:

"Thank you for your collaboration and patience as we evaluated the damage caused by the rainstorms in August in northeastern Massachusetts. After collecting and reviewing all submitted damage assessment data, MEMA has determined that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not meet the minimum criteria to pursue a federal major disaster declaration for the August 8th rainstorms. As you know, these criteria (including damage thresholds) are set by the federal government, not MEMA or the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the August 8th rainstorms did not meet the criteria for a federal major disaster declaration.

As discussed previously, to obtain a federal major disaster declaration, the situation must be of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local government. In making this determination, FEMA will consider all the following factors:

1. The amount and type of damages;

2. Estimated cost of assistance (using the established
reimbursable cost thresholds);

3. Localized impacts;

4. The available resources of the state and local governments
and other disaster relief organizations;

5. Insurance coverage in force (consideration of amount of
insurance coverage that is in force or should have been in
force as required by law and regulation);

6. Imminent threats to public health and safety;

7. Recent multiple disasters in the State (disaster history within
the last 12-month period as well as declarations by the
Governor and the extent to which the State has spent its own
funds);

8. Hazard mitigation (extent to which State and local
government measures contributed to the reduction of
disaster damages, especially implementation of measures
required as a result of previous major disaster declarations);

9. Assistance available from other Federal program and other
sources; and

10. Other factors pertinent to a given incident.

Based on these criteria, MEMA evaluated the potential for a federal declaration based on the following factors:

Reimbursable damage thresholds are not met.

The threshold is not simply the total of the costs or value of everything damaged and all monies spent on response. Only certain FEMA-reimbursable cost categories can be included in the damage estimates to meet thresholds. For example, items such as, private property damage, unimproved roads for which a city or town cannot prove maintenance, federally-owned or funded roads, engineering costs, mitigation measures, and damages coverable by property insurance, among other things, cannot be included as costs for the purpose of meeting the threshold for a major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act. Based upon the information submitted to MEMA by the impacted cities and towns, the total reported damage estimates fell below the state threshold and below the county thresholds for Middlesex and Norfolk counties.

See table below:

COUNTY AMT. REPORTED THRESHOLD AMT. SHORT
Essex $6,280,481.37 $3,595,640.76 ($2,684,840.61)
Middlesex $571,178.27 $7,246,088.88 $6,674,910.61
Norfolk $1,551,500.00 $3,223,355.64 $1,671,855.64
Plymouth $387,867.97 $2,356,836.36 $1,968,968.39

Total Reported
$8,791,028

State Reimbursable Damage Threshold $12,442,953

As you can see, total reimbursable costs estimates were well below the reimbursable damages threshold and that amount would only decrease further during FEMA’s preliminary damage assessment process.

The storms did not exceed the capability of both the state and local governments to respond, which is a prerequisite for a federal major disaster declaration. Specifically, we do not believe that we will meet the criteria for this storm because:

11. There was not a need to declare a state of emergency to
provide resources and assistance or coordinate a state-level
response;

12. There was a single request for assistance (sandbags
requested by Billerica and provided by Groton);


13. There was not a need to activate the state emergency
operations center to coordinate response; and

14. The state’s reimbursable damages threshold was not met
for the storm.

SBA Disaster Programs outcomes:

MEMA worked with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to facilitate the SBA’s ground survey of damages for eligibility under an SBA Administrative (Agency) Declaration. This assessment was conducted by the SBA on September 6 and 7. Essex County met the SBA’s criteria for an Administrative declaration, which will make both physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans available to individuals, households, and businesses within that county. The contiguous counties of Middlesex and Suffolk will also be eligible to participate in any SBA programs. Norfolk County did not have significant enough impacts to meet the SBA’s criteria.

To qualify or “meet criteria,” the SBA Survey must demonstrate 25 homes and/or businesses with uninsured losses of 40 percent or more of their estimated fair replacement value. Sites for evaluation during the ground survey were identified using Initial Damage Assessment forms submitted by each community.

The SBA began surveys on Wednesday (9/6) in North Andover (Essex County) where the bulk of the locations that met the criteria were identified. The SBA continued to Haverhill where they were able to survey enough viable locations to push Essex County over the required 25 locations that met the criteria for SBA’s program. SBA then moved on to Billerica to survey locations for Middlesex County. While Billerica submitted damage assessments for 128 locations, the SBA survey representative only identified 18 locations had potential to meet the criteria. One location was an apartment complex with 47 units but none of the units met the criteria. Middlesex did not have the damage to meet the criteria to be a primary county. On Thursday, September 7th, the SBA surveyed 43 locations in Needham, but only 16 met the criteria for SBA’s program.

MEMA and the Commonwealth took the necessary steps in this process including working to identify a location community for the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center. In addition, Governor Healey signed the request letter` and MEMA will forward that immediately to the SBA.

Crisis Cleanup:

MEMA activated the Crisis Cleanup program to connect homeowners with assistance for clean up after the flooding. Across the impact area, 74 homeowners requested assistance in Andover, Boxford, Haverhill, Lawrence, Mattapoisett, Needham, North Andover, North Reading, and Tewksbury.

We remain committed to partnering with our emergency management agencies, municipal and legislative officials, small businesses, and other relevant stakeholders for response and recovery."