Commemorating George Demeter and a Parliamentary Legacy

This morning, I had the honor of recognizing outstanding individuals who exemplify the very meaning of service-based organizations in celebration of Parliamentary Law Month and George Demeter Day.  I felt privileged to welcome representatives of the George Demeter Unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians, the Boston Chapter of the Order of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, which is the largest Greek-American organization in the world, and the Hellenic Bar Association.

George Demeter was best known as the first Greek-American elected to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1932, ultimately serving two-terms.  He also authored Demeter’s Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, a manual with parliamentary rules and procedures to prepare anyone seeking to become a certified parliamentarian.  Prior to getting elected, Demeter was heavily involved with the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, serving as President of the Boston Lodge.  According to Boston Globe accounts, the inclusion of Greek traditions in the annual Boston Marathon such as crowning the winners with a laurel wreath and presenting them a bronze medal from Athens was started, in part, by Demeter.

Senator Linda Forry and I had the opportunity to assemble a group picture with the representatives from these organizations.

Representing these distinguished organizations today (pictured from left to right) were President Frank Fotis, and his wife Maryned, of the Boston Chapter of the Order of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, former President of all three organizations Peter A. Senopoulos, who is also the great-Grand Nephew of George Demeter, along with his wife Jane, and President Kendra O’Toole and Michael Malamut of the George Demeter Unit.

MBTA Commuter Rail Service Interruptions

Recently the MBTA informed municipal officials, lawmakers and others that it plans on suspending weekend commuter rail service to most of the rail lines in the state in order to comply with a federal mandate to install new train control safety equipment.

According to the MBTA, this hardware must be in place by December 2018 and meeting that deadline will require suspending summer weekend train service this year. Such suspensions would cause a number of problems, and thus I have deep concerns about them.

I have contacted the MBTA to express my concerns about the impacts that summer suspensions of weekend rail will have on riders and these impacted communities. The Federal Rail Administration has mandated that Commuter Rail Positive Train Control (PTC) systems will be installed on every Commuter Rail line, dispatch center, locomotive, and control car throughout the entire rail system. We are told that they must be in place by December 2018; if they are not, the federal government may impose substantial financial penalties. The PTC is intended to enhance safety through a coordinated system of satellite and ground based systems that will reduce train accidents including derailments, work crew strikes, switch errors, and train to train crashes.

Even a major outreach to potential commuters about project updates on these closures and suspensions, as the MBTA has promised, will still likely cause major disruptions and hardship. Simply put, weekend commuter rail is used by workers and people traveling for recreation; summer tourist season train traffic generates tens of thousands of visits to our communities each season.

Here is a brief look at some proposed MBTA outages: • Newburyport / Rockport Line - Weekend service suspension from July 8th through September 30th. • Beverly Drawbridge Replacement Project. Shutdown for the Beverly Drawbridge Replacement project from July 8, 2017 through July 22, 2017. • Haverhill Commuter Rail Line – Weekend service suspension from September 23rd through December 2, 2017. • Lowell Commuter Rail Line - Weekend service suspension from July 29th and will end the weekend of September 30, 2017.

My office has worked with MBTA officials to arrange a meeting to address not only the proposal to suspend weekend service, but also the repair and replacement projects including the Gloucester and Beverly-Salem bridges. The details of that meeting are as follows:

Date- April 26th Time- 6:30 PM Location- Kyrouz Auditorium, 9 Dale Ave, Gloucester, MA

At least two other additional meetings will follow, most likely in Newburyport and Beverly.

Clearly this is a critically important transportation issue for our region, and we need to explore every avenue for mitigating or eliminating adverse impacts.

Gold Star Wives Day Ceremony

Gold Star Wives are women whose husbands died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States or from disabilities connected to their service. Today marked the annual Massachusetts Gold Star Wives Day Ceremony in Memorial Hall at the State House. The ceremony was presented by the Military Friends Foundation and the Greater Boston Chapter of the Gold Star Wives of America.

Governor Charlie Baker and Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Services Francisco Urena offered remarks before a memorial service in which each Gold Star wife honored their husband by sharing his name, branch of service, and where he served. The risks of warfare are well known, the sacrifices of those who defend our nation, and the loved ones who support them, are gifts to us all. We should honor, always, the men and women who wear the uniform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agriculture Day

Agriculture Day on Beacon Hill brings out the best that Massachusetts has to offer. The 7,700 farms in our state spread out across nearly 523,000 acres of open space. Not only are these farms growing outstanding products, they are also contributing $492 million to the state’s economy while supporting over 28,000 workers. The Commonwealth is ranked fifth in the US for direct market agricultural sales.

Joint efforts between the Massachusetts Promotional Board, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, Inc, and Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets make this event such a hit each year. During the event farmers, producers, and agricultural organizations come together to promote locally-grown food and farm products, and discuss the agricultural industry.

We were joined by young people from across the state, some as members of 4H and others from Future Farmers of America. In the Great Hall a “Taste of Massachusetts” reception offered great food samples, all to encourage residents to buy locally produced items to support our state’s vibrant agricultural industry.

From seafood to fruits and vegetables harvested from trees, rows, bushes and bogs our state has outstanding food that is fresh, delicious and nutritious.

40 farms and food producers across the state donated food for culinary students and instructors from @Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School’s Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Program to prepare for the event. The Department of Agricultural Resources has been promoting farm to school cafeteria programs and have engaged students by encouraging them to start gardens.

Chiefs of Police Association Legislative Breakfast

Robust discussions at the Middlesex County Chiefs of Police Association's Legislative Breakfast in Stoneham this morning.

The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association shared with lawmakers and staff its legislative priorities for the session. Some remarkable omissions in the law need to be amended such as; the absence of a right of arrest of a driver who leaves the scene after being involved in an accident with injuries to others, the fact that it is not a felony crime to solicits a murder, and the very minimal fine of only $100 for failing to stop for police when they have signaled a driver with blue lights.

Also discussed were gaps in the marijuana law, the rise in opioid related drug overdoses, and domestic violence reduction.

Remembering Senator Ken Donnelly

Senator Ken Donnelly was deeply committed to public service, his constituents, and our Commonwealth. He was passionate about issues, compassionate toward people, and made major contributions to the work of the Senate.  He was a good friend, and I am deeply saddened by his loss.

A very full and fun Saturday. two of the places I visited included the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast in Georgetown and the Docksiders invited me back again as guest auctioneer for their annual Wine Tasting at the Gloucester House.