Too Hot for Spot

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory. The heatwave means that it is "Too Hot for Spot". As the thermostat continues to climb be sure your pets stay cool. If you take your pet out for a ride in this heat and have to leave them unattended just remember, although it may feel like only a couple minutes in the car, it can quickly become “Too Hot for Spot!” After only 10 minutes the temperature inside a car can exceed 120 degrees – even with the windows rolled down three inches!

Camp Rotary's 100th Year Anniversary & New Dining Hall

What a wonderful time at Camp Rotary in Boxford. They are kicking off a yearlong celebration of the camp and the opening of their new dining hall. Camp Rotary is a nonprofit, educational, overnight camp for boys and girls ages 7 - 15. 

I toured the camp and presented them with an official Senate Citation to mark these milestones at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Best of luck for a great season.

 

Reinventing Ocean Research And Underwater Robotics - Celebrating The Grand Opening of Hefring Engineering's New Production Facility In Gloucester With A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Contributing to the vibrate marine and life science based blue economy of Cape Ann I was very happy to help Hefring Engineering with the opening of their new operations on the inner harbor. They are pioneering new technologies for observing the world’s oceans. https://hefringengineering.com/ 

https://hefringengineering.com/

 

Support Regional Schools

As a long-time believer in our regional schools, I am happy to share that I succeeded in having the Senate increase the state’s reimbursement rate for regional school transportation costs through the adoption of an amendment I wrote for the state budget bill. I offered an amendment, which was unanimously supported by my colleagues, to increase this amount by $1 million, for a new total of $79,631,818, and a new reimbursement rate above the 90% level. 

Importantly, the budget will now move to a Joint House / Senate Conference Committee for the reconciliation of the House and Senate versions of the budget. The 58 regional school districts deliver students across a large area of the state and this comes at a greater cost. A commitment was made long ago to ensure all pupils can get to and from school and the state would cover those busing expenses as a way to help manage the costs, but for years the rate of reimbursement has strained school district budgets at the local level. 

I will continue to work to overcome the lag in covering all regional school busing costs and I will keep writing legislation to support local taxpayers, students, and school districts.

 

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Offers Summer Safety Guidance

With summer weather approaching, and as COVID-19 related restrictions on daily activities begin to lift, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds residents to take recommended precautions to keep young children safe this summer. 

Prevent Tick Bites 

Ticks can make you sick when they bite. They are most commonly found in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. Ticks only attach when you come into direct contact with them — they cannot jump or fly. Follow these steps to help protect yourself from tick bites:

Check yourself for ticks once a day — it’s the single most important thing you can do. Use repellents that contain DEET on your exposed skin and those that contain permethrin on your clothes. When walking or hiking, stick to main pathways and the center of trails if you can. Brushing against tall grass and bushes will increase your exposure to ticks. Weather permitting, wear long-sleeved, light-colored shirts and long pants tucked into socks. This will help keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot ticks on your clothing. Because dogs and horses are particularly susceptible, talk to your veterinarian about the best ways to protect your animals from tick-borne disease. Prevent Mosquito Bites 

The 2019 and 2020 mosquito seasons were active for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts. This mosquito-borne illness appears generally in 2- to 3-year cycles, traditionally peaking during August. The presence of EEE last year, a relatively mild winter, and historical patterns suggest an active season this year. While the risk for human infection of EEE or West Nile Virus won’t happen until later this summer, people have an important role to play in protecting themselves from these illnesses which can be very serious. To prepare for mosquito season: Drain standing water in and around your house or yard to prevent mosquito breeding. Repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Use a mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient according to the directions. Wear clothing to reduce exposed skin when weather permits. For more information about preventing mosquito and tickborne illness, visit www.mass.gov/mosquitoesandticks

Water and Pool Safety

Drowning is a leading cause of death among young children, both nationally and in Massachusetts, with backyard pools posing the highest risk for children under the age of 5. To help prevent water-related injury and drowning: Children should be supervised in and around water at all times. Whenever infants and toddlers are in or around water, including the bathtub, an adult should be within an arm's length at all times providing "touch supervision." Completely separate the house and play area of the yard from the pool area with a fence. 

Consider automatic door locks or alarms to prevent access. Remove floats, balls, and other toys from the pool after use so that children are not tempted to reach for them. After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they cannot get back in. Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd's hook or life preserver) and a phone near the pool. For children who cannot swim, use a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. DPH, in cooperation with the USCG, has created a fit test video that can assist with proper fit testing of life jackets: https://youtu.be/1I3VZf-NqPc. Do not use toys such as "water wings” or "noodles” in place of life jackets. These are not designed to keep swimmers safe. In public swimming areas: Select swimming sites that have lifeguards whenever possible, and swim only in designated swimming areas. Always swim with a buddy. Look for signage at beaches. DPH collects beach water quality data and notifies the public about bacteria levels to minimize swimming-associated illness and injury. Window Safety

Falls are the leading cause of injury to children and falls from windows involving young children are especially serious. Window falls are preventable. Screens are not strong enough to protect children from falling out of windows. To prevent window falls, parents and caregivers should: Keep furniture – and anything a child can climb on – away from windows. 

Open windows from the top, not the bottom, when possible and lock all unopened doors and windows. Be sure children are always supervised. Install quick-release window guards which can be found in most hardware stores. To learn more about childhood injury prevention, visit the DPH injury prevention and control program website. Additional tips on preventing falls among children can be found on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fall prevention website.

Car Safety

The inside of a vehicle can be a very dangerous place for children left inside. In the summer months in New England, the temperature in a closed car can rise quickly and the vehicle can become a deadly place for a child, left even for just a moment. To keep young children safe in and around cars: Never leave children alone in a parked vehicle, even when they are asleep or restrained, and even if the windows are open. Always check inside the vehicle - front and back - before locking the door and walking away. If a child is missing, check your vehicle first, including the trunk. 

Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing your purse or briefcase in the back seat so you will check the back seat when you leave the vehicle. Always lock your car and keep the keys out of children's reach. Ensure adequate supervision when children are playing in areas near parked motor vehicles. If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible and call 911 immediately. Remember, all children ages 12 and under should ride in the back seat, properly restrained, even during quick errand trips. Infants and toddlers should remain in rear-facing car seats until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. You can find more information on child passenger safety on the DPH website.

Critical Need: Give Blood

There’s no substitute for blood. When a patient receives blood, it was given in advance by a generous donor - that could be your. 

 In support of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts and the Captain Lester S. Was Post 3 of #Gloucester and the Herman A. Spear American Legion Post 331 in #Beverly, I want to give you a 'save-the-date' invite. 

There are three dates scheduled for blood drives at the Beverly Legion post 331 located at 3 Judson Street. 

The dates are as follows: 

• July 6th, 2021 11am-4pm 
• September 30, 2021 
• November 30, 2021

To learn more: https://www.redcrossblood.org/

 

MassDOT Registry Announces Appointments for In-person Transactions will continue

Face coverings will still be required at RMV locations if unvaccinated 

Wednesday senior citizen hours will continue along with suspension hearings by phone, learner’s permit tests online, use of state vehicles for road tests and everyone in the road test vehicle must wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing that many new initiatives to provide additional flexibility to its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic will be continuing after Saturday, May 29, a day when most COVID-19 restrictions are being rescinded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

RMV customers will continue to be served by appointments only at open Service Centers, and customers who are unvaccinated will be required to wear a face covering for transactions. In addition, the RMV will continue dedicated hours on Wednesdays to serve senior citizens at some locations, holding suspension hearings by phone, allowing learner’s permit tests online, and the use of state vehicles for anyone taking road tests. (Everyone in a vehicle for a road test must wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status.)

Today, Governor Charlie Baker signed an Executive Order terminating the Commonwealth’s State of Emergency effective June 15, 2021. The Order also rescinds most COVID-19 restrictions, including limitations placed on businesses, as of tomorrow, May 29 as Massachusetts nears the goal of vaccinating four million residents. This week, the Commonwealth passed the 3.5 million mark for fully vaccinated residents.

Governor Baker said the Registry has received “positive feedback” from the public regarding making appointments for in-person transactions, and for now the appointment system would continue. The Registry’s partner for many transactions, AAA, will also continue with the system of serving AAA members who make appointments. Governor Baker added, “The Registry is a great example of an agency that has managed to do a terrific job, in person, serving its constituents and customers over the course of the whole pandemic and has learned some valuable lessons about customer service."

Initiatives continuing as of June 1:

● Appointments for in-person transactions at open customer service locations will continue, and customers must wear a face covering for an in-person transaction if unvaccinated.

● Senior hours for customers 65 years of age and older on Wednesdays at specific locations will continue.

● Road tests will still be offered using state vehicles only. Road test sponsors will be required to be in the road test vehicle beginning on Tuesday, June 15. Everyone in a road test vehicle must wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status.

● Registration Drop Off Centers for drop off and pick up service for vehicle transactions will continue.

● Online learner’s permit exams will continue and customers must still make an in-person appointment for the application process.

● Suspension hearings by telephone will continue.

Executive Orders Rescinded:

● The period of time to transfer a vehicle registration will once again be 7 calendar days from the date a person disposes of a vehicle to register the new one. (During the pandemic, a longer grace period was given of 21 days. As of May 29, the 7 calendar day timeline goes into effect which was pre-pandemic policy.)

• As of May 29, in-vehicle observation hours for Junior Operators will revert back to Driving Schools for applicants who obtained a learner’s permit on or after 5/29/2021 requiring junior operators to complete 6 hours observing another student driver, and 40 supervised driving hours with a parent or guardian. (This was the rule pre-pandemic.)

For more information on transactions and additional details on customer locations, please visit www.mass.gov/rmv or https://www.mass.gov/info-details/rmv-covid-19-information.