Welcoming a former Minority Leader

Today I was honored to welcome former State Senate Minority Leader David Locke to the informal session of the Senate. David, who served in the Senate from 1969 to 1993, came to the State House as our guest to graciously participate in an oral history of the Senate project, I am leading in partnership with Senate President Stan Rosenberg. Former presidents William Bulger, Thomas Birmingham, Robert Travaglini and Therese Murray and former Senate minority leaders Brian Lees and Richard Tisei have also agreed to participate in the oral history of the Senate project.

                 (From left to right, Clerk of the Senate William Welch, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, Former Senate Minority Leader David Locke, Senator Joseph Boncore, Assistant Clerk Michael Hurley)

Manchester Nets $500,000 MassWorks Harbor Grant

I was very pleased to welcome Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito to Manchester-by-the-Sea to announce a $500,000 MassWorks grant in support of the Manchester Harbor Dredging Project. This is the first dredging project to receive funds from the Baker-Polito Administration through the MassWorks Program.

This award will support Manchester’s working harbor that brings in approximately $6 million worth of lobsters each year. In addition, the project will support two marinas that employ approximately 75 people. The $500,000 will leverage $1 million committed by the town to begin work on the shovel-ready project so as not to miss the dredging season which runs September through February. The dredging of Manchester Harbor will begin this fall.

Dredging and maintenance of navigable waterways is of critical importance to coastal communities on the North Shore. Manchester Harbor supports both commercial and recreational boating for docking, mooring, loading and unloading of supplies, and harvested seafood. Harbormaster Bion Pike and other Manchester officials have been uncompromising in their diligence and efforts to advance the project. The Baker-Polito administration has made significant progress on marshaling resources for dredging and this grant, the first of its kind in years, is testament to those efforts and will be vital to the success of the harbor’s dredging.

With Karyn Polito Representative Brad Hill

Luch With The Manchester Council On Aging

I had a very enjoyable time with the Manchester Council on Aging recently. We were all out at Tuck's Point Chowder House for lunch with featured lobster rills, chicken salad, and of course lots of chowder. The turnout, weather, and food were all wonderful. Bill Foley entertained us and Representative Brad Hill and I enjoyed talking with everyone. This was a beautiful day.

Like to know how to stay in touch?

You can find me here at Tarr Talk or at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBruceTarr/, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SenBruceTarr, or at my State House office 617-722-1600.

If you already follow me on one of these sites, please share this post to your network.

MBTA Commuter Rail Weekend Update

The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services announced today that weekend service on the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line will resume September 2. This route was temporarily shut down on weekends for the installation of positive train control (PTC) safety equipment.

Starting Monday, August 28, off-peak passengers traveling between Rockport and Gloucester will be bussed to and from these two stations for a five-week period as the T replaces a four-mile stretch of track. Commuter rail officials estimate that the combined ridership between Rockport and Gloucester on these eight off-peak trains is approximately 80 - 90 passengers each day.

Here is a list of trains requiring bus service between Rockport and Gloucester starting Monday, August 28. Passengers planning to ride these trains should arrive at stations at regularly scheduled times.

Train No. Departure Time & Station
Inbound

• 112 11:00 AM from Rockport
• 114 12:30 PM from Rockport
• 116 1:50 PM from Rockport
• 118 3:20 PM from Rockport

Outbound

• 105 8:35 AM from Boston
• 107 10:35 AM from Boston
• 109 12:00 PM from Boston
• 111 1:50 PM from Boston

Normal weekend service will resume on the entire Boston-Rockport/Newburyport Line beginning Saturday, September 2nd.

Passengers with questions about this service diversion plan should call the commuter rail’s customer service line at 617-222-3200 or visit www.MBTA.com. KCS is the MBTA’s operating partner for the commuter rail.

Dog Days of Summer

One year ago today, I joined Governor Charlie Baker, Senator Mark Montigny and Representative Lori Ehrlich and others for the bill signing of An Act Preventing Animal Suffering and Death. The State House bill signing ceremony helped raise awareness that pets should not be left in vehicles unattended in extreme weather.

Too many times people have wondered what to do as an animal suffers in a locked car. Now there's a definitive answer backed by the protections of this law.

Major provisions of the law include measures that: • Restrict dog tethering or leaving a dog outdoors in extreme weather or when a weather advisory, warning or watch is issued, • Allow citizens and officers to free animals confined in a locked car after making reasonable efforts to locate the vehicle’s owner, • Set penalties, up to $500, and possible criminal animal cruelty charges for owners who neglect animals in vehicles, • Provide immunity from criminal or civil liability for those who take actions to release a trapped animal.

Newburyport/Rockport Line Update

The MBTA continues working on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. Today, they released the following advisory on their work schedule as they install the Positive Train Control (PTC)systems.

This weekend will involve rock drilling work and should be the final weekend for this kind drilling work as it relates to PTC.