Economic Development

New Bedford, Massachusetts - At a ribbon cutting ceremony today Mayor Scott W. Lang was joined by State Representatives Robert Koczera and John Quinn, City Councilor Steve Martins, Commissioner of Public Infrastructure for New Bedford, Ron Labelle and New Bedford Environmental Steward, Scott Alfonse and dozens of residents of the Taber Mill Apartments in celebration of the opening of a new parking lot located next to the Taber Mill Apartments in the city’s north end.

President Obama signed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act on March 18, 2010. The HIRE Act is aimed at providing hiring incentives to restore some of the jobs lost in the latest economic recession and put Americans back to work as soon as possible.

PORT OF NEW BEDFORD, MA—The East Coast Marine Highway Initiative, a partnership between the Port of New Bedford, Massachusetts and the Port of Baltimore, Maryland and Port Canaveral, Florida has received recognition as an initiative in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new Marine Highways Program. The Department’s Maritime Administration chose eight projects and six initiatives from 35 applications submitted by ports and local transportation agencies.

A coalition of leaders from Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities is celebrating the recent passage of an economic development bill that contains provisions that create new opportunities for state and private investments in business growth and job creation, market-rate housing, and public infrastructure in the state’s older, urban areas. The bill, passed by the legislature this past weekend was signed on Thursday morning by Governor Patrick.

New Bedford, MA, August 2, 2010—Welcome aboard as New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, hosts the 7th Working Waterfront Festival. The FREE event takes place September 25th and 26th on the working piers and waterfront parks of the historic Port of New Bedford. More than simply a celebration, the Working Waterfront Festival is a unique opportunity for the public to get a firsthand look at the culture of fishing and for the commercial fishing community to tell its own story. The event presents all that goes into bringing seafood from the ocean to the table in a way that is hands-on, educational and fun.

New Bedford, MA- Mary Ellen DeFrias recently joined the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (WIB) as a Grant Writer.

She attended the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth where she received her BA in Political Science, and spent the early part of her career writing proposals for the City of New Bedford. Throughout her career, she's had the opportunity to network with many of the agencies the WIB deals with today. She also holds a Masters in Criminal Justice, and a Masters in Public Administration, and has consulted for and written grants for the Town of Dartmouth.

Most recently, she worked at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where she had a variety of responsibilities including grant research and grant coordination.

She lives in Dartmouth with her husband Andrew and daughter Angela. Andrew is a paramedic supervisor working for a company based outside of Boston. For fun, they enjoy sailing and remain very involved with the sailing community.

“We’re really excited to have her as part of our team,” noted Craig Baker, Chief Operating Officer at the WIB.

To contact Mary Ellen, please call 508.979.1504 x15 or medefrias@gnbwib.org.

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Scott W. Lang announced today the availability of positions in a summer volunteer program for New Bedford teenagers aged 16 & above. The program, which will begin on August 2nd and end on August 27th, will give young people the opportunity to volunteer several hours a day working with the city on projects to beautify our neighborhoods, parks, and beaches and ensure that they are kept litter-free. It will also offer several optional enrichment opportunities featuring guest speakers over the course of the month. Upon successfully completing this program, each participant will receive a $250 stipend and a letter of recommendation from Mayor Lang to be used in future job or educational applications.

UMass Dartmouth scientists successfully implemented a strategy to protect the dwindling yellowtail flounder population without burdening the scallopers.

EPA is awarding $1 million to the City of New Bedford’s Harbor Development Commission to install 16 shore-side electric power pedestals on two fishing piers within New Bedford Harbor. In addition, the project will provide up to 100 rebates issued to commercial fisherman to partially offset the cost of purchasing and installing necessary transfer switches to adapt their vessels to receive shore-side power.

Downtown New Bedford - July 2010 - During the month of July, local downtown business be jeweled will be celebrating its ten year anniversary.  For ten days, from July 11 until July 20, the entire inventory will be 10% off.  be jeweled will also hold a special "Midsummer's Night's Dream" event on July 30th at our downtown location to continue the celebration.  The store will remain open until 8pm this evening with the entire inventory also being 10% off.  Customers are welcome to enjoy light refreshments and enter to win a "Karma" necklace by Dogeared.

Business owner Pamela Arruda has been working in jewelry since she was a teenager.  After working for other established jewelry stores on Martha's Vineyard in San Francisco, Arruda decided to return home and open her first store in Padanaram.  Ten years later, be jeweled is now in two locations, 1 Bridge Street in Padanaram and 26 Centre Street in New Bedford.

be jeweled specializes in limited edition designer jewelry from around the world as well as featuring sterling silver and 14karat gold.

The Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (WIB) recently held its 2010 Annual Meeting at the Wamsutta Club. Reflections on the previous fiscal year included the many events, partnerships, and legislative efforts undertaken as well as business development and funding opportunities.

Many are familiar with White’s of Westport, which was founded by the Lafrance family in 1955. Since then, Lafrance Hospitality has expanded, adding additional restaurants and hotels throughout eastern Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and recently breaking ground for their newest hotel location on the New Bedford harbor front.

The Harbor Development Commission sponsored a Fishermen’s Safety Training Program today during which 35 fishermen were trained in techniques that have proven to save lives of fishermen that work in the often dangerous ocean environment. The half-day training program is free to commercial fishermen and provides hands-on, safety and survival training conducted by Coast Guard Certified fishing vessel drill instructors. This Safety Training program has become a model for fishermen’s safety training in the country and it is the only program of its kind that is offered to participants at no cost.

Mayors Scott Lang of New Bedford, MA, Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, PA, and William Bell of Durham, NC were honored at the 78th Annual Conference of Mayors meeting for their leadership in Green Jobs training. The U.S. Conference of Mayors selected non-profit organizations in their cities to receive grants from the Wal-Mart Foundation to support and expand training programs for Green Jobs.

The Working Waterfront Festival is pleased to announce the winner of its 2010 Design Contest. Julie (Nagel) Joseph of New Bedford submitted the winning design.

“We were impressed with Julie’s artistic ability and we liked the way she incorporated so many elements of the theme into her design,” (Laura Orleans, Festival Director). Julie’s design will appear on the Festival t-shirt, program guide, pocket guide and poster.

New Bedford, Massachusetts – At the Commercial Marine Expo today, Mayor Scott W. Lang honored Captain Martin Manley and Howard W. Nickerson in perpetuity with the Mayor’s Professional Mariners Award and announced Harriet Didriksen as the 2010 award recipient.

New Bedford, Massachusetts– A national campaign has been launched to raise funds in support of a lawsuit filed against the federal government last month by New England's two largest fishing ports – New Bedford and Gloucester, Massachusetts – together with private fishing interests from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and North Carolina.

On June 7th, 2010, New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang, the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. (WIB), and the New Bedford Area Chamber gathered at city hall to kick off the “Hire a Youth” campaign.

Roland P. Valois, owner of R.P. Valois & Company Inc. contractors of Dartmouth, was selected as one of Remodeling magazine’s “Big 50” best-run firms nationwide at their annual Leadership Conference in Alexandria, VA.

Remodeling is the foremost national trade publication for professional remodeling contractors.

Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB), headquartered in Taunton, MA, marked the opening of its eleventh banking office and first in the city of New Bedford, MA, with a ribbon cutting ceremony last Thursday, June 3rd. Located at 1307 Ashley Boulevard (former site of Thad’s Restaurant), the 3,5000 square foot branch managed by Nancy Wood, a banking veteran in the North End with deep roots in the Southcoast community, officially opened today, Monday, June 7th at 9:00 a.m.

Dartmouth Building Supply has completed installation of the region’s largest private solar energy project at its 958 Reed Road manufacturing facilities location in North Dartmouth.

The solar photovoltaic grid system consists of 960 solar panels producing 201,600 kilowatts of electricity annually― enough to provide 80% of DBS’s manufacturing facilities’ power needs. Unused power generated on weekends will be sold back to the grid. According to President Joseph Delgado, “investment in solar energy represents our ongoing commitment to long-term growth, cost containment and leadership in Green Technology.”

The project qualified for financial rebates granted through the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and will further receive Federal Energy Tax Credits that reduce the firm’s investment cost and payback period. The project was designed and managed by Solar Installation Limited in Brockton, a division of Munro Electric.

New Bedford, MA—The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding an aggressive Membership Campaign on June 8 & 9, 2010. This new member campaign will include reaching out to over 5,000 businesses in the Greater New Bedford Area that are not yet benefiting from Chamber membership. The campaign will include a mailed invitation and personal phone-calls from business leaders in the region encouraging them to join the Chamber.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The City of New Bedford has extended the 2010 Summer Job Application deadline to 12:00pm (noon) on June 4, 2010 for the Summer Jobs Random Lottery.

Applications and Income Guidelines are available at City Hall, 133 William Street in the Personnel Department, Room 212 or at www.newbedford-ma.gov. Interested applicants are asked to submit their applications to the Personnel Department to be considered for the Summer Program random lottery. All applicants are required to be New Bedford residents and must be at least 16 years of age by July 1, 2010.

As of March 1st the City has been accepting applications for the following programs:

* Kennedy Summer Day Program
* Summer Food Service/ Parks Playground Program
* Lifeguards



For more information please visit www.newbedford-ma.gov and click Jobs Available and then Summer Employment Application or call 508-979-1444.

United Way of Greater New Bedford’s 15th Annual Youth Day of Caring provided 150 student volunteers from 5 area high schools the opportunity to volunteer at local non-profit agencies, providing them with first-hand experience in giving back to their community.

The fate of summer jobs for thousands of Massachusetts teens through the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010 (HR 4899) is currently in the hands of the U.S. Senate. The U. S. House of Representatives has approved $600 million slotted for teen summer jobs across America this summer. Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped employ 6,807 Massachusetts teens last summer- 430 here in the Greater New Bedford region alone.

The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a special informational meeting on Thursday, June 17, 2010 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce office, 794 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. The informational session is available to those who are interested on joining the Chamber on their trip to China from October 11 – October 19, 2010.

The New Bedford Economic Development Council (NBEDC) is pleased to announce securing $750,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 of which the SBA received $730 million to readdress lending to small businesses through SBA participating lenders. The NBEDC is a certified Community Development Financial Institution by the United States Treasury and a qualified SBA participating lender.

New Bedford, MA – The New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce and BankFive would like to recognize the achievements made by smaller businesses in the creation of jobs and economic opportunities throughout the SouthCoast region. The issues and concerns of small businesses are essential components of Chamber initiatives, and the success of our member programs is dependent on the involvement of local professionals.

New Bedford, MA –The Fall River and New Bedford Area Chambers of Commerce will host the Honorable Deval Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as the featured speaker at a special luncheon program at White’s of Westport, 66 State Rd., Westport on Wednesday, April 21, 2010.

The Elevate America program announced today by Governor Patrick provides vouchers for free courses in Microsoft software programs from the local One Stop Career Centers to all MA residents except state employees and public workforce system employees, both state and private. Our Career Centers in partnership with the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board are excited to be able to provide these vouchers. Brenda Francis, Director of the Career Centers, indicated, “What a great opportunity for all citizens but especially our unemployed and our youth who can use this free training to improve their computer skills and better compete for future employment”.

The Career Centers are located in New Bedford at 618 Acushnet Avenue, in Wareham at 48 Marion Road, and for youth in the New Bedford Area at the Youth Annex, 5 Dover Street. Full details on available courses and necessary computer configuration are also available at the Career Centers.

The online courses are accessed via the internet, customers have a full year to complete them, and passing of the course exam results in Microsoft Certification. For those that do not have access to computers, a limited number are available for use at the Career Centers. For more information contact the Career Centers: New Bedford at 508-990-4000 and Wareham at 508-291-7062, and the Youth Annex 508-979-1700.