Constituent Spotlight: Steve Como, New Chairman of the Board Senator Downing is pleased to spotlight and congratulate Pittsfield resident -- and good friend --Steve Como for his appointment this week as Chairman of the Board of the Holyoke Soldiers Home by Governor Patrick.  Mr. Como, an accomplished advocate for veterans’ services, will serve a seven-year term on the Board, representing Berkshire County.  The Board oversees the work of the Soldiers Home, which provides long-term care and residential services to honorably discharged wartime veterans.  Mr. Como currently serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Government Relations of the United Veterans of America, which provides transitional living beds for homeless veterans in Leeds and Pittsfield.  Previously, Mr. Como worked at the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years, retiring as Major in 2002. He has also served on the Western Massachusetts Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Executive Council for the Veteran Administration in Northampton. Photo Caption:  Senator Ben Downing and Steve Como, together in the Lobby of the Massachusetts Senate Chamber.

Read the Governor's full press release detailing Mr. Como's appointment.

BCC/YMCA Lease Legislation Reaches Governor's Desk Photo Caption:  Senator Downing and Represenative Pignatelli take questions at a community forum in Great Barrington. Yesterday, under the joint leadership of Senator Downing and Representative Smitty Pignatelli, the Massachusetts House and Senate enacted legislation authorizing Berkshire Community College to enter into a multi-year lease with the Pittsfield Family YMCA.  The YMCA operates a summer camp on BCC’s campus during the summer months, with access to the school’s soccer fields, athletic field house, pool, cafeteria and classroom space.  This bill, S. 2114, allows this partnership to become a long-term arrangement and further protects the Commonwealth and Berkshire Community College from any and all personal injury or property damage caused or suffered by the Pittsfield Family YMCA, its clients and employees while they are on campus.  S. 2114 is now on the Governor's desk for final approval.  The Governor has 10 days to review the bill and act on it.

Downing Goes Red for Women On Tuesday Senator Downing joined his colleagues at an event on the Grand Staircase of the State House drawing attention to heart disease and its affect on women.  Each year, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than half a million women - about a death a minute. That’s more lives than the next 5 causes of death combined. To raise awareness of this problem, the American Heart Association has turned a special spotlight on women and heart disease with its Go Red for Women campaign. |more|

Two Housing Water Conservation Grants Awarded Locally Photo Caption:  Senator Ben Downing and DHCD Undersecretary Tina Brooks. The state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has awarded Low-Flow Toilet Procurement awards to the Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority (BCRHA) and the Lee Housing Authority.  Under DHCD’s Water Conservation Sustainability Program, BCRHA and the Lee Housing Authority will receive low-flow toilets, installation accessories and low-flow shower heads.  Installation of these devices will allow the residents and Authorities to conserve water and energy, thereby also saving money.      The Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority’s award, worth $21,424 will authorize the procurement and installation of 39 toilets and shower heads.  Lee Housing Authority has received $29,778 for the procurement and installation of 50 toilets and shower heads.

Do you know an Unsung Heroine? The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Unsung Heroines Award, which honors 100 ‘unsung’ women across the Commonwealth for the extraordinary work they do across their communities.  For more information and to download the nomination form, click here.

DCR Holds 2 Local Public Forums on Forest Stewardship this Saturday The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is sponsoring five public forums in February to discuss draft recommendations on the future stewardship and management of forest lands within the Massachusetts state parks system. DCR began the Forest Futures Visioning Process last spring to determine how best to manage the myriad public benefits and values of forest land within the agency’s parks system,including recreation, tourism, aesthetics, renewable forest products, habitat diversity, and landscape ecology, and how to strike the appropriate balance among them. The process has several components, including the formation of an advisory group of stakeholders and the Technical Steering Committee. The Technical Steering Committee, which includes academics, practitioners, and scientists, is developing the draft recommendations with input from the public and the stakeholders. DCR contracted with the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution & Public Collaboration (MODR) at the University of Massachusetts in Boston to develop a design for the public process, act as facilitators throughout its implementation, and ensure that the discussion and processes are unbiased. Two local public forums will be held tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 6: 10 a.m. – Noon North Adams Public Library 74 Church Street, North Adams (Snow date: Saturday, February 13) 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Berkshire Community College – Melville Hall Room 2011 350 West Street, Pittsfield (Snow date: Saturday, February 13) For more information on this public process, visit www.mass.gov/dcr.

Small Business Funding Opportunity Available This week Senator Downing highlighted the launch of a new Small Business Matching Grant (SBMG) Program by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (the Center). This program, authorized by the Life Sciences Act of 2008, reflects the Center’s ongoing commitment to supporting early-stage life sciences companies that will grow jobs, promote manufacturing and product commercialization in Massachusetts and stimulate innovation across the Commonwealth. |more|

Tax Tips Available on www.Mass.gov Senator Downing, who serves as the Senate Chair of the Committee on Revenue is reminded that it's time to start preparing to file your federal and state income taxes.  The Commonwealth's official website, Mass.gov, has compiled resources to make your tax filing experience more manageable.

Community Spotlight: Official Flag of the Town of Hinsdale The largest meeting room and function space in the Massachusetts State House is called the Great Hall (pictured here).  In 1992 the Bureau of State Office Buildings (BSB) began a project to improve the acoustics of the room by collecting the official flags of the 351 Commonwealth communities and hanging them throughout the space.  State House visitors are often awed with the degree of detail represented in the flags and how they proudly display a community’s history and heritage.  BSB notes that many community flags were designed by scout groups, quilting clubs, school children and town elders.  Some towns have made a community-wide event out of designing their flag.  Currently Hinsdale does not have a flag displayed in the Great Hall; interested residents or town officials are encouraged to contact Senator Downing’s office at (617) 722-1625 to learn more about presenting a town flag to state officials.

We've moved! Photo Caption:  Senator Downing's district office has moved to 7 North Street in downtown Pittsfield. Please update your records, as Senator Downing's local office has moved to a new downtown Pittsfield location.  Our new address is 7 North Street, Suite 307, Pittsfield, MA 01201. The district office phone number has not changed; you can still reach the Senator and his district staff at 442-4008.

---------------------------------------
Powered by MainStreetMAIL.com ™