New England 5, March 1, 2023

Army Corps of Engineers to Begin Repairs On First of Two Cape Bridges

The Sagamore Bridge, one of two aging bridges connecting Cape Cod to the Massachusetts mainland, will undergo a few months of repairs beginning March 1. While the question could be raised as to why such extensive work is necessary, given how recently similar work was done on the structure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) describes it as routine.

The care, custody and control of both the Sagamore and the nearby Bourne bridges, as well as the Cape Cod Canal,

are the responsibility of the USACE.

In an e-mailed response to the Enterprise, a Falmouth, Mass.-based news source, Bryan Purtell, a spokesperson of the USACE’s New England District, said that the Army Corps “conducts thorough inspections of the bridges every two years.” Those inspections, he said, are in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

see BRIDGES page 6

University of Vermont’s Basketball Arena Construction Project to Go Into Overtime

Fans of the University of Vermont (UVM) basketball teams will have to call Patrick Gym home for a while longer.

The Vermont Cynic, an editorially independent student newspaper at UVM, reported Feb. 14 that another $87 million dollars is still needed to complete the school’s proposed Multipurpose Center in Burlington.

The news was announced in a report that the center’s Work Group presented to the university’s Board of Trustees at its Feb. 11 meeting.

The overhaul includes new student athletic facilities and

construction of the Tarrant Center, a new basketball and events arena that will replace UVM’s Patrick Gym as the home of the men’s and women’s basketball programs, the UVM Foundation noted.

The Work Group, which consists of various members of the board of trustees and other university officials, was formed last October to assess the construction project, and propose a plan for its continuation.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The care, custody and control of both the Sagamore (top) and the nearby Bourne bridges, as well as the Cape Cod Canal, are the responsibility of the USACE.

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Manitou Welcomes Shawmut Equipment to Dealer Network

Manitou North America welcomed Shawmut Equipment as a new Manitou dealer.

Shawmut Equipment will be offering Manitou MHT heavy capacity telehandler and MRT rotating telehandler product lines.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Shawmut Equipment to the Manitou dealer channel,” said Scott McGuigan, managing director of Manitou’s Eastern region. “Shawmut Equipment is a third generation, family-owned company now representing the Manitou rotating and heavy capacity telehandler lines in the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont.

“Shawmut’s dedicated sales staff and factory trained technicians will be a tremendous asset to our customer base in the New England area. We are fortunate to add such a strong and successful dealer to our network.”

Shawmut Equipment was founded in 1957 by George J. O’Connell as a crane distributor in Connecticut and western Massachusetts, expanding into Elmsdale, Nova Scotia. This family run company has built its reputation on offering superior equipment, great customer service, and knowledgeable technicians who can help keep machines in optimal condition.

Vice President of Shawmut Equipment Joseph Vergoni said, “Shawmut Equipment is excited to become a dealer

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Stamford Receives Funds for Bioswales to Cut Flooding

The city of Stamford, Conn., took a big step toward implementing green infrastructure by announcing on Feb. 14 that $1 million in congressionally directed spending will be used to construct 20 bioswales around town to help reduce flooding and stormwater runoff as well as improve water quality and neighborhood aesthetics.

Mayor Caroline Simmons was joined at Rippowam Park in downtown Stamford by U.S. Congressman Jim Himes (D) and other local elected officials and municipal department heads to unveil the project’s funding, noted the Stamford Patch, a community news site that reports from many U.S. towns.

Bioswales are shallow trenches often constructed near catch basins with plantings and vegetation to help slow down rainwater, absorb runoff and filter out pollutants.

“We know bioswales help reduce flooding and stormwater runoff by 30 percent,” Simmons explained. “[They are] a great way to help keep our residents safe when there are storms. [They] make our city more resilient, [and] help mitigate the effects of climate change.”

In addition, she noted, bioswale use can remove contaminants from water and beautify neighborhoods.

Building them in Stamford fits in with Simmons’ larger goal of making the city more resilient and sustainable, while also adding to the aesthetics of sidewalks with plantings and greenery.

Himes, who helped secure the funding, said the implementation of the green infrastructure will help improve the lives of Stamford residents since they will clean and beautify the city with more foliage. He called bioswales “win-wins,” while adding that nearby Long Island Sound also will benefit.

“This is really a contribution to the cleanliness of the sound and all that that means for our area,” he noted in his comments.

“Environmentally, Stamford will be identified as a real leader for how to do urban spaces in a sustainable and responsible way.”

Effective Bioswales Require Strategic Placement

Patch reported that Simmons hopes construction can take place as soon as possible, although she said it will take some time to identify the proper areas for Stamford’s bioswales.

“We saw what happened after Hurricane Ida flooded our city, so we want to get these up as soon as possible[to] experience all the benefits,” she added.

But Tyler Theder, with the city’s Stormwater Management Department, told Patch that the bioswales will be strategically placed, primarily in the downtown area near catch basins.

“These things are very specifically located to be approximate to an existing drainage structure, and also in a place where we’re

not going to cause any problems; not near building foundations or other things where infiltrating water can be a negative,” he explained. “We want to use bioswales as water quality treatment, and we want to make sure we put them in spots where they’re going to provide the most benefit.

“Science tells us that any time there’s more than 11 or 12 percent impervious surfaces — like rooftops, buildings, sidewalks or roadways — that the downgrading water quality is negatively impacted by them,” he continued.

The way bioswales work is by making a cut through the granite curb, Theder noted, which allows storm water to enter the constructed trench/garden area. About 4 to 5 ft. below the surface, there are assorted sizes and grades of rock and aggregate material to help filter the water.

“What we’re really trying to capture is that first flush — that first [measurable] precipitation that occurs on paved areas after the rain begins — because that’s what is going to wash the oils, any trash debris, or residuals off the paved areas and into the bioswales for pre-treatment. Then any leftover spillover is going to go into the catch basin and the drainage system.”

All this water must end up somewhere, Theder explained, and in Stamford’s case, that is the Long Island Sound.

“It all goes there, and a lot of the time the only treatment that we have is really in the catch basin itself,” he added. “This natural

systems-based approach to green infrastructure is really important from a water quality perspective.”

Bioswales Can Add to DowntownÊs Aesthetics

David Kooris, president of Stamford’s Downtown Special Services District, and a member of the mayor’s climate council, told Patch he is looking forward to seeing the environmental and aesthetic impact of the bioswales.

Kooris plans to work with the city to find the best locations for them, and help keep them free of trash and debris once they are operable.

“It’s not just about the utilities underground, but what happens on the ground as well,” he said. “You can’t really [build] them right where you have on-street parking [where] someone is going to be getting out of their car. Plus, we don’t want to put bioswales where they will interfere with outdoor dining. It’s about trying to find that balance.”

Kooris also told Patch that he expects the bioswales, with their plantings and foliage, will add to the holiday and seasonal scenes in downtown Stamford.

“Just like we decorate the streets’ trees with lighting, I do expect that [bioswales] would become part of that palate that we look to add onto to make it as great of an asset as we can for downtown and all of its visitors,” he said. 

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Sagamore Bridge Work Includes Steel Support Repair Work

Repairs to the bridges are done as deemed necessary by these inspections, he said.

The upcoming work to the Sagamore, Purtell said, includes repairs to the bridge roadway, its deteriorated steel supports and concrete abutments. Maintenance work also will be done to bridge joints as well as the lighting and drainage systems.

“The bridges are old and considered structurally deficient based on the national bridge inspection standards,” he explained, “but they are still reliable and maintained annually to be safe for the traveling public.”

The Sagamore Bridge underwent similar upgrades and repairs in the spring of 2021, and before that in the spring of 2018. The USACE has again hired R. Zoppo Corp., a construction company in Stoughton, Mass., to do the work, Purtell said.

The federal agency announced earlier in February that lane restrictions will go into place on March 1, reducing traffic in each direction to a single lane. The USACE warns motorists planning to use the Sagamore Bridge that travel delays during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods each day

throughout the work period should be expected.

Purtell told the Enterprise that the plan is to have all work on the Sagamore Bridge finished before Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to the summer season on Cape Cod. He noted that the schedule for work is weather-dependent.

Later this year, similar work on the Bourne Bridge is planned, he added. The total cost of the repairs and maintenance on both bridges is $4.17 million.

Zoppo co-owner David Zoppo confirmed to the Enterprise that his company will do the work on both structures. The Bourne Bridge work, he said, will take place between Labor Day (Sept. 4) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct. 9), and expressed confi-

dence that the work on each span will be completed within those specified dates.

Zoppo added the work his company will be doing is primarily concrete deck repairs at each end of the bridge. He also explained that his company is experienced with the work that needs to be done but noted “it’s not anything we’ve done previously on one of those structures.”

“There’s been some minor repairs, here and there, to the deck,” Zoppo continued, “but not anything of this size or magnitude.”

Work Proceeds Despite Lack of Federal Funding

The Sagamore and Bourne bridges are each nearly 90 years old and require considerable and costly repair and maintenance, according to the USACE.

In April 2020, the agency issued a Major Rehabilitation Evaluation Report in which the Army Corps formally adopted the recommendation of its New England District to construct two new bridges that conform to modern highway design standards.

Replacing the bridges, rather than continuing to repair them, also was the recommendation of the Massachusetts Department of

Transportation’s (MassDOT) Cape Cod Canal Region Transportation Study Group, which presented seven scenarios for improving transportation infrastructure around the canal. Each scenario was designed with the assumption that both bridges would be replaced.

MassDOT wants the current spans replaced at each location with twin bridges built adjacent to each other. One side would carry traffic arriving onto the Cape, with the other side supporting traffic heading north off Cape Cod.

A MassDOT survey showed that respondents overwhelmingly favored an arch design that replicates the current bridges.

The Enterprise reported the estimated cost of the bridge replacement project now stands at $3.9 billion. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently turned down an application for $1.8 billion to cover almost half the cost of the project.

However, $350 million has been set aside for the project in the state’s latest transportation bond bill, and $1.6 million was awarded from the federal agency for bridge planning. There also is the possibility of the Cape Cod spans receiving added funding under the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, also known as the Mega Program. 

No Completion Date Set for UVM’s New Basketball Arena

Costs Mount Due to Pandemic-Related Concerns

Six years after the proposal was first unveiled for a $100 million sports complex that would include a new arena and student recreational facilities, COVID-19-induced cost uncertainties prompted the school to reevaluate construction efforts of athletic infrastructure on campus, according to UVM Spokesperson Enrique Corredera.

As of today, the student facilities have come to life, but the arena has yet to be built.

“Construction was originally paused due to financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic,” Corredera told the Cynic in a Jan. 24 e-mail. “When construction was re-initiated, the Board of Trustees decided to first move forward with facilities for health and wellness to serve the entire student population.”

UVM has focused its energy on increasing exercise space available to students, and has been largely successful, he noted.

“Significant improvements have been completed,” Corredera explained. “UVM has quadrupled the amount of space used exclusively for student fitness and recreation, including a new Group Fitness Hub

with four studios for group classes and cycling; and a new multi activity court, with space adaptable for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, floor hockey and soccer.”

Facilities for varsity athletes also have been renovated, with updated men’s and women’s hockey locker rooms, a new film screening room and a special gym that occupies part of where the indoor tennis courts once were.

Many More Dollars Needed to Build Arena

Construction of the Tarrant Center, named after Rich and Deb Tarrant, a local philanthropic couple who donated $15 million toward the endeavor, formally began in May 2019 with a groundbreaking ceremony — just as COVID-19 was gaining steam.

However, there is little evidence of any major physical change to the site today, the Cynic reported, although UVM intends to move forward with the plan.

The university has invested $67 million in the project thus far, according to a Feb. 11

press release from Corredera. Combined with the projected $87 million that is still needed to complete construction, the total cost will arrive at $154 million.

Just two years ago, the Burlington Free Press noted the original cost estimate of the Multipurpose Center project was $95 million.

“The remaining $27.8 million of the originally approved $95 million in funds is insufficient to complete the project,” the Work

Group’s report said, adding that supply chain issues and inflation stemming from the pandemic are partially to blame for the cost increase.

UVM has identified $39 million in resources, according to the report, but will need to source the other $48 million through additional philanthropy, partnerships and other alternative funding methods.

The Cynic reported that $32.4 million of the total monies have come from donations — $16.2 million of which are future bequests, according to the Work Group report.

“While the pandemic and a changed landscape for construction financing have created significant financial challenges, I appreciate that our donors, along with university leaders and trustees, remain fully committed to seeing this project through to completion,” said Jeff Schulman, UVM’s director of athletics.

There has been no mention of a scheduled date for the project’s completion, and Corredera confirmed in a Feb. 13 e-mail to the Cynic that the timeline was unknown. 

“The bridges are old and considered structurally deficient based on the national bridge inspection standards.”

Bryan Purtell USACE New England District

“When construction was re-initiated, the Board of Trustees decided to first move forward with facilities for health and wellness…”

Enrique Corredera UVM

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Tribal, State Leaders Break Ground On $300M Connecticut Great Wolf Lodge

UVM Looks to Build New Large Outpatient Surgery Center

A $300 million project could bring a big economic boost to Connecticut, including hundreds of new jobs.

Great Wolf Lodge is opening a new 549-room resort and waterpark on 13 acres next to the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. The project officially got under way Feb. 1 with a groundbreaking ceremony, reported WVIT NBC Connecticut in West Hartford.

The multi-million-dollar resort, set to open in the spring of 2025, is being built in partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

“This is a development that’s decades in the making, literally,” Rodney Butler, the tribal nation’s chair, told the TV station.

“We’re just super excited, and can’t wait to get this open,” added Jason Guyot, president and CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. “It is a great addition to the property [and will include] over 500 hotel rooms, a 91,000-sq.ft. waterpark, and a 61,000-sq.-ft. family entertainment center.”

Butler said the venture will give an economic lift to both the tribal nation and the region.

“This is the completion of a vision that my council had from back in the 1990s, when we first launched Foxwoods, that we were going to be a true destination resort,” he explained to WVIT NBC Connecticut. “We always felt like some family component [was] necessary to make it complete.

“When you think about the [economic] driver, this is going to be for tourism in Connecticut, bringing people in from all over New England and giving them another reason to visit the state,” he continued. “It’s a great opportunity for everybody.”

Turner Construction Co., headquartered in New York City, is building Connecticut’s Great Wolf Lodge.

Resort Should Supply Both Jobs, Family Fun

The officials behind the project told the West Hartford TV station that they expect it to create nearly 400 construc-

tion and trade jobs, with those workers totaling 1.1 million labor hours over the next two years.

Once it is complete, the lodge will create another 500 permanent jobs, among them positions in management, engineering, information technology and guest services, as well as lifeguards and housekeepers.

Turner Construction will build into it several environmental features such as energy-saving LED lighting and special water filters to reduce consumption.

“Ultimately, this work will result in a wonderful destination for families,” noted Chad McCullough, Turner’s vice president and general manager. “We thank Great Wolf Lodge for inviting us to be part of the team that will make this resort a reality.”

In addition, a Great Wolf Lodge representative told WVIT NBC Connecticut that future visitors and guests can look forward to plenty of attractions.

“We will have slides for every age, and every thrill level,” explained Jason Lasecki, Great Wolf’s vice president of corporate communication. “Our Adventure Park will have activities like a ropes course, miniature golf, an arcade and other activities that families can do together.”

He said a Great Wolf Lodge typically draws a half-million visitors per year.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who attended the groundbreaking, believes the great Wolf Lodge development could help Connecticut ride a wave of tourism that swelled during the pandemic.

“Ironically, 2021 and 2022, during the worst of COVID19, were [the state’s] busiest years for visitors,” he noted. “We kept our parks open, kept our beaches open, and I think we are building off that momentum right now.”

During the kickoff of their construction in Mashantucket, Great Wolf Lodge and its partners also announced that they are making a $25,000 donation to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. The funding will go toward sharing the history, stories and traditions of the tribal nation.

The University of Vermont Medical (UVM) Center is seeking permission from state regulators to construct a large new outpatient surgery center, which hospital officials describe as necessary to replace aging operating rooms and meet an expected growth in demand.

The medical center sent a “certificate of need” application to the Green Mountain Care Board on Feb. 10 for an 84,000sq.-ft. facility on Tilley Drive in South Burlington, next to several other specialty clinics. State statute requires the care board to approve the proposal, a process intended to reduce health care costs by preventing “unnecessary duplication” of services, reported VT Digger, a statewide news service.

“The need for the [surgical] center is actually there right now,” Stephen Leffler, the medical center’s president and CEO, said during a press briefing.

In terms of the hospital’s outpatient surgery volume, both its main campus in Burlington and its Fanny Allen campus in Colchester are often full, he said.

“We’re at capacity most days,” Leffler explained.

UVM Places Need Over Cost

The cost of land purchase, permitting, construction and outfitting of the new center is estimated at almost $130 million, with $100 million financed through bonding, UVM noted. The project, which would add eight multi-purpose operating rooms, 12 pre-operation rooms and 36 recovery spaces, is the detailed version of a conceptual plan approved by the Green Mountain Care Board in September 2021.

However, all new construction across the UVM Health Network came to a halt in early 2022 when officials forecast large operating deficits. The network ended its last fiscal year $90 million in the red.

While the network remains focused on its financial issues, “we really can’t afford to wait,” UVM Health Network CEO Sunil “Sunny” Eappen told VTDigger.

Access to care is already challenging, Eappen said. But projections suggest that demand for surgical procedures will exceed the region’s ability to meet them by almost 5,000 cases in 2030, due both to general population growth and the increasing percentage of people who are older than 65 years old.

“We need to invest now in order to meet our future demand,” Eappen added.

see UVM page 12

“The need for the [surgical] center is actually there right now.We’re at capacity most days.”

Stephen Leffler University of Vermont Medical Center

Rendering courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge

With a rough construction timeline of approximately 26 months, the indoor water park resort is expected to celebrate its grand opening in mid-2025.

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City Council in New Bedford, Mass., OKs $21M Pedestrian Bridge to Rail Station

The city council in New Bedford, Mass., gave the greenlight to build a new $21 million pedestrian bridge, providing a walkway over John F. Kennedy Boulevard and linking it to an under-construction South Coast Rail station in the fishing port city.

The bridge will connect Purchase Street with the New Bedford’s Church Street rail station, operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Mayor Jon Mitchell had asked the council to approve a Memorandum of Understanding between the MBTA and the city for the bridge, the New Bedford Standard-Times reported Jan. 27.

“New Bedford deserves public amenities and spaces that are both functional and beautiful,” Mitchell said in a press release. “For a highly visible structure like this pedestrian bridge, excellence in design is a must. We have achieved that goal with this design, and I am grateful for the collaborative efforts between our team and the MBTA’s. The result will be a new city landmark of which we can all be proud.”

The deal came after more than a year of negotiations between New Bedford and the MBTA, with the transportation authority agreeing to design and build the pedestrian crossing according to the city’s preferences. In addition, New Bedford will not be responsible for any of the building costs.

Town Councilor Brian Gomes had wanted to refer the Memorandum of Understanding request to a special committee before approval, saying he had questions concerning maintenance costs and long-term security issues. He added that he was in favor of accepting the bridge but wanted an extra session first.

But the New Bedford news source reported that Council President Linda Morad said a special meeting would need to happen before the Feb. 8 deadline on the memorandum of agreement with the MBTA. That led Ryan Pereira, another New Bedford councilor, to say he preferred immediate action from the board, reminding his colleagues construction of the $21 million pedestrian bridge was being paid for by the state, and the city must pay for the upkeep of state property in any event.

Following that, the motion to OK the request was passed in a 6-4 vote.

The construction project is now expected to begin this summer.

South Coast Rail Expanding in SE Massachusetts

The Standard-Times noted that 2022 saw tremendous progress on the long-awaited South Coast Rail project that will connect New Bedford, Taunton, and Fall River to commuter rail access to Boston. Currently, the three southeastern Massachusetts communities are the only major cities within

New UVM Medical Center Facility to Cost Nearly $130M

UVM from page 8

Modern Facility to Allow for More Complex Surgeries

The new UVM Medical Center facility, projected to take two years to complete after regulatory approval, would replace all five outpatient surgical rooms at the Fanny Allen campus in Colchester. Some outpatient surgeries now performed on the main campus also would move, opening space for more complex surgeries, Leffler said.

The Green Mountain Care Board previously approved two independent outpatient surgical centers, both in Colchester, but has limited their offerings: the Green Mountain Surgery Center, and a connected facility, the Collaborative Surgery Center. The first was approved in 2017 and opened in 2019, while the second center had its certificate of need approved by the board in March 2022

Another independent surgical center, Vermont Eye Surgery Center in South Burlington, has been open since 2008.

50 mi. of Boston without commuter rail access.

Last spring, South Coast Rail construction hit the midway point, and work on one of the lines in the system had neared completion as of the end of the year. State and local officials celebrated the substantial completion of the Fall River Secondary Line with a ribbon cutting at Freetown Station on Dec. 5.

When the Church Street Station construction finishes, it will be the next to last stop to the New Bedford station on Acushnet Avenue, the last point on the New Bedford Main Line, which will be serviced by the pedestrian bridge. MBTA officials said the line will offer a “one-seat trip” to Boston in less than 90 minutes. Passenger service is expected to begin late this year.

The agency also plans to run three morning peak trains and three evening peak trains to both New Bedford and Fall River.

Aside from the two New Bedford stations and two in Fall River, the East Taunton Station and the Middleborough Station have also been under construction, according to the Standard-Times. At full buildout, commuter rail service on the Stoughton Line will extend to the New Bedford and Fall River lines.

Council Also Votes On Street Project

In an unrelated matter, the New Bedford City Council also voted Jan. 26 to refer to committee a request by Mitchell that the city solicitor be allowed to obtain appraisals and prepare an order of taking for land located on County Street, from Nelson Street to Union Street, for the purpose of “acquiring permanent and temporary easements for roadway paving, sidewalk reconstruction with new pedestrian ramps, new pavement markings, traffic signal upgrades, tree plantings and new green infrastructure areas.”

The mayor said the purpose for the appraisals is to build a road reconstruction project on County Street by the city’s Department of Public Infrastructure and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) with the aid of federal funds. 

The certificate of need application for the new outpatient surgery center in South Burlington suggests that planners believe most of the procedures at the facility would, at least initially, be in the areas of orthopedics, ear, nose and throat health, and ophthalmology.

VTDigger noted that the new UVM facility would include enough interior space to easily add another four operating rooms and supporting space in the future. That type of growth is not currently possible at Fanny Allen, where surgical rooms were built in the 1960s and are too narrow to allow for certain kinds of procedures and collaborations, Leffler said.

The new outpatient surgery center would need to staff 166 employees, with the majority coming from within the UVM Center as the operating rooms move. However, fully staffing the new center would require adding 78 positions, which the hospital plans to begin recruiting for 18 months prior to opening.

UVM leaders said that they do not anticipate either staffing or financial concerns to stall the project.

Additionally, the outpatient surgery center would allow the hospital to provide the same service it currently does at a lower cost. As a result, it is expected to begin to pay for itself within six months, Leffler told VTDigger.

Network officials expect the ultramodern facility would serve as a draw to clinicians and others, plus, jobs at outpatient surgery centers are typically easier to fill, according to Eappen.

“People want to work in ambulatory surgery centers,” he explained. “[In general, it’s] considered to be a very positive place to work.” 

Rendering courtesy of the City of New Bedford This artist’s rendering shows the planned pedestrian bridge from the new inter-city rail station to Purchase Street in New Bedford.

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PLC of Maine Raises Record for Charity

The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine raised a record $262,403 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine in 2022 through its annual Log A Load for Maine Kids fundraising efforts.

The total shattered the previous record set in 2021 of $205,000, with the PLC’s two Log A Load golf tournaments and the Log A Load live auction at the PLC’s annual membership meeting each hitting new highs in 2022.

“It is incredibly inspiring that despite the many challenges facing Maine’s logging industry, PLC’s Members, Supporting Members, friends and families have rallied to once again raise a record amount for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals,” Dana Doran, executive director of the PLC, said. “No matter what obstacles they encounter in their own busi-

nesses and lives, they always reach deep for the kids and their families.”

Doran presented a check for the funds to representatives from Northern Light/Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland. The check was presented at the PLC’s office in Augusta.

Those accepting the check on behalf of the hospitals were Kelly Pearson, director of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital program and Corporate Engagement at Northern Light Health, and Kate Richardson, Children’s Miracle Network senior philanthropy manager for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH).

“The logging community continues to amaze us. We are touched by their generosity and compassion. The dollars raised make a real difference in the care our doctors and nurses provide to local kids. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center has used the funds to support programs and serv-

items including holiday ornaments and through end of year donations.

The PLC’s Log A Load efforts have now raised more than $1.925 million since 1995. In addition to setting records at both golf tournaments this year, the PLC Annual Meeting Log a Load for Maine Kids Auction also set a record, raising $144,399.

ices, and purchase equipment like a new ambulance and an ultrasound machine, as well as comfort items like new stuffed animals. On behalf of our patients, their families and the team that cares for them, thank you,” Pearson said.

“It’s difficult to express the lifesaving impact that this industry is having on our local children’s hospitals. It’s evident that there is a deep-rooted commitment among members of the logging industry to support their community and help their neighbors — and that’s exactly what they’re doing by ensuring that our kids have access to the very best care, right here in Maine.

I’m constantly amazed and deeply grateful for the tireless efforts and remarkable generosity of Maine’s logging community,” Richardson said.

The PLC raises the majority of Log A Load funds during an auction at its annual membership meeting in the spring and at golf tournaments in Lovell and Lincoln in August and September. Some additional funds are raised through the sale of

The PLC and the Northern Light Health Foundation (formerly Eastern Maine Health Systems Foundation) have partnered in the Log A Load fund-raising effort since 1996. Donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children in Maine as possible.

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that has received support for years from the PLC’s Log A Load efforts.

The PLC partners with The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland for the southern tournament.

The South Carolina Forestry Association started the Log A Load for Kids program in 1988. Originally, the concept was for loggers, wood-supplying businesses and other industry supporters in various states including Maine to donate the value of a load of logs to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Nationally, Log A Load for Kids is a leader in CMN Hospitals’ fundraising, raising more than $2 million annually through golf tournaments, fishing events, dinners, truckloads of log donations and other events.

For more information, visit www.logaload.org. 

Photo courtesy of American Loggers Council PLC Executive Director Dana Doran (R) presents a check for $262,403 to Kelly Pearson (L), director of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital program and Corporate Engagement at Northern Light Health; and Kate Richardson, Children’s Miracle Network senior philanthropy manager for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

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R.I. Secures Federal Grant to Make Providence Streets Safer

To improve roadway safety, better connect neighborhoods, and make Providence city streets safer for all users, Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation, along with Mayor Brett Smiley, announced a new $27.2 million federal grant Jan. 23 under the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressman David Cicilline, helped create the program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and made $5 billion in competitive SS4A funding available.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the program grants dedicated federal funds to support regional and local road safety projects and strategies across the country that will make busy roadways safer, and help prevent deaths and serious injuries.

Providence will use the grant money to advance engineering and systemic construction of the city’s Urban Trail Network, a project to help create last-mile connections to residential, employment and cultural activity centers between the city’s 25 neighborhoods while reducing serious crashes involving road users. The trails are a combination of on-road and road-adjacent protected bicycle lanes and shared-use pathways, neighborhood greenways on low volume streets and off-road shared use byways.

The Rhode Island capital city’s Great Streets initiative proposes an Urban Trail Network to make Providence more walkable and bike-friendly, at the same time revitalizing and connecting its neighborhoods with a safe transportation system that serves everyone.

“This is a smart investment in preventing traffic accidents, improving our streets, and connecting neighborhoods,” said Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD). “This federal funding will help Providence reach its infrastructure and mobility goals and make our streets safer and more efficient.”

Reed’s Rhode Island colleagues in Washington also believe the federal grant to be a major boost to the health and well-being of Providence residents and visitors and highlight the benefits of the IIJA.

“The Safe Streets and Roads for All grant is another example of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivering for Rhode Islanders,” noted Whitehouse. “This federal

funding will support planning and infrastructure improvements that keep Providence’s streets safe and accessible to all who visit and live in our capital city.”

Congressman Cicilline described the federal grant as “a smart, forward-thinking investment,” adding that it will “improve the city’s transportation network and make our streets safer for everyone — whether you bike, walk, drive or ride.”

New England Traffic Deaths On Rise

Roadway safety across the United States is an area of grave national concern, Reed said in a news release from his office, citing that in 2021 alone, more than 42,000 people were killed in road traffic accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

While NHTSA statistics released in December showed traffic deaths decreased by 0.2 percent nationwide in the first nine months of 2022, they increased by 5 percent in New England during that same period.

Figures show that between 2018 and 2021, there were 1,100 crashes involving people walking or biking, with 260 serious injuries and eight fatalities in the Rhode Island capital. As a result, Providence has developed a preliminary list of city-controlled corridors and intersections to improve that were prioritized based on needs related to safety, accessibility, equity and connectivity.

Under the IIJA law, U.S. cities and towns can apply for federal SS4A grants. The program is designed to grant $1 billion annually over five years and is open to all communities regardless of size to help them ensure safe, accessible streets and roadways for everyone. 

“This is a smart investment in preventing traffic accidents, improving our streets, and connecting neighborhoods.”

Jack Reed U.S. Senator