Moore, Fernandes keep promises, deliver results
to Milford and Hopedale
July 10, 2007...The citizens of Hopedale and Milford will benefit greatly from legislative priorities filed by Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge and Rep. John V. Fernandes D-Milford that were included in the $26.8 billion Fiscal Year 2008 budget plan.
“Rep. Fernandes and I have developed a strong partnership which enabled us to ensure that funding for these communities would be included in the final version of the budget presented to the Governor,” said Moore. “Our priorities included in this budget passed by the Legislature today is a clear indication that we listened to the concerns of our towns and we’ve responded to meet important community needs.”
"The money included in this budget is a direct reflection of the priorities set by local officials and community groups," said Fernandes. "I am very satisfied with the commitment in this budget to local communities. Sen. Moore and I communicated frequently and collaborated to assure that the program funding we sought made it into the final budget."
Provisions supported by Senator Moore and Rep. Fernandes included in the budget are:
- Draper Re-use Committee Development Planning Grant. $15,000 for the continuation of a planning grant from FY 07 to assist the Draper Mill Re-Use Committee develop and execute a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the Draper Mill Complex – a sprawling 21 acre vacant mill complex in the center of Hopedale. The mill has been vacant for over 20 years and presently possesses a significant safety threat. Furthermore, the sheer size of the property means that any redevelopment will have dramatic impacts on all facets of town life.
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- Milford Youth Center. $35,000 in allocation would allow for the continuation of a matching grant for the Milford Youth Center from the United Way of Massachusetts. The grant would be used to meet programming needs.
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- Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra. $50,000 continuation in an earmark from FY 07 for the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra in Milford.
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- Regional School Transportation. $58,300,000 to maintain regional school transportation for students to participate in extracurricular activities. This amount reimburses school districts for 90% of their costs, and puts the Legislature back on the path to 100% reimbursement in the next few years.
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- Blackstone Valley Tech Nursing Program. $100,000 for the planning and implementation of a post-secondary nursing program in response to the critical nursing shortage. The program would be conducted in partnership with Milford Regional Medical Center and Quinsigamond Community College.
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The bill now goes to Governor Patrick who has ten days to sign the bill or veto items with which he disagrees.
For more information or to learn about Sen. Moore’s work in the Senate, log onto his web site at
www.senatormoore.com.
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