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Daily Update 10/22: Reaching Out to Young Adults in Western MA

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Governor’s Daily Update
Schools, Jobs, and Civic Engagement
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Today: Thursday, October 22, 2009

 

  • This morning, Governor Patrick made an announcement relative to economic development at the Biocell Center Corporation in Medford.

 

  • This evening, Governor Patrick offers remarks relative to public service at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard University.

 

In the Press:

 

Governor Patrick addresses students at the “What’s your Massachusetts: A Forum for Young Adults” at UMass Amherst.

 

  • Governor of the Whole State  – Yesterday Governor Patrick visited the UMass Amherst Campus to engage in a round-table meeting entitled “What's Your Massachusetts: A Forum for Young Adults," one of several forums for young adults conducted across the state. Joined by Ruby Maddox-Fisher, an employee of the Center for the Environment at Mount Holyoke College, Brianna Johnson, a UMass student, Aron Goldman, executive director of the Springfield Institute, and Tony A Maroulis, executive director of the Greater Amherst Chamber of Commerce, the Governor addressed a host of issues from public safety to the cost of higher education. The attendees, comprised predominantly of students, appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to the Governor. "I'm here to emphasize: We want you here," said Governor Patrick, to the crowd. "I appreciate that the Governor actually took time to come,” said UMass student Marco Cross. “I appreciate his honesty." The Governor also visited with students at the Jackson Street School in Northampton.


 

  • Commitment to Public Health – Governor Deval Patrick today posted a video informing the public that the Commonwealth is receiving doses of the H1N1 vaccine as fast as they can be made. In fact, the turnaround rate in Massachusetts for the vaccine is faster than most other states facing similar situations: “There is reason for concern, but not for panic. There is a good plan in place and as soon as production keeps up with demand in its several weeks time we should be able to offer the H1N1 vaccine to anyone in the commonwealth who wants one,” said Governor Patrick. To find more information about the availability of the vaccine, as well as a list of locations where the vaccine can be obtained, visit www.mass.gov/flu.

 

Click on the photo above to view the Governor’s video message about flu season.

 

  • Commitment to Economic Development – Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick joined University of Massachusetts President Dr. Jack Wilson, Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, leaders from MIT, Boston University, and senior executives from EMC, Cisco, and Accenture to announce that initial construction of Holyoke’s High Performance Computing Center (HPCC) is on track to begin next fall, with a target completion date set for late 2011. The public-private collaboration, which recently completed a successful 120-day planning process, will establish Massachusetts as a global leader in the development and application of the next generation of computing technologies. “This center will serve as an anchor of a highly competitive and vibrant innovation district in the Pioneer Valley,” said Governor Patrick. “The potential for job growth and advances in technology and research is unprecedented, and both the center and this collaboration will serve to create long term prosperity for Holyoke and regional economies throughout Western Massachusetts." Learn more here.


  • Commitment to Early Education – Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray joined with Secretary of Education Paul Reville on Wednesday to announce the findings of the Dropout Prevention and Recovery Commission report, which put forward an ambitious proposal to decrease the number of the state’s high school dropouts by half. “This whole report is a call to action,’’ said Secretary Reville. “It’s critical work. We can ill afford the waste, loss, and tragedy these persistent rates represent.’’ Secretary Reville also disputed a recent Pew Center on the States report that Massachusetts is one of 10 states that has cut spending on early childhood education, noting that “this pre-k report is flat out wrong in characterizing the actions of this administration as anything other than highly supportive of high quality education and care.’’
    • Learn more about the Dropout Prevention and Recovery Commission report here and read about it in the Boston Globe.
    • Read about the Patrick-Murray Administration’s response to the Pre-K spending report in the Boston Globe.


  • Massachusetts Recovery – Yesterday, as part of the Governor’s Massachusetts' Recovery Plan to secure the state’s economic future, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray joined state and local officials to break ground for a comprehensive renovation of an aging public housing complex. The renovation will use an innovative mixed finance program initiated by the Patrick-Murray Administration to defray project costs.  “This project represents a dynamic and innovative collaboration between the public and private sector to revitalize our communities," said Governor Deval Patrick. “By targeting resources in this way, we are not only assisting individuals and families in need, but lifting up those neighborhoods that need it the most.” The site of the ground-breaking, Musterfield at Concord Place, is one of the first public housing developments in Massachusetts to use this mixed finance mechanism. Learn more here.

 

 

This Week:

  • On Monday afternoon, Governor Patrick attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Millipore Corporation’s solar panel installation project in Bedford.

 

  • Later Monday afternoon, Governor Patrick attended a legislative leadership meeting.

 

  • Tuesday morning, Governor Patrick made an announcement relative to small businesses in Quincy.

 

  • Earlier this morning, Governor Patrick visited the Jackson Street School in Northampton to discuss how federal stimulus is being put to work in Hampshire County.

 

  • Wednesday morning, Governor Patrick attended the Culture in the Workplace event at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

 

  • Wednesday afternoon, Governor Patrick held a community meeting with young adults at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Student Union Center.

 

  • Later on Wednesday afternoon, Governor Patrick made an economic development announcement about the Holyoke High Performance Computing Center. Learn more here and read the Springfield Republican.