State Senator Ed Kennedy was happy to attend the Morgan-Babcock Scholarship Award Reception at the Lawrence Library in Dunstable on April 25th. The Morgan-Babcock Scholarship was established by Helene Morgan-Babcock as a way of thanking the citizens of Dunstable for the kindness that the people of Dunstable showed her family in 1923.
During the winter of 1923 the Morgan family home in Dunstable was substantially destroyed by fire. The citizens of Dunstable responded to the family crisis by taking in the 17 Morgan children and aiding in the reconstruction of their home. One of the 17 children, Helene Morgan-Babcock remembered the words of her mother who said, “Never forget the kindness of the people of Dunstable” and established a scholarship fund that is available to the graduating students of Dunstable who wish to continue their education after high school.
The scholarship applicants were evaluated on their community service, academic merit and written essays.
The 2023 Morgan-Babcock Scholar is Rachel Young who received a four-year scholarship. Cole Beigel, Sydney Prescott, Kyla Hughes, Tayja Sinclair Adams and Dylan Paradis received one-year scholarships.
In addition to the Morgan-Babcock Scholarships, Finn Bernard was awarded the Russell G. & Shirley L. Tobey Scholarship.
Dunstable Select Board member Leah Basbanes and Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee members Lacey McCabe and Rafael Glod also attended the event. Each scholarship recipient also received a House of Representatives Citation from State Representative Margaret Scarsdale and a State Senate Citation.
From left to right are scholarship recipients Dylan Paradis, Kyla Hughes, Rachel Young, State Senator Ed Kennedy, Finn Bernard and Cole Beigel.Seated to the right of the podium are former Groton-Dunstable Regional High School Teacher Patti Starbird, Morgan-Babcock Scholarship Committee member Lauren Chenelle, Dunstable Select Board member Leah Basbanes, Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee members Lacey McCabe and Rafael Glod.
State Senator Ed Kennedy was at Roberto Clemente Park in Lowell on Saturday, April 22 to join in the 13th Annual Khmer New Year Celebration. Cool temperatures and cloudy skies did not prevent the large crowd from celebrating The Year of the Rabbit all afternoon.
Also seen joining in the celebration were Lowell Housing Authority Executive Director Tha Chhan as well as Lowell City Councilor Vesna Nuon and his wife Navey.
State Senator Ed Kennedy with two of the dancers, Ms. Stephanie Seng (Left) and Mr. Chummeng Soun (Right), who performed during the Khmer New Year Celebration at Roberto Clemente Park in Lowell.State Senator Ed Kennedy offers happy new year wishes to the crowd at the Khmer New Year Celebration.State Senator Ed Kennedy and Lowell School Committeeman Dominik Lay at Roberto Clemente Park to help celebrate the Khmer New Year. Leading the Khmer New Year parade to Roberto Clemente Park are Lowell School Department Administrator Latifah Phillips (behind the flag), UMass-Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, Lowell School Committeeman Dominik Lay, Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson and Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association Executive Director Sothea Chiemruom.
State Senator Ed Kennedy was at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Advanced Cultivators at their new cannabis growing facility located at 100 Phoenix Avenue in Lowell on Thursday, April 20. Advanced Cultivators is the fifth cannabis growing facility to open in Lowell and it is the first Latin-owned recreational cannabis cultivator in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Advanced Cultivators is owned by Steve Ramirez and Richard Borges. The ribbon cutting ceremony at 100 Phoenix Avenue included an abundance of food and music provided by a Mexican band.
State Senator Ed Kennedy and Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce CEO Danielle McFadden hold the ribbon for Advanced Cultivators owners Steve Ramirez and Richard Borges at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 20.State Senator Ed Kennedy and State Representative Vanna Howard with Advanced Cultivators owners Steve Ramirez and Richard Borges at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 20.State Senator Ed Kennedy with Dennis and Debbie Sierra at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Advanced Cultivators at 100 Phoenix Avenue in Lowell.
State Senator Ed Kennedy was honored to be invited to the Cambodian Flag Raising Ceremony at Lowell City Hall on Friday, April 14. The flag raising event was also an opportunity to celebrate the Khmer New Year. This year is the Year of the Rabbit. The Angkor Dance Troupe and young students from the Lowell Community Charter Public School performed during the flag raising ceremony.
State Senator Ed Kennedy was joined on the front steps of Lowell City Hall by the House members of the Lowell Statehouse Delegation and several municipal officials and community leaders.
State Senator Ed Kennedy was honored to participate in the inaugural ceremony for Dr. Julie Chen as Chancellor of UMass-Lowell at the Tsongas Arena on Thursday, April 13. Julie Chen is the fourth person to serve as Chancellor of UMass-Lowell.
Dr. Julie Chen received her Ph.D., Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering, where she was a student athlete and Academic All-American in softball and field hockey.
Dr. Chen joined the UMass Lowell faculty in 1997 after six years as an assistant professor at Boston University. She spent 2002-2004 in Washington, D.C., as director for the Materials Processing and Manufacturing as well as the Nanomanufacturing programs at the National Science Foundation. In 2009, she was appointed Vice Provost for Research.
Before becoming Chancellor, Dr Julie Chen served as vice chancellor for research and economic development, a role that included managing industry partnerships, technology transfer, startups and innovation, core research facilities and economic development programs. As UMass Lowell’s chief research officer, Dr. Chen facilitated numerous innovative models that brought together industry, government and academia.
Because of her expertise in materials, nanomanufacturing and advanced manufacturing, Dr. Chen has testified before Congress and represented the United States in several international workshops. Dr. Julie Chen serves on the boards of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and MassTech Collaborative, as well as the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative and the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.
An advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, Chancellor Chen has served as the co-leader for UMass Lowell’s Council on Social Justice and Inclusion.
State Senator Ed Kennedy offered greetings from the Massachusetts Great and General Court during the Inauguration of UMass-Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen at the Tsongas Arena on Thursday, April 13.UMass-Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen enters the arena to begin the inaugural ceremony.Enjoying themselves at the pre-inaugural reception are UMass-Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen with Patti Kirwin-Keilty and Dominik Lay from State Senator Ed Kennedy’s office.Governor Maura Healey addresses the crowd during the inaugural ceremony for Chancellor Julie Chen.
(BOSTON – 03/30/2023) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed a bill that includes $350 million in bond authorizations for transportation needs across the state, including $200 million for the state’s Chapter 90 program, which provides municipalities with a reliable funding source for transportation-related improvements, including road and bridge repairs.
“This legislation will maintain and improve our state’s infrastructure, ensure that residents have safe and reliable transportation options, and support sustainable, regionally equitable economic development in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Senate PresidentKaren E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “I’d like to thank Senator Crighton for his work in crafting this legislation, Senator Kennedy for his help in advancing it, and all of my Senate colleagues for working collaboratively to ensure the transportation needs of our cities and towns are addressed in a regionally equitable manner.”
“Our transportation system is the backbone of our Commonwealth, connecting us to our jobs, families, and communities,” said Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn),Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation. “This investment is not just an investment in infrastructure, but an investment in the future of our Commonwealth, enabling our cities and towns to make the necessary improvements to promote efficient and safe travel for all.”
“I’m pleased to see this crucial investment in the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges move towards fruition,” said Senator Edward J. Kennedy (D-Lowell), Chair of the Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. “The cities and towns of Massachusetts depend on this necessary funding to maintain their transportation infrastructure.”
This legislation also authorizes $150 million in programs that will assist municipalities with various transportation-related projects. This includes $25 million for each of the following:
the municipal small bridge program;
the complete streets program;
a bus transit infrastructure program;
grants to increase access to mass transit and commuter rail stations;
grants for municipalities and regional transit authorities to purchase electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them;
and new funding dedicated to additional transportation support based on road milage, which is particularly helpful for rural communities.
“By dedicating a $25 million fund to rural communities for road and culvert work, the Senate has once again demonstrated a commitment to regional equity,” said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “Rural towns do not have large municipal budgets like some Commonwealth cities, yet with much smaller municipal budgets, they have been expected to maintain many hundreds more miles of roads than their urban counterparts. They have culverts in need of repair and a significant number of gravel and dirt roads. This rural program recognizes and begins to address these pressing, inequitable realities for rural communities and I’m deeply grateful.”
“Today’s bill includes $25 million that is intended to help our most rural communities that are consistently struggling to keep afloat financially,” said Senator Paul W. Mark (D-Becket). “In a district of 57 cities and towns, 54 of which have populations of fewer than 10,000 people, and in some cases communities as small as 120 residents, we live firsthand every day how difficult it can be to undertake road repairs, invest in new equipment, or have our voice heard in Boston. I am grateful to the Senate President, the Chair of Ways and Means, and the Chair of Transportation for the time they have taken to visit rural communities in my district, work collaboratively with me and our rural caucus members, and deliver for our small towns in a way that will produce tangible benefits and results this calendar year.”
A different version having previously been passed in the House of Representatives, the two chambers will now reconcile differences before sending the bill to the Governor’s desk.
Friday, March 31 was Student Government Day at the State House and two seniors from Lowell High School visited State Senator Ed Kennedy’s office at the State House. Dominik Lay, who is a member of Senator Kennedy’s staff and a member of the Lowell School Committee acted as host during the visit, which included pizza for lunch in the Senator’s office.
In 1947, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted a program called Student Government Day (originally Good Government Day) which is traditionally held on a Friday in April. This is an informative program about state government, that includes students participating in the role of elected or appointed officials to “observe the processes of government.”
Enjoying the view from the front balcony at the State House on Student Government Day are from left to right Dominik Lay, Lowell High School seniors Tabitha Balimutenda and Alexander Wahpo, and LHS teacher Mr. Robert Delossa.Dominik Lay with Lowell High School seniors Tabitha Balimutenda and Alexander Wahpo standing outside of State Senator Ed Kennedy’s office.Lowell High School seniors Tabitha Balimutenda and Alexander Wahpo, and LHS teacher Mr. Robert Delossa.
Congratulations to Lowell City Clerk Michael Geary on being selected as the “2023 Distinguished Graduate” (Honorary Graduate) of the Immaculate Conception School in Lowell. Michael Geary is a longtime supporter of the Immaculate Conception parish and grammar school. The annual Award Dinner was held at Lenzi’s in Dracut on Thursday, March 23rd.
State Senator Ed Kennedy attended the Award Dinner and was honored to present Mike Geary with a citation from the Massachusetts State Senate.
State Senator Ed Kennedy with Lowell City Clerk Mike Geary and his wife Leah Geary.
State Senator Ed Kennedy presented Lowell’s Jim Haley with a citation from the Massachusetts State Senate in recognition of Jim’s selection as the “2023 Irish Person of the Year” on Saturday, March 18. For the 40th year, the Lowell community celebrated Irish Cultural Week from March 12 to March 18. As always, the week was filled with a variety of activities including a parade and flag raising at City Hall, a concert, a movie night and a mass at Saint Patrick’s Church. Irish Cultural Week ended with a Dinner/Dance at Lenzi’s in Dracut on March 18.
The popular Jim Haley was born in Salem but moved to Lowell after marrying Eileen Shanahan. A resident of the Pawtucketville section of Lowell, Jim Haley has been a volunteer for many organizations throughout his career.
Jim Haley is a licensed real estate broker with Dick Lepine Real Estate at 1333 Lakeview Avenue in Dracut. He is licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Kathleen Haley, Kerrie (Haley) Peaslee, State Senator Ed Kennedy, Jim Haley, Eileen Haley, Haley Peaslee, Kaelagh Haley at Lenzi’s in Dracut for the Irish Week Dinner Dance.
