BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $64 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse it for the cost of contracting to provide testing services in public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The $64,144,440 Public Assistance grant will reimburse the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the cost of contracting to provide testing at schools and in public buildings in surrounding communities between February 2021 and June 2022.
The contractor provided services which included operations and logistics of pooled testing, training, software, and technical assistance to school personnel.
The contractor also provided transportation for a total of 907,829 COVID-19 test specimens from approximately 2,400 public schools across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to the laboratory for analysis.
"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Reimbursing state, county, and municipal governments – as well as eligible non-profits and tribal entities – for the costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important part of our nation's ongoing recovery."
FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
So far, FEMA has provided more than $2.7 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
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New Pittsfield Mural Designed With Student Input Unveiled
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
The Common Wealth Murals team.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new mural is welcoming the community in the downtown area.
The ribbon cutting was held on First Friday to unveil the mural on the ADLib building at 215 North St.
Designed by Boston-based artist Ruby Rose, it was created in collaboration with AdLib, Common Wealth Murals, Mill Town Foundation, Let It Shine!, Pittsfield Public Schools, and local artists, students, and community members.
"We start by talking with the community about what do you want to see in the mural, what do you want this mural to be about, how do you want to be represented with this piece of public art, and then a designer takes all that input and creates a design," said Common Wealth Murals Executive Director Britt Ruhe.
Ruhe's team went into four schools: Conte Community, Crosby Elementary, Reid Middle, and Herberg Middle. They trained the art teachers, one from each school, in how to gather student input for mural design.
But not only did the input go into the mural downtown but also back into their school. Each school chose a different designer, so murals for the four schools will all look distinct.
Students provided verbal and written comments and made drawings. Teachers and students then painted panels in class, which are now being detailed and will be installed back in the schools.
Ruhe said the students showed a lot of love for their city.
"It was really striking to me because we work with schools in Springfield and other places. The kids in Pittsfield love their town, love their city," she said. "They name specific parks and specific restaurants and specific places they love to go, and they really talked a lot about being out in community with their families and friends, and so that really comes through."
Their murals are produced as "paint-by-number" style fabric panels, so community members can physically participate in painting. The community came together for the July First Friday to help.
"Those community gatherings are a place where, when you're standing around a table, working with people you don't know that in the normal course of events you may never speak with, you find yourself just in easy, natural conversation with people because you're all working towards something," said Ruhe. "So we really believe and hope that people can look at something like this and say, look what we made together.
"If we can make this together, what else can we do together? So we hope it's a seed for a community coming together to tell their stories, to plant their hopes for the future, and to really feel grounded in where they live."
Self, an artist and Common Wealth Murals project manager, said they were very welcomed and it was nice to see that the mural reflects the values of the community.
"I think it's beautiful, and I think it's a beautiful reflection of what the Pittsfield community holds value in, and you can just see a lot of community and unity like in this mural," they said. "People of all colors, ages, and styles are included, incorporated, and connected, and like the interconnectedness of the area."
The team started painting the mural on Monday and finished on Thursday. It was painted next to the entrance for AdLib, a nonprofit organization that serves people with disabilities so that they can live independently in the community.
Coakley said they have received a purchase and sale agreement but before signing, there have to be assurances that the company has the financial requirements to construct the building.
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On July 6, Gertrude Willey celebrated her 100th birthday, but after more than three decades of volunteering in her community, she says staying active is the secret to her longevity.
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