South Shore Chamber of Commerce

Member Spotlight: Mike Wilcox of South Shore Savings Bank Elected to Arc of South Shore Board of Directors

 

Michael J. Wilcox, a Business Development Officer at South Shore Savings Bank's Braintree office, has been elected to the board of directors of the Arc of the South Shore.

Based in North Weymouth, the Arc of the South Shore provides the highest quality services and advocacy for children and adults with cognitive, physical, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. A longtime volunteer with the Arc, Mr. Wilcox's involvement with the organization has included developing a pilot program to teach financial concepts to the individuals served by the Arc, and serving as speaker at the 2011 Legislative Breakfast. In addition, his two sons, Matty and Anthony, both have benfited from the services of the Arc of the South Shore.

Mike Wilcox is a dedicated member of the South Shore Chamber. He served as Chairman of the Braintree Business Council in 2010, is a Chamber Ambassador and has served on the Chamber's Board of Directors.

Hingham tries to unclog development pipeline at Exit 15: A Chamber priority

From Boston.com/yourtown:

Hingham officials are looking for $190,000 from this year’s Town Meeting to pay for a feasibility study on expanding sewer capacity near Exit 15 on Route 3.

Currently, insufficient septic capacity has limited business growth in the area, which a 2009 South Shore Chamber of Commerce report said was poised for expansion.[...]

“This, to me, makes all the sense in the world,” said Selectmen John Riley. “It’s what I consider real smart growth for the town of Hingham. It’s an area that has great potential for development without all the negatives of adverse affects of schools, police, and fire.”

Selectmen Laura Burns agreed that the potential for a higher commercial tax base would be exponentially beneficial to the residents of the town.

“It’s a big project, very exciting,” she said. “What appeals to me is we’re always looking for ways to lessen the impact on the residential property owner of the cost of running the town, and increasing our commercial tax base is one way of doing that.”

Read the entire story here.

Visit Marylou's booth at the Chamber EXPO on Tuesday for a cup of coffee and say "Congratulations"

South Shore-based Marylou’s Coffee is expanding its chain to Rhode Island - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger.

SouthField - ground broken for Parkway, first new homes.

With groundbreaking Monday, July 26, construction is getting underway on the Parkway and the first new housing units at SouthField, on the site of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. Details in the Boston Globe.

Disaster Recovery Center opens in Quincy to aid flooded businesses and homeowners

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration have opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Quincy to assist businesses and residents that were hit by the recent floods and heavy rains.

FEMA recommends calling first to begin the registration process. Applicants should register by calling FEMA toll-free 800-621-FEMA (3362).

The location and hours of the Quincy Disaster Recovery Center are:

Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Further information on flood relief is available from FEMA here.

Help is available for businesses and individuals hit by recent flooding

Businesses and individuals hardest hit by the recent flooding in Eastern Massachusetts may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Information about the available aid is included in this letter from Weymouth Mayor Sue Kay.

To start the application process for disaster assistance, call 1-800-621-FEMA or go to www.fema.gov.

Pitch in for Weymouth's Clean-up Day on May 8

Weymouth businesses, residents, and groups are invited to help out with a town-wide "Clean Up Day" on Saturday, May 8th.

If there's a spot in town you would like to spruce up, Mayor Kay's office would like to hear from you. Call 781-340-5012 to register your proposal.

For more information on Weymouth's Clean Up Day, download this brochure (.doc). 

Construction of the new Fore River Bridge scheduled to start next spring

MassDOT information at http://www.massdotprojectsforeriverbridge.info/Index.html

At last night's (2/24/10) well-attended public meeting in Hingham, Massachusetts Department of Transportation's consulting engineers showed off their recommendations for a permanent replacement drawbridge.

MassDOT is still reviewing the recommendations, but the engineers' clear preference is for a vertical lift bridge (that's type that's temporarily in place now) versus a bascule bridge (like the 1936 vintage bridge that was torn down a few years ago).

The preliminary designs show a bridge that is taller than the temporary bridge with a wider channel for ships to pass. The engineers expect it will be much quicker to raise and lower, much quieter, and probably much more attractive than the temporary bridge.

The state is taking public comments now. They intend to reach the milestone of 25%  of design this summer. The project will go out to bid in the fall, with a contract awarded for design/build construction in April 2011.

The Patriot Ledger's report of the public meeting is here: http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x662840049/Fore-River-Bridge-work-could-start-in-11

Signs of progress at SouthField

http://www.patriotledger.com/business/x700900979/Gov-Patrick-Southfield-deal-weeks-away Expect progress on several fronts in the coming weeks at the South Weymouth air base. The land transfer from the Navy and construction of the parkway are essential to development.

Hingham’s Derby Street area eyed for development

HINGHAM —Town officials and business leaders are eyeing the Derby Street corridor for its potential to spur economic growth in the region.

At the request of the town, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce prepared a report looking at the stretch of Derby Street between Whiting Street and the Libby Street Industrial Park in Weymouth.

The report is broad in its vision, outlining potentials for commercial growth and also identifying pitfalls that would need to be addressed...Read the full story from the Patriot Ledger.