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Saturday, January 21, 2017

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Helen E. Ellis Grant 2017 Period Begins.

 

Urgent care goes retail.

 

 

Helen E. Ellis Grant 2017 Period Begins.

2017 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Helen E. Ellis Trust Grant.

EverythingWestport.com

Saturday, January 21, 2017

 

The Westport Cultural Council is pleased to announce the opening of the Helen E. Ellis Trust grant application period.

 

Application forms are available online beginning February 1, 2017 at www.westportculturalcouncil.org, the Westport Free Public Library and the Westport Town Clerk’s Office.  Completed applications are due March 17, 2017.

 

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M6a11583e636b1d57920074afd7b45d9fo0&w=284&h=170&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0Projects or events directly involving the arts, interpretive sciences, or humanities that take place on the South Coast and benefit the Westport community are eligible.  Guidelines for the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust grants are on the website; all applicants are asked to read this information.

 

WCC will host an Information Session at the Westport Town Library on Saturday, February 11, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  The public is invited to this event to meet Helen E. Ellis grant recipients, learn about their work, and enjoy refreshments.  Council members will be available to answer questions.

 

Helen E. Ellis (1889-1987) was a sculptor and Westport resident for over 50 years.  Dedicated to arts and culture, she was elected to the National Association of Women Artists and Sculptors.  During her life Ms. Ellis cultivated community-wide interests and encouraged others to develop their creative talents.  The Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust was created in her memory to fund the Westport community’s enjoyment and personal growth through creative activities.

 

The original and nine copies of a completed grant application must be mailed or hand-delivered.  Mailed applications should be postmarked by March 17, 2017 and sent to the Westport Cultural Council, P.O. Box 4089, Westport, MA 02790.  Hand-delivered applications should be brought to either the Westport Town Hall or the Westport Free Public Library by 4:00 p.m. on March 17, 2016.  

 

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

 

WCC meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Westport Town Hall Annex.  Please contact the Chairperson if you would like to be on the agenda.  For updated priorities of the Westport Cultural Council, please visit www.westportculturalcouncil.org, and click on Grants and Frequently Asked Questions. 

 

 

 

Urgent care goes retail.

Moving away from traditional medical care facilities, ambulatory care and ambulatory surgical centers are popping up in strip malls all across America.

EverythingWestport.com

Sunday, January 22, 2017

 

Urgent care goes retail. Moving away from traditional medical care facilities, ambulatory care and ambulatory surgical centers are popping up in strip malls all across America.

 

And Southcoast Health has followed suit, opening its third Urgent Care center at 435 State Road in Dartmouth, next to the new Hannoush Jewelers, behind  Starbucks. Opening is scheduled for January 31st.

 

Originally stablished in the 1970s, off-site ambulatory facilities have grown to approximately 10,000 centers nationwide, and growing.

 

Urgent care centers were introduced as an alternative to expensive hospital visits and overcrowded emergency rooms.

 

Urgent care is focused on the delivery of ambulatory (walk-in vs. ambulance delivery) care in a dedicated medical facility outside of a traditional emergency room environment primarily to treat injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an ER visit.

 

In a graying America struggling with Obamacare, this trend will continue to expand as retail locations offer a less expensive alternative than building a costly, dedicated facility.

 

In Westport there are now more residents over the age of 50 then there are under 19; the baby boomers have come of age.

 

 

Above: Southcoast Health’s new Urgent Care Center in the Hannoush Place strip mall, 435 State Road,

across from the Dartmouth Mall.

Photo | EverythingWestport.com

 

According to Southcoast Health, “For quick, convenient medical care close to home, Southcoast Health Urgent Care Centers have exactly what you and your family need to feel better fast. They are your resource for immediate, non-emergency care, including treatment for illnesses, minor injuries and more. Our urgent care team is led by board-certified physicians who oversee your care and deliver the best treatment for your specific medical needs.”

 

No appointment necessary.  But to better coordinate a visit, Southcoast Health's new location will have an online check-in system. Patients can go to https://www.southcoast.org/urgentcare to find out approximate wait times, and check-in online.

 

And, they will offer a variety of urgent care services including the treatment of the following minor injuries and illnesses:  colds, infections and flu symptoms; sore throat, earaches and sinus infections; bruises, fractures and sprains; skin conditions; burns; animal bites; lacerations; contusions; urinary tract infections; and minor eye injuries.

Their urgent care also includes the use of the following on-site medical services: X-rays; laboratory services; orthopedic care; gynecologic care; minor surgical evaluation and treatments; intravenous fluids; antibiotics; and TB Testing.

 

The Southcoast Health Urgent Care Center in Dartmouth will be open to the public, and you do not need to have a Southcoast Physicians Network doctor to visit their urgent care clinic.

 

Massachusetts patients could soon have more surgery options outside of traditional hospitals.

Under a set of new state medical regulations approved January 11th, existing freestanding ambulatory surgery centers will be allowed to apply for permission to expand or offer new lines of patient service without being affiliated with an acute care hospital.

 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the new regulations lift a 20-year moratorium on new outpatient surgical capacity, hopefully leading to easier access for patients and lower costs.

 

Independent ambulatory surgery centers perform outpatient surgeries, providing an alternative to hospital care. Types of procedures typically offered in ambulatory settings include cataract surgery, joint surgeries, colonoscopies, biopsies, orthopedic procedures and diagnostic care.

 

 

 

 

 

CRE-HAB program offers grants for home repairs

WESTPORT – The Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund is accepting applications from Westport homeowners for a new housing rehabilitation program, called CRE-HAB. A public information session explaining the program’s guidelines will be held in early February.

 

The Trust has nearly $190,000 in funds recovered from repayment of loans generated through the town’s former Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) housing rehab program to finance grant awards of up to $25,000 to help owners of properties assessed up to $250,000 to repair and rehabilitate qualifying existing homes in Westport.

 

The town’s former CDBG housing rehab programs have helped more than 40 property owners make needed repairs to their homes in Westport, and most of those housing units are still included on the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). As the participating housing units are sold, the town's SHI percentage decreases, so the reinstatement of the program is among the Trust's strategies to maintain and increase the town's SHI numbers to meet the state mandate that 10 percent of every community's housing inventory should be affordable.

 

Like the old rehab program, the new CRE-HAB grant program is designed to provide direct financial assistance to low and moderate income households in Westport in order to improve general housing conditions and eliminate building code violations.

 

The financial assistance (up to $25,000 per unit) will be given in exchange for a 15-year affordable housing deed restriction on the property. The deed restriction requires that upon any resale during the 15-year restriction period, the home must be conveyed to an income and asset eligible household through an affirmative fair marketing, non-discriminatory process according to Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) guidelines.

 

In addition to the grants, the Trust is also reimbursing successful applicants up to $500 toward initial home inspections or other inspections that may be required for homes taking part in the program. Any newly restricted housing units would be counted on the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) for the 15-year life of the restriction.

 

The Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund has CRE-HAB information and application packages on the CRE-HAB program available in the information rack on the second floor of Westport Town Hall, 816 Main Road; at the Westport Free Public Library, 408 Old County Road.

 

For more information on the program, contact Housing Specialist Leonardi Aray via e-mail to: Leonardi@larayarchitects.com, or by calling (617) 270-3912. The Westport Affordable Trust Fund’s housing assistance office in Town Hall is open Wednesdays from 10-4, and can be reached by e-mail to WestportHousing@outlook.com or calling (774) 264-5126.

 

 

Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Housing Opportunity Purchase Program

 

APPLICATIONS DUE BY MARCH 7, 2017

 

WESTPORT – The Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund is currently accepting applications for another grant through the Housing Opportunity Purchase Program (HOPP). In this funding round, the Trust will offer a grant of up to $125,000 to an income and asset qualified household for the purpose of “buying down” the selling price of a two or three bedroom existing market rate house in Westport. In addition, the program will reimburse each buyer up to $1,000 toward initial home inspections and any additional inspections required under this program.

 

To qualify for the HOPP program, households must be eligible under the Department of Housing and Community Development Local Initiative Program Guidelines as summarized below. To be eligible, the combined gross annual income for all household members, from all sources in the household must be at or below 80% of the Providence-Fall River Metro Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

 

The homes purchased through this program will be subject to a deed rider that will permanently restrict the value of the home and will require that upon resale, the home be conveyed to an income and asset eligible household through an affirmative fair marketing/non-discriminatory process according to DHCD guidelines. The unit will be eligible for inclusion on the town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI) list.

 

One qualified applicant will be eligible for the grant funds. Eligible participants must be approved by the state Department of Housing and Community Development and get financing pre-approval from a qualified lender. Buyers should be aware that sellers must be willing to work with potential purchasers and the DHCD to complete the process required to complete such subsidized sales.

 

A public information session outlining the program and application process will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 9 at the Macomber School, Gifford Road, Westport. Application packages are available in the information rack on the second floor of Town Hall, 816 Main Street, Westport, and at the Westport Free Public Library, 408 Old County Road, Westport.

 

The information and application package is also available online (http://www.westport-ma.com/affordable-housing-trust-fund) or can be requested by e-mail to WestportHousing@outlook.com, by calling 774-264-5126; or by calling Housing Specialist Leonardi Aray at (617) 270-3912, or e-mail to Leonardi@lararyarchitects.com. The deadline for filing applications is 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

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