MassDOT and Fundación MAPFRE High School Roadway Safety Public Service Contest?

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in collaboration with global nonprofit Fundación MAPFRE, announced the launch of the third annual roadway safety public service contest for Massachusetts high school students. 
 
The contest, which was launched in 2022 as part of Fundación MAPFRE's Look Both Ways Program, seeks to help students raise awareness with their peers and underscore the importance of being safe while driving on roadways across the Commonwealth.  
 
"MassDOT is excited to renew our partnership with Fundación MAPFRE for the third annual roadway safety education contest," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "Engaging young drivers in safety education is a crucial step in our mission to enhance road safety, and we look forward to seeing the innovative ideas that students will present this year. Their participation is vital to our efforts to create a future free of roadway injuries and fatalities."   
 
To enter the contest, high schools can visit: https://www.fundacionmapfre.org/en/look-both-ways/. The deadline for contest submissions is Friday, March 21.  Students with the winning submission will work with the Boston Creative Communications Agency (CTP) to produce the spot, which is anticipated to air in the spring before prom and graduation season. Additionally, the winning students' school will receive a $3,000 prize provided by Fundación MAPFRE.   
 
"While statistics show a decline in road-related fatalities among young drivers over the past several decades, it remains the leading cause of death for that group," said Jaime Tamayo, Chief Representative of Fundación MAPFRE in the United States and CEO of MAPFRE USA. "It is inspiring to watch students deliver a serious message in creative ways to reinforce the importance of safe driving habits. This contest represents a great example of how peer-to-peer engagement can encourage change." 
 
Fundación MAPFRE, a non-profit based in Madrid, Spain, with North American headquarters in Webster, Massachusetts, aims to promote the well-being of society. One of the action areas to which the foundation is dedicated is prevention and road safety. It believes that, if the Vision Zero movement in 1997 led to a revolution in our understanding of road safety, the current goal should be to reach the point where there are no fatalities or road-related injuries.  
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Pittsfield Cannabis Cultivator Plans Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A cannabis cultivator and manufacturer has opted to sell its products on site in Downing Parkway. 

The Zoning Board of Appeals this month approved a special permit for J-B.A.M. Inc. to operate a dispensary out of its existing grow facility. There will only be changes to the interior of 71 Downing Parkway, as there will be less than 500 square feet of retail space in the 20,000-square-foot building. 

"My only concern would be the impact, and really would be traffic, which I don't think is excessive, the odor, if there was one, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, and I think it's a good location for a marijuana facility," board member Thomas Goggins said. 

The company's indoor cultivation site plan was approved in 2019, an amendment to add manufacturing and processing in 2021, and on the prior day, a new site plan to add a retail dispensary was approved by the Community Development Board. 

J-B.A.M. cannabis products are available in local dispensaries. 

The interior of the facility will be divided to accommodate an enclosed check-in area, front entrance, retail lobby, secure storage room, offices, and two bathrooms. There are 27 parking spaces for the facility, which is sufficient for the use. 

No medical or recreational cannabis uses are permitted within 500 feet of a school or daycare, a setback that is met, and the space is within an industrial park at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

"The applicant desires the restructuring of the business to be more competitive in the industry with the ability to grow and sell their own cannabis products so they have more financial stability," Chair Albert Ingegni III, read from the application. 

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