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Governor to visit Gloucester this week
March 24, 2007
The governor's coming. The governor's coming.
State Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, confirmed yesterday that Gov. Deval Patrick is scheduled to visit the city Wednesday and tour the waterfront.
His stops will include the new Cruiseport Gloucester terminal off Rogers Street about 2:15 or 2:30p.m., where Patrick will meet with Tarr, state Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, and local officials. While there, he is expected to talk about state aid for education and city finances.
After that half-hour talk, Patrick and crew will head up the street and visit the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction off Harbor Loop. There, he is expected to entertain questions from fishermen for about another half-hour.
"I am extremely appreciative of the governor's receptiveness to an open discussion about two of the more pressing issues facing the city - and that is funding the schools and revitalizing the fishing industry," Tarr said.
Patrick is expected to brief fishermen on his request for federal disaster aid for the state fishing fleet. Last month, Patrick asked the federal government to give Massachusetts groundfishermen disaster aid, citing the fears of local fishing advocates that federal regulations are going to drive them out of business. More stringent regulations aimed at rebuilding certain species of fish took effect last November that halve the days fishermen are allowed to work at sea.
Patrick plans to document the economic loss suffered by the state's fishing ports "due to regulatory restrictions" and send it to the feds by April 9.
Tarr said Gloucester's Vito Calomo, executive director of the Massachusetts Fishery Recovery Commission, has been polling fishermen about the changes in their lives and their industry. Patrick is expected to encourage fishermen to help Calomo compile that information for the report he will send to the feds.
Also expected Wednesday, Tarr said, is Ian Bowles, the state's secretary of environmental affairs.
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