MARSHFIELD, MA, – Road to Responsibility (RTR; http://roadtoresponsibility.org), one of the region’s largest and most successful nonprofit organizations supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is proud to announce its “Empowering Dreams, Igniting Possibilities” endowment campaign has received 67% of its $3 million goal in just one year since the campaign’s launch.
The growing endowment is designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of RTR’s programs, which support more than 1,000 individuals annually across 52 residential homes and nine day service locations. It will also help to sustain and strengthen the non-profit’s dedicated staff, ensure the continued operation of safe and supportive residential homes, and expand opportunities for independence and community engagement for the individuals served by RTR.
RTR recently highlighted this momentum during a gathering at Tosca in Hingham, where members of the Board of Directors, donors, and community partners came together to hear updates on the organization’s impact, advocacy efforts, and visions for the future. The event underscored the growing support behind the endowment campaign and a shared commitment to strengthening opportunities for the individuals RTR proudly serves. Among those attending the event were State Representative Joan Meschino, Elena Kirkiles of Starkweather Shepley, Joe White of Quincy Mutual, Jim Dunphy and Steve DiPrete of South Shore Bank, Bob Shepard of Shepard Construction, and Ryan LaVangie and Saul Scrader of Acella Construction.
“This campaign is about ensuring that the individuals we support have the resources they need not just today, but for decades to come,” said Christopher T. White, Ed.D., president and CEO of Road to Responsibility.  “We are grateful for the generosity that has brought us closer to meeting our goal in such a short space of time; it inspires us and fuels our resolve to expand opportunities for those who depend on us.”
Those interested in making a donation, getting involved, or learning more about the “Empowering Dreams, Igniting Possibilities” endowment campaign, please contact Erin Cohen at echohen@rtrinc.org or 617-347-4524.
Every contribution makes a meaningful difference, helping RTR sustain the high-quality programs that individuals and families rely on for stability, growth, and support.

Mark your calendars! The paint is out, the LEGO bricks are ready, and the lawn is calling! Join us Saturday, Aug. 8 & Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the beautiful Plymouth Public Library Lawn, 132 South St., Plymouth, MA.
This is one of the most beloved festivals of the summer, and for good reason! Wander through row after row of stunning artwork from talented New England artists, refuel at our delicious food offerings, relax in our shaded chill-out zones, and let the kids loose on activities galore. Add in live art demonstrations, toe-tapping musical entertainment, a fiercely competitive LEGO Contest, and a brand-new Community Art Project, and you’ve got a weekend you won’t want to miss!
Meet Our Artists
Sixty incredible artists will fill the lawn with original, handcrafted treasures: canvas art, sculpture, woodwork, glass, fabric art, pottery, fashion, jewelry, and metalwork. (Psst!!! A few artist spots are still up for grabs!) And here’s the best part: every single artist donates a piece to our super-sized game of chance. Chances go on sale during the Festival, with all the goodies on display on the veranda!
NEW! Community Art Project
Ever wanted to channel your inner Degas? Here’s your shot! Led by local artist Kendra D’Angora, grab a brush, marker, piece of chalk, or whatever medium speaks to you and add your mark to a one-of-a-kind community masterpiece. The finished piece will even land a spot in the Library’s Gallery this winter, talk about bragging rights!
Master LEGO Builder Exhibit
Prepare to have your mind blown by jaw-dropping custom LEGO creations, built brick by brick before the big weekend and proudly displayed for all to admire. Awards will be handed out to top builders across several categories. May the best builder win!
Youth Artist Section
Got a budding artist at home? The PPLF and our generous sponsors offer scholarship spots for students in grades 5–12 to display and sell their own handmade art on Saturday or Sunday. A little confidence, a little glitter, a lot of talent…future Picassos, this one’s for you.
Children’s Activities
Face painting! Glittery hair extensions! Take-home art projects! Games galore! Our little visitors get a whole corner of the Festival dedicated just to them
Gently Used & Vintage Book and Art Sale
Step inside the Library for a treasure hunt of hundreds of gently used and vintage books, plus a brand-new twist this year, art for sale too! Some pieces await you in the Library’s Otto Fehlow Room, while others go up for grabs in a Silent Auction on the front veranda. Bookworms and art lovers, this is your happy place.
Want to learn more or grab one of the last artist spots? Contact Bill Petrillo, Plymouth Public Library Foundation 132 South St, Plymouth, MA 02360
bill.petrillo@comcast.net (774) 766-7689
This event is proudly funded in part by the Town of Plymouth Promotions Fund, the Plymouth Cultural Council, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Special thanks to our event sponsor, Plymouth Orthodontics, and our generous supporting sponsors: BEALUQEN Enterprises, Charles Schwab, Home Depot, Plymouth Bay Orthopedics, Plymouth Ear, Nose & Throat, St. Anne’s Credit Union, and Tiny & Sons Glass Co. Plymouth Public Library Foundation (508) 830-4250 www.pplfdn.org

BOSTON – Friday, July 10, 2026 – Today, Representative LaNatra announced that she secured $1.15 million in local bond authorizations to support local economic development, local downtowns and Main Streets, seniors and cultural education programs.
The funding comes from a $561 million bond bill passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives that strengthens key innovation sectors, supports small businesses, expands housing opportunities, and positions the Commonwealth for long-term economic growth and competitiveness. The legislation makes targeted updates across dozens of state programs to improve efficiency, encourage investment, reduce barriers to economic development, and better prepare Massachusetts for emerging industries and workforce needs.
“This legislation makes targeted investments into what makes Massachusetts strong today, the industries that will drive our economy tomorrow, and the people and communities that make our Commonwealth thrive,” said Chair of the House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability, Kathy LaNatra (D–Kingston). “By increasing housing production, investing in our downtowns and Main Streets, supporting small businesses, and fostering innovation, Massachusetts is making strategic investments that will strengthen our economy for generations to come. I was proud to secure more than $1 million for the 12th Plymouth District within this landmark legislation. Thank you to Speaker Mariano and Chairs Michlewitz, Fiola, and Finn for their leadership on this important bill and for their continued investment in the residents I am honored to serve.”
Rep. LaNatra secured $1.15 million in both local, as well as statewide, bond authorizations that will improve the 12th Plymouth and strengthen resources available to businesses and nonprofits across the Commonwealth through the following five amendments:
• $200,000 for the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra to support youth programs
• $200,000 for the Town of Kingston downtown revitalization projects
• $250,000 for the Town of Plympton downtown and municipal complex revitalization projects
• $250,000 for the Town of Halifax Senior Center improvements and COA programs
• $300,000 for MassEcon to support marketing resources for municipalities and nonprofits
Among the bills most significant provisions are:
• Addresses the state’s housing crisis by creating new tools to encourage housing production and adaptive reuse. The legislation authorizes municipalities to adopt commercial conversion zoning to transform underutilized commercial properties into housing and mixed-use developments through streamlined local approvals. It also establishes the “Yes in God’s Backyard” (YIGBY) framework, allowing multifamily housing as of right on qualifying land (maximum 4 acres) owned by religious institutions, except for land zoned for or used as a school, including institutions of higher education. A minimum 20 percent of the units must be affordable units. The bill also improves local planning and permitting by standardizing site plan review procedures and establishing training requirements for local land use boards to promote greater consistency and predictability in municipal decision-making.
• Empowers tenants and strengthens fair housing protections by creating a local option allowing municipalities to adopt a tenant right of first refusal for the sale of multifamily residential properties, giving tenants the opportunity to purchase their building after receiving notice of the owner’s intent to sell. The bill also strengthens fair housing protections and oversight of the real estate profession by expanding the composition and responsibilities of the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen.
• Strengthens the Commonwealth’s fiscal resilience by authorizing the Commonwealth Federal Matching, Fiscal Resilience and Debt Reduction Fund to help protect Massachusetts from reductions or delays in federal funding, support hospitals and community health centers serving vulnerable populations, provide pay-as-you-go capital funding for critical infrastructure projects, and establish a $200 million bridge funding reserve for public and private nonprofit colleges and universities facing uncertainty in federal research funding.
• Reduces the cost of starting a business by lowering the filing fee for a new limited liability company (LLC) from $500 to $100, making it more affordable for entrepreneurs to launch new businesses. The legislation also establishes a graduated annual reporting fee structure for most LLCs while maintaining higher filing fees for entities holding significant real estate assets, ensuring relief is targeted toward operating businesses and startups.
• Creates Massachusetts’ first comprehensive framework for micromobility devices by establishing safety standards and operational rules for personal transportation devices such as motorized bicycles. The bill classifies micromobility devices based on speed, establishes equipment and helmet requirements, sets a minimum operating age of 16 for powered micromobility devices, and defines where these devices may be used. It also authorizes registration and regulatory oversight, strengthens safety standards for lithium-ion batteries, and creates a working group to recommend additional long-term policies as the micromobility industry continues to evolve.
• Attracts the film, television and digital game development industry to Massachusetts by extending the period during which taxpayers may claim the Massachusetts film tax credit from 12 months to 24 months, and by creating a tax credit program to encourage digital game development in Massachusetts.
The bill includes $561 million in capital authorizations, such as:
• $100 million to strengthen the Commonwealth’s defense leadership and accelerate the development of cutting-edge national security solutions, also known as the SHIELD initiative.
• $75 million to support AI tools, infrastructure, and emerging technologies, and position Massachusetts as a national leader in AI and innovation.
• $50 million for municipal grants and technical assistance for the conversion of commercial properties into residential housing.
• $50 million for grants to support remediation efforts at former state-owned buildings.
• $25 million to support the expansion of a key capital program that helps businesses build or expand commercial, industrial, and manufacturing facilities.
• $25 million to support MassTech’s robotics initiative, helping advance R&D and move new technologies from the lab into real-world use.
• $25 million to support downtown revitalization through capital funding for infrastructure, public spaces, and placemaking projects that attract residents, businesses, and jobs.
• $25 million for capital grants to strengthen arts, culture, and the creative economy through investments in public spaces, historic districts, wayfinding, performance venues, and public art.
• $20 million in capital funding to invest in sites designed to attract international companies to Massachusetts.
• $20 million for the veterans supported housing initiative program.
• $10 million for capital grants that support food science, strengthen sustainable food systems, and help grow AgTech businesses.
Having passed the House of Representatives 148-2, the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Deb Anderson
Express contributor
The Town of Plympton has prevailed in defending its implementation of the Five-Acre Rule, requiring new construction in Plympton to use a mounded septic system on a lot of at least five acres.
The Plymouth County Superior Court, in Civil Action 2283CV00462, in a Memorandum dated June 30, 2026, found in favor of the Town of Plympton, upholding the Five-Acre Rule.
The suit was brought against the Town by Henry J. O’Hearn, III, concerning a 2.14 acre parcel of land at 10 Mayflower Road, Plympton. Development of the land requires an on-site septic system and an on-site well. The property, currently undeveloped, has no approved septic system, and lacks access to municipal water or sewer service.
According to the ruling from the Court, O’Hearn wishes to construct a single-family dwelling on the property. On Dec. 5, 2020, he applied for a permit to install an on-site system designed to handle 564 gallons of water a day, enough for a five-bedroom home. His application was denied by the Plympton Board of Health on January 14, 2021, and this case followed, challenging the Five-Acre Rule.
Both plaintiff and defendant called expert witnesses. O’Hearn relied on the testimony of Robert F. Silva, who testified that discharges from septic systems pose a major environmental concern and health risk to drinking water wells. Silva told the Court that it is reasonable to regulate on-site septic systems to achieve the MassDEP recommended five milligrams per liter.
Plympton’s expert witness, Scott Horsley, a hydrologist, explained the importance of the recharge area. Horsley explained that, because on-site septic systems contribute nitrogen and other pollutants to ground water, the recharge will dilute their concentrations by adding more clean water to the area.
Silva, in his testimony, acknowledged that a larger land area leads to higher volume of recharge as compared to the pollutants entering the system, leading to greater dilution of water containing septic system discharge.
By considering published data from the United States Geological Survey, Horsley estimated the recharge rate would require at least 4.6 acres of land to sufficiently dilute nitrogen from a septic system so that the groundwater does not exceed a nitrogen concentration of five milligrams per liter, a concentration.
O’Hearn asserted that Plympton is arbitrarily using the Five-Acre Rule to impose an impermissible limit of growth in the Town.
The Court found that the plaintiff, O’Hearn, did not meet the burden of proving that the regulation is “illegal, arbitrary, or capricious”, nor did he submit credible evidence to prove the Title 5 Regulation has anything to do with public health and safety.”
The Court noted that the stated purpose of the five-acre rule is “to protect, preserve, and maintain the existing and potential groundwater supply and recharge areas of the town, and to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the community by establishing limitation on the installation of, or updates that increase capacity of, on-site septic systems in certain areas with high groundwater elevations…action must be taken to protect the Town’s environmental resources and drinking water supply.”

June is National Immigrant Heritage Month, and Saturday, June 20 is World Refugee Day. As Bearing Witness @ ICE in Burlington holds its 61st consecutive week of standouts, we continue to honor all immigrants who live in Massachusetts and the country at large.
Jeff Thielman, Bearing Witness guest speaker at the standout on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 and an Arlington resident, knows a thing or two about immigrants and the issues they face. Thielman is president and CEO of the International Institute of New England (IINE), and will speak to the resilience of refugees, especially in this political climate, and how much they have helped shape our state and country.
According to the IINE website, Thielman’s organization creates “…opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship. Over the past three years, the number of refugees and immigrants that take part in our family reunification, education, skills training, job placement, and legal services programs offered in Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire has more than doubled.”
National Immigrant Heritage Month was first recognized in June 2014 by the I Stand With Immigrants/I Am An Immigrant campaign funded by the FW.us Education Fund.
World Refugee Day launched in June 2001 as an initiative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (aka the UN Refugee Agency).
The speaking portion of Bearing Witness @ ICE Burlington runs from approximately 11:30 a.m. to noon.
The weekly Bearing Witness @ ICE Burlington standout schedule is as follows (schedules are subject to change without notice):
● The standouts, which include crowds of people of all ages who hold signs in support of immigrants, take place every Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the ICE field office at 1000 District Ave. in Burlington, MA.
● The guest speaker(s) portion of the program runs from approximately 11:30 a.m. to noon. ● From noon-12:30 p.m., the loudspeakers are turned toward the ICE building and those gathered are offered a chance to step up to the mic and read amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
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● At approximately 12:30 p.m., those gathered hold signs and march along District Avenue to the intersection of Mall Rd., the main thoroughfare leading to nearby Burlington Mall. The large visible procession alerts motorists and other passersby about abuses taking place daily at ICE in Burlington, in an otherwise nondescript building in an office park near shops and restaurants.
Bearing Witness @ ICE Burlington was started by one couple in April 2025 and has grown weekly to a record 930 at a recent standout. Those gathered stand outside the ICE field office, where immigrants have been detained illegally, to express their shame and outrage at egregious, illegal, and cruel ICE behavior. They bear witness to the lack of due process afforded immigrants and the unconstitutional actions of the U.S. government.
Learn more about Bearing Witness @ ICE Burlington and upcoming events at BearingWitnessNE.org.

Boston, MA – Haymakers for Hope (H4H) the nonprofit organization that empowers everyday women to train, compete, and raise funds for cancer research, is officially accepting applications for its 13th annual ‘Belles of the Brawl’ boxing charity event, taking place Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at the MGM Music Hall in Fenway. Applications are now open through June 1, 2026, inviting female Boston-area residents to step into the ring, challenge themselves, and make a lasting impact in the fight against cancer.
Now entering its thirteenth year, “Belles of the Brawl” continues to empower everyday women across Greater Boston in support of Haymakers for Hope’s mission through charitable boxing events with everyday people. Participants will spend four months training with local boxing gyms and coaches, ultimately competing in sanctioned amateur bouts while raising critical funds and awareness for cancer research, survivorship, care, and support.
Since its initial event in 2011, Haymakers for Hope has raised more than $42 million for cancer research, awareness, survivorship, and care. The organization has transformed more than 1,500 ordinary participants into extraordinary amateur fighters. Last year’s Belles of the Brawl participants raised more than $231,000 in support of the organization’s mission, contributing to another record-breaking year for the Boston-based nonprofit.
Hosted once again at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, the event has become one of Boston’s most inspiring and anticipated annual charity sporting events, bringing together participants, survivors, supporters, and spectators for an unforgettable evening centered around resilience, empowerment, and community impact.
“Every year, Belles of the Brawl introduces us to an incredible group of women willing to challenge themselves physically and mentally for a cause that touches so many lives,” said Founder, Julie Anne Kelly. “The dedication, camaraderie, and passion that comes out of this process is truly remarkable, and we’re excited to welcome the next class of fighters for 2026.”
Each participant will be matched with a USA Boxing registered gym and trainer for a four-month training program that combines intensive boxing workouts with structured fundraising. Participants not only learn the sport but also join a powerful community fighting for something bigger than themselves.

Orientation/training for the boxers will start in the middle of June, with tickets being on sale beginning on August 11, 2026. To learn more information about where to register and participate please visit the website. Sponsorship opportunities are also currently available.
About Haymakers for Hope:
Haymakers for Hope is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, care, and survivorship through organized charitable boxing events. Founded in 2010, Haymakers for Hope, has helped raise nearly $42 million to knock out cancer. For more information, visit the Website, friend us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.