Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2022 ADVOCATE | FROM PAGE 1 He has been a very stabilizing member of the Roll to DC Committee,” he said. Pinette has been helping to organize an expenses-paid trip for local Vietnam War Era veterans to Washington, D.C., this fall to see “The Wall” and other monuments. He served in the Marines from 1973-1976 and as a reservist from 1976-1996. He was activated for service during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He served as an Operations/ Communications Chief and was responsible for the leadership and management of BAKER | FROM PAGE 7 the time to complete a project to be considered in bid evaluation and award. Additionally, Private Development Mitigation/Transit Oriented Development auMarines who served in a variety of technical and combat support roles. Pinette retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant in 1996. He has a BS in Management (1996) and an MBA in Operations Management (2000) from Bentley College. After serving in the military, Pinette spent 27 years in private business. He retired in 2017 from his career as a Senior Management/Principal Engineer from Thermo Cardiosystems, a medical device company that makes heart pumps for transplant patients. In March of 2018, he took the VSO position. Saunders will have close to three weeks to work with thorization would allow MassDOT and the MBTA to enter into development agreements that include transportation and other public benefi ts without having to separately bid for those elements. • • • Pinette. Saunders is currently the school certifying offi cer at the Danvers campus of North Shore Community College. Previously, he worked as the veteran coordinator at Endicott College. He worked as a combat engineer while based in Fort Riley, Kansas. Saunders was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His duties included route clearance, house searches, munitions detonation, annual weapons qualifi cations and vehicle maintenance. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing, literature and publishing from Emerson College in 2018. “The funding in the Infrastructure Bond Bill will allow the MBTA to fully harness opportunities in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, both with the match for Federal Formula funds and to help us take advantage of future discretionary funding opportunities,” said Poftak. “Thank you to the Baker-Polito Administration, our MassDOT colleagues, local elected leaders, and transit advocates for continuing to work to upgrade and modernize the MBTA.” This bill includes additional authorization for existing appropriations for the federal aid and non-federal aid programs to allow MassDOT and the MBTA to continue and accelerate work, taking advantage of the historic increase in annual federal apportionments over the next fi ve years, while also providing the authorization needed to pursue new federal competitive and discretionary grants and support new investments in clean transporFAREWELL SAUGUS: Veterans Service Offi cer Jay Pinette plans to retire next month after advocating for local veterans for four years. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) tation and the environment. These signifi cant investments, empowered by both reauthorized and increased federal funding within the BIL, will be transformational for the Commonwealth. The bond bill also provides additional authorization to support investments in cities and towns to promote bicycle and pedestrian safety, improve municipal transportation asset conditions, and invigorate downtown community public spaces through several successful grant programs. Some of these programs include the Complete Streets Funding Program, Municipal Small Bridge, Municipal Pavement and Shared Streets and Spaces Program. Highlights of the $9.7 billion MassTRAC bill include: · $6.2 billion to support core programs for Highway, Transit, and Energy and Environmental Aff airs (EEA) · $2.8 billion in authorization related to the increased federal formula funding in BIL · $2.5 billion for Highway federal aid and non-federal aid BIL support · $27.1 million for the MassDOT Aeronautics Division to support and leverage increased Federal Aviation Administration grants to public use airports · $64.9 million to support increased federal funding for Regional Transit Authorities · $145 million for state match funds required for the increased federal funding for the MBTA · $200 million to support EEA’s Clean Transportation program · $3.3 billion to support the MassDOT and MBTA capital programs through 2026 · $1.79 billion (federal aid and non-federal aid) for MassDOT Aeronautics, Highway, Rail & Transit, and Offi ce of Transportation Planning to support our capital program through 2026 · $150.8 million in new federal aid authorization for Highway to utilize the funding provided under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) · $85 million authorization to improve the condition of our non-interstate pavement on the National Highway System · $55 million in additional authorization to support investments in our cities and towns to promote bicycle and pedestrian safety, improve municipal transportation asset conditions, and invigorate our downtown community public spaces through several successful grant programs: Complete Streets, Small Municipal Bridge, Municipal Pavement, and Shared Streets and Spaces · $400 million for the MBTA to continue to invest in the modernization of its infrastructure and vehicles · $830 million to support the purchase of a new fl eet MBTA Green Line cars that are more energy effi cient · $3.55 billion to support pursuit of federal discretionary and competitive grant program funding
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