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On hats.com it was discussed how hats are not a distraction in class.

AK

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When researching about the TikTok ban many key points come into play. One of the websites mentioned how the ban goes against freedom of speech. TikTok is a creative platform that lets people say and do what they want with a bit of rules. If the government decides to ban TikTok, that means they will Also be violating our Freedom of Speech. The government Also complains about how foreign places have all this access to our information. It is stated on the other site that China and other foreign places will still have access to our information on any site, claiming that the ban would make no difference. They also have failed the ban before.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3750779

SB

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Proposed restrictions on TikTok would be "security theater" in the face of the staggering amounts of data that foreign and domestic tech companies collect

By Lauren Leffer

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to approve a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S.-unless the wildly popular short video app is sold to a non-Chinese parent company. President Joe Biden and some U.S. lawmakers have called the app a potential national security threat and warned that the Chinese Communist Party could use it to glean sensitive data on its 150 million users in the U.S. But there is only very limited evidence -involving pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong-that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has ever directly shared any user data with the Chinese government. And there is no public proof that ByteDance has handed U.S. user data to Beijing.

Despite legitimate concerns over big data, privacy and social media platforms' influence on users' opinions and beliefs for profit, multiple technology and privacy experts say singling out TikTok is not a fix. Foreign and domestic intelligence agencies alike have plenty of other access to sensitive information on people in the U.S. via the ever expanding global trade in digital data. Sanctions on any one app can't solve these problems.

Trying to ban TikTok "is a form of security theater," says Calli Schroeder, a senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for digital privacy and online freedom of expression. Legislators "are smart enough to know this doesn't address the root of the problem, but they want credit for looking like they tried," Schroeder adds. "You could get rid of TikTok today, and China would not lose any significant [amount] of personal information on Americans."

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The app has already been banned on all federal devices and on state-issued ones in most U.S. states. Montana passed a TikTok ban last year, but a federal judge blocked it a few months later. The judge questioned the ban's constitutionality and declared that it "oversteps state power." Because a law based on the recent House bill (officially called H.R. 7521) would restrict U.S. users' access to information and online platforms, it clearly raises some significant legal and First Amendment questions; the bill's fate is highly uncertain as it moves to the Senate.

Many tech policy analysts say it's worth rebutting lawmakers' arguments for a ban, whether it gets through Congress or not. "Banning access to one application does not create safety or security for Americans' data from China or from any other country," says Kate Ruane, an attorney at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a nonprofit civil rights organization. That's because "so many applications and social media services collect our data and sell it or leak it all over the world, all the time." Whatever TikTok might contribute, Ruane says, is "barely a drop in the bucket."

For one thing, TikTok is far from the only app that is owned by a Chinese company and collects data on U.S. users, says Anne Toomey McKenna, a cyber law and privacy professor at the University of Richmond. There is also the messaging app WeChat, the payment platform Alipay and others. "Targeting TikTok in particular seems to be more political drama than really effective legislation designed to protect Americans' data security and privacy," McKenna says.

And such apps are hardly the only online threat to Americans' privacy; many foreign and domestic tech companies collect data on their users at staggering scale and depth. Many of those data are traded globally in legal markets through third-party data brokers. LiveRamp (previously part of Acxiom), one of the largest U.S.-based brokers, has amassed about 3,000 pieces of data on every U.S. consumer and up to 1,500 data points on each of 2.5 billion people globally, according to a 2020 research report from the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence. Information can come from your phone, smart speaker, connected car, dating app, front door camera or any other Internet-connected device. This is precisely why you can use a social media service such as Facebook or Instagram without paying an upfront cost. But those services aren't truly free. You're paying in data.

In theory, these data are anonymized and traded between tech companies and advertisers so they can target their marketing efforts at an ever-more-specific audience. A recent Consumer Reports analysis of about 700 Facebook users found that for each individual user, an average of 2,230 companies had shared that person's data with Facebook. In practice, the amount of detail contained within these data (for example, fine-scale location-tracking information) makes it simple to identify individual people and infer many things about their habits, interests, political leanings, whereabouts, religion and even sexual activity. As a result, governments and intelligence agencies worldwide are interested in such data-and the U.S. is no exception. In a report that was declassified in 2023, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence revealed that U.S. intelligence agencies can use commercial data markets to access "sensitive and intimate" information, exceeding what once required a warrant or subpoena to obtain, on "nearly everyone."

"There's so much free-flowing data online that the data ecosystem is essentially unregulated," says Eric Null, co-director of the CDT's Privacy and Data Project. "Foreign governments likely have a pretty trivial time finding information."

On February 28 Biden signed an executive order intended to prevent U.S. data brokers from selling information to buyers based in certain countries, including China, Russia and North Korea. A related bill has passed through committee in the House. Both policies signal "a welcome approach," Null says, but red-listing buyers by location is "a hard thing to enforce." Neither the executive order nor the House bill would stop data brokers from selling to most buyers-whose locations can be difficult to verify anyway. The new policies would have limited authority to prevent selling data to intermediaries, who might in turn sell them to red-listed countries. Additionally, tech companies wouldn't officially be considered "brokers" and would thus remain free to sell data to any foreign buyers. If the House's current TikTok bill becomes law and the app divests to a U.S. individual or company, Null notes, "there's nothing in the bill [or executive order] that would prevent the new TikTok from selling data directly to foreign adversaries."

And those are just the lawful paths that data can take. Even if this policy managed to stymie the legal flow of U.S. data to foreign adversaries, there are many illicit ways to collect digital information, says Joe Jones, director of research and insights at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Hacks and breaches are common. "Unless we have an effective federal data privacy law or framework that limits collection to begin with, we're never really going to address the problem," McKenna says. Ruane and Schroeder agree.

The European Union has imposed a law, called the General Data Protection Regulation, that broadly cracks down on data collection and sales. But a comprehensive federal data privacy law would be deeply unpopular with the powerful U.S. tech lobby, Schroeder says, adding that American legislators would likely "face significant pushback from tech companies in the form of media campaigns and lost donations." Going after a lone foreign-owned company is more politically convenient, she says.

Political convenience does not amount to privacy protection, however. Simply by going online in the U.S., most Americans have freely signed an agreement-whether they fully understand it or not-to share their digital data with tens of thousands of interested parties. "There are big concerns about TikTok because China is presented as this authoritarian government who may misuse information," Schroeder says. "I'm not saying that's untrue-but I would have people ask why this level of invasive tracking is okay when it's a private company or when it's the U.S. government."

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Banning TikTok Would Do Basically Nothing to Protect Your Data

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Proposed restrictions on TikTok would be "security theater" in the face of the staggering amounts of data that foreign and domestic tech companies collect

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On nbcnews.com I have found that Autism has been becoming more common then we think. But how can the world adapt to people with Autism? I found out that we can create more stimulating environments and more visual experiences with learning and processing. We can help people with Autism by having environments that are less crowded and a quieter space for events and have a stim room where they can go.

CM

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There are many different pollinators in Massachusetts that spread pollen so plants can reproduce. The population of 3 bumblebee species in eastern US has decreased 90% in the past 30 years. Pollinators are threatened by global warming due to pesticide exposure, habitat degradation, a decrease of native flowering plants, and more. I think it would benefit pollinators if we place small garden beds with native plants on buildings and structures of big cities.

RS

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This link is an example of how our school has in fact acknowledged the fact that Homophobia exists in our school, and yet, still hasn't really done anything to really prevent it or stop it in this case. Instead, all they have said is to contact them if your experiencing it, but even then they still don't really solve the problem.

NC

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What is Title IX?
Title IX is a federal civil rights law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This law protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance. Title IX states that:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Who is the Title IX Coordinator for Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District?
Victoria Zarozinski, Director of Student Support Services is the Title IX Coordinator for Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District. If you believe you have experienced or witnessed gender bias in any aspect of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District, including disparities in athletics please contact Victoria at zarozinski_victoria@montytech.net or (978) 345-9200 ext. 5237. The Title IX Coordinator is the responsible district employee who provides leadership and direction in expediting full compliance with the provisions of Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Chapter 622 of Massachusetts General Law and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, all of the above state and federal regulations require equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and religion in curricular, co- curricular and extra-curricular activities. Any student or employee who believes that he/she has been discriminated against or harassed should report their concern promptly to the Title IX Coordinator listed. How do I report an incident of possible sexual harassment or gender bias?
If you wish to report a gender bias concern or if you simply have a question, please contact the Student Support Services Office at (978) 345-9200 ext. 5237 or email Victoria at zarozinski_victoria@montytech.net. Chapter 622 of M.G.L. and Title IX of the Federal Education Amendments of 1972
Regulations governing the application of Chapter 622 of the Massachusetts General Laws, Acts of 1971, were issued in June of 1975. Chapter 622 states “No person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town, or in obtaining the advantages, privileges, and courses of study in such public school on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.” These regulations focus on the services, programs and opportunities offered to students. The Chapter 622 Regulations address five areas of school policy: school admissions, admission to courses of study, guidance, course content, and extra-curricular and athletic activities.
Title IX Policy, Regulations, or Inquiries
A copy of the Title IX policy and/or any regulations or inquiries regarding Title IX or Chapter 622 may be obtained by contacting the Title IX Coordinator for the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District: Ms. Victoria Zarozinski, Director of Student Support Services, 1050 Westminster Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420. (978) 345-9200 ext. 5237 or zarozinski_victoria@montytech.net.

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On the mas.gov I found out that if a police catches you throwing trash or any to go along with that is you could either get fined for throwing trash on the ground or even if you throw it out the window something bad could happen like you would have to pay the state for what you did which is not good at all and there are many offenses that could happen to you or someone else the first offence is the money is up to $5,500 which I would say that is a lot of money and the second offence is $15,000 dollars.

HF

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on the sentinel and enterprise it is talking about how Fitchburg is working to try and fix potholes and bumps in the road. The city is looking to purchase a payment management system to fix the potholes in Fitchburg.they are gonna use a street scan program that scans to collect data. It will show the potholes and bumps in the road. It will also show which potholes and bumps are the most cost efficient to repair. The pavement management will cost a lot but as soon as the city pays for it they will start scanning in late June or July.  Some other cities already use so fitchburg thinks it would be a good idea.

AT

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FITCHBURG - The city is looking to purchase a pavement management system that uses images and mapping to help the Department of Public Works better prioritize which roads need paving or preservation.

"It will be really good for the city," said Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso.

The StreetScan program uses a car mounted with sensing technology and 3D cameras to collect data, which would be displayed on a map, according to the company.

It would show where the bumps, pot holes, and cracks are and help the department decide which roads are in need of repair.

Currently, the department's Engineering Division goes out every few years to survey Fitchburg's pavement conditions, he said. The city has more than 200 miles of roads and the process can be time consuming, Laakso said.

"This will take the human element out of it because sometimes people look at things differently when it comes to roads," he said.

In addition to analyzing and mapping, StreetScan has applications that will give the pavement condition index of the roads and suggest which ones would be cost efficient to repair, Laakso said.

All of the approvals are in place for the city to receive the service, he said.

The program will cost $58,000, which includes street scanning, mapping, and software, Laakso said. Afterward there will be an annual fee of about $7,000.

Once the purchase is complete and street sweeping is done, the department looks to begin the street scanning in late June or early July, he said.

Several Massachusetts communities including Newton and Amherst use the StreetScan program, according to the company.

Laakso said Littleton is the closest community that has the pavement management program. The department reached out to the town, which demonstrated how it works and how it has saved them time and money.

Follow Mina on Twitter @mlcorpuz

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FITCHBURG - The city is looking to purchase a pavement management system that uses images and mapping to help the Department of Public Works better prioritize which roads need paving or preservation. "It will be really good for the city," said Public Works Commissioner Lenny Laakso.

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There are many areas in Fitchburg that have a lack of signs where signs may be helpful. In particular, there's a low visibility turn in one neighborhood, which happens to be mine. It'd be a small quality of life improvement if there was a sign to either make oncoming drivers yield or stop.

ID

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What you need

MassDOT maintains directional and informational signs on all state highways. If you would like to request a highway logo sign on one of the state's highways you can do so below. You can apply for your business, tourist center, college, university, or other attractions.

How to request

In order to apply, you'll need to fully complete one of the relevant forms below.

To turn in your completed application, visit one of the MassDOT District Offices. There are 6 district offices you can submit your application to. You'll want to turn in the application to the district that oversees the area you are proposing a sign for.

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When driving on the highway, there are many directional and informational signs that help you get where you want to go. You can request one of these signs for your business as well.

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In the United States, states like Tennessee, Alaska, Wyoming, and more prohibit being transgender in many different ways, even going so far as to borderline incriminate it, causing severe discrimination and the decline of the mental health of transgender individuals. In whitehouse.gov the president explains that the treatment of transgender individuals is unacceptable and that he grieves the loss of the 26 transgender people who were murdered for their decision to be who they want, yet he continues to enable these things to happen, making it unsafe for every child and even adult who feel wrong in the bodies they've been given to live in the states that they live in.

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Statement from President Joe Biden on Transgender Day of Remembrance | The White House

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There is no place for hate in America and no one should be discriminated against simply for being themselves. Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance we are reminded that there is more to do meet that promise, as we grieve the 26 transgender Americans whose lives were taken this year.

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We all know the roads in Fitchburg aren't the best. The potholes and road bumps are very unsafe and dangerous to new or experienced drivers. So we need to get started by getting these roads fixed ASAP!

AD

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on Athol MA town I found out that in order to get more street lights in your town you need to schedule a town meeting with them and then it has to get voted it in. the other thing is that they have to find the money in the town and have to find a budget in order to do it. the last thing is that they have to find the place to put it and if it will be safe where it is . another thing is if other people want it on the street. the other thing is if the people want to put it up and see if they can get the light person there to do it. DL

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Potholes, Cracks, and Bumps in Fitchburg Roads

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Potholes, Cracks, and Bumps in Fitchburg Roads

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On the Sentinel & Enterprise newspaper, they cover an instance of a flood in 2023 that damages roads and makes a pothole in Heywood Street. This is a continual issue in Fitchburg that, thanks to hesitance on fixing the issue, builds up to make the damaged unsafe roads and even sidewalks that Fitchburg is notorious for. Not only does this form hazards across Fitchburg for drivers, but it is a nuisance for bikers and walkers who want to freely move around. It would be an increase in Fitchburg's reputation and safety for them to actually press on the issue of bad roads.

DE

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On mas.gov I found out that the family and the children are having difficulties with custody's, adoption, foster care, abuse and neglect, child support, marriage, and divorce. The families were struggling with the safety and how much rent they need to pay.

KR

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In the town of Athol, MA, there are plenty of roads that are outdated and not being taken care of. There are cracked roads with potholes, litter on the streets, and unsafe places in which a road sign should be needed. It is unsafe for beginner to experienced drivers no matter what you drive.

ER

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Worcester police stopping harm on colored community

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Worcester police stopping harm on colored community

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During his first public comments on the recently released racial equity audit of the Worcester Police Department, Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier on Tuesday told the City Council that the department acknowledges historic police practices have hurt communities of color.

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Due to societal norms, cancel culture and general neglect of mental health in people especially males a lot of men end up drinking their feelings committing suicide or using some other unhealthy coping strategies because they aren't able to freely express how they really feel without fear of being seen as weak, being canceled, or being abandoned by whomever they talked to.

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Teenage boys are drowning in just as much of the depression and anxiety that's been well documented in girls. Experts warn that many young men struggling with their mental health are left undetected and without the help they need.

"We are right to be concerned about girls," said Kathleen Ethier, director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But I don't ever want us to lose sight of the fact that boys aren't doing well, either."

Depression in boys may go unnoticed, Ethier and other experts said, because boys usually don't show it through signs of melancholy typically found in girls.

"We have this very classic understanding of depression as being sad, being tearful, crying more, not eating as much and losing weight," said Dr. Lauren Teverbaugh, pediatrician and child psychiatrist at Tulane University in New Orleans. "That's just not how it looks for a lot of young boys."

'Boys are disappearing'

A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that while antidepressant prescriptions have risen dramatically for teenage girls and women in their 20s, the rate of such prescriptions for young men "declined abruptly during March 2020 and did not recover."

Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, a pediatrician at the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Michigan, led the study. He said that his finding that boys weren't accessing antidepressant medications once the pandemic hit has been "perplexing."

"In males, it's theoretically possible that this reflects improved mental health, but I'm struggling with that explanation," Chua said. "Given that everybody's mental health got worse, I would have expected that boys' antidepressant dispensing would have at least remained stable, not decrease."

The more likely explanation in Chua's experience as a pediatrician, he said, was that boys stopped engaging with the health care system overall during the pandemic, leading to an underdetection and, consequently, an undertreatment of mental health problems in young men.

"There was something happening to make male adolescents not come in for mental health," Chua said. "They didn't go to their doctors. They skipped physicals."

"Boys are disappearing," he said.

What does depression look like in boys?

Boys struggling with their mental health tend to show it with a shorter fuse: They're easily irritated, frustrated or aggressive.

"A lot of times, parents who have boys with depression say that they're walking on eggshells around them because they don't know what would set them off," said Dr. Mai Uchida, a pediatric psychiatrist and director of the Child Depression Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Parents, pediatricians and even psychiatrists may not pick up on mental health problems in boys, Uchida said, because "they don't fit the stereotypical image of depression."

Women have long been much more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men. But a 2013 study found that when "irritability" is considered a main symptom, the rate of depression actually equalized between the sexes: 30.6% of men and 33.3% of women.

In addition to irritability, depression symptoms in boys can include impulsivity, risk-taking behavior and being more argumentative than usual.

Dr. Willough Jenkins, a psychiatrist and the medical director of emergency and consultation liaison psychiatry at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, blamed, in part, a societal normalization of teenage angst and irritability.

"There's a myth that teenagers are supposed to be irritable, that they're supposed to be cranky," she said. "I think too many parents have heard that and think it's normal behavior, when it's really indicating that there could be a struggle."

Evidence of mental health distress among teens - especially young girls - has been mounting for years. Covid-19 lockdowns worsened the situation.

In 2023, a sobering report from the CDC revealed that girls experienced unprecedented levels of sadness and hopelessness early in the pandemic.

The research might indicate that boys don't require the same level of mental health care as girls. That's not true, experts insist.

"Both boys and girls are struggling," Jenkins said. "None of our young people are doing well in terms of their mental health."

'Anger caused by sadness'

Eighteen-year-old Noah Power, who lives in Yukon, Canada, said his struggles with anxiety and depression began when he was about 12 years old.

His mental health symptoms first took the form of headaches and crushing pressure in his chest. Over time, those symptoms developed into a "rush of anger that I couldn't explain," he said. "It was like anger caused by sadness."

Power said that expressing himself through anger and irritability felt like a natural, healthy outlet.

"It can be a bit much, but for us, we feel like we're doing something good for our own brain," he said.

In addition to long-term psychotherapy and medication, Power has relied on physical outlets for his anxiety and depression. Running, he said, is key.

"Being able to run and run and run and get all of my energy out has been the most helpful thing for me," Power said. "You sweat out all of your energy."

Lockdowns led to fewer referrals

Teachers, coaches and other caregivers outside of the home are on the front lines of monitoring teen mental health, Tulane's Teverbaugh said.

"Not only do they see that child, but they see other children their same age also experiencing some of the same environmental factors," she said. "They're a really good measure for being able to pick up on something that is beyond the norm." Teverbaugh and other experts said that many referrals for boys seeking mental health treatment stem from behavioral issues in school.

When schools went remote and sports and other activities were canceled in 2020, those referrals decreased.

"We're often not seeing [boys] in the office, because it's just not being picked up as much in the community," she said.

Advice for parents

Mass General's Uchida - a mother of three young boys - encourages parents to permit sons to express their sadness and frustrations.

"We have to really allow them to feel that and hold their hand and appreciate that they are expressing that kind of emotion," she said. "They're going through a lot. We often forget to empathize with them."

Power said that having a parent or caregiver calmly listen, even during verbal outbursts, is helpful. "What we really, really appreciate is the listening and being able to just vent," he said. "Just getting it all out is a huge relief."

And if teenage boys can't find the words to express themselves, allow them other outlets.

"They may not use emotional language like, 'I feel sad,'" Teverbaugh said. "But when they're playing their video games together, or they're on the basketball court just goofing around, that's engagement. That's social interaction. That's them being able to feel connected."

Power also credits online gaming as a coping skill. "It's an easy way to talk to your friends and have a good time," he said. "Face-to-face social pressure can be a lot, especially when you're going through something and you don't want to break down in front of the person."

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'Boys are disappearing' from mental health care, as signs of depression and anxiety go undetected

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Teenage boys are suffering from depression and anxiety too, research shows. Experts warn many young men struggling with their mental health are not getting the help they need.

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While seeing what I could do for the roads of Fitchburg, I have found that joining the city of Fitchburg on "SeeClickFix" could help make an impact on the roads.

In Fitchburg, the roads continue to get worse and worse as all the seasons pass us by. As it seems that no one seems to have any say on the matter, but I feel as though it's a big safety issue. There are holes in the streets left unintended, this is also more of an issue for new drivers.

JN

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In this article in the Athol News

This article talks about how Athol can improve on there economic developments. The biggest thing that I agree with in this article is making roadways better. There are a lot of roadways that are an issue. Not only are they bad for the vehicle to drive on they also can cause a lot of blockage. Some roadways are constantly being redone which is a time killer because if your in a time crunch this can be a real killer for you. I just think that the town of Athol should focus a lot more on working on our roadways.

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In this article it talks about how sidewalks are a big safety precaution for pedestrians. It helps separate them from on going traffic. And when things like crashes/ car accidents occur and there happens to be no sidewalks it's more likely for the pedestrians walking to get injured in the crash as well. DS

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In American City and Country, the news link talks about how many car related accidents have happened, and how these accidents have been happening more frequently. The news link also talks about how many of these school zones have a speed limit above 20 mph, which can be dangerous due to students driving if their in high school, to even those who are biking to school. However as many of these accidents occur, the news link also states how many of these accidents occur at different settings, such as day of the week, and the time of day. American City and Country also talks about the different measures that are used to stop the amount of crashes and fatalities, such as roadside improvements, traffic signals, road diets, and so many more.

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Making school zones safer for students and pedestrians - American City and County

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Pedestrian fatalities and injuries due to speed-related vehicle accidents have been on the rise. A number of those injuries have occurred in school zones.

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UMass Birthing Center closes in Leominster

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UMass Birthing Center closes in Leominster

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Umass cites staffing levels, patient safety and declining birth rates for closing the center. On a Friday a community of families and nurses, local leaders and community activists held a vigil outside the hospital. Hoping for a 11th hour intervention to save the Birthing center. UMass memorial CEO, Eric Dickson says closing the center is heartbreaking but they don't have enough staff to operate safely. Many patients fear that cutting these services will have a devastating impact. Now families depending on the birthing center will have no choice but to go to another hospital.

AP

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/ CBS Boston

UMass birthing center closes in Leominster; "devastating to the community"

LEOMINSTER - The clock has run out for the Birthing Center at UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster. It closed its doors for good on Saturday night.

The news is devastating for new mother Chrystyna Lillie.

"It's absolutely devastating to the community and there are so many women who are going to suffer now because of it," Lillie said.

Lillie was pregnant with her daughter Solara when she heard about the announcement earlier this summer. She actually had to have an emergency C-section at the birthing center. She says having this access saved her and her baby's life.

"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the Leominster Birthing Center," Lillie said.

UMass cites staffing levels, patient safety and declining birth rates for closing the center.

On Friday a community of families and nurses, local leaders and community activists held a vigil outside the hospital. Hoping for a 11th hour intervention to save the birthing center.

Politicians have begged UMass to reconsider, even the department of health says their transition plan which includes curb to curb transportation to other hospitals wasn't good enough.

"The department of public health said that this is an essential service. They have issues with the plan UMass Memorial brought forward and then they just let the run out the clock so you know there's no relief for families who are going to be devastated by this," State Senator John Cronin said.

Governor Maura Healey refused to use her executive powers to keep the birth center open. She did order a review of maternal health services across the state.

UMass Memorial CEO, Eric Dickson says closing the center is heartbreaking but they don't have enough staff to operate it safely.

"It is not in the best interest of our patients and is something we are not willing to do regardless of the political pressure and damaging headlines," said Dickson in a statement.

Many patients fear that cutting these services will also have a devastating impact during vulnerable times like the recent Leominster floods.

"The flooding there's no way anyone would've made it out of Leominster to even get to another hospital," Lillie said.

Now families depending on the birthing center will have no choice but to go to another hospital.

More from CBS News

Paul Burton

First published on September 23, 2023 / 11:24 PM EDT

© 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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UMass Birthing Center closes in Leominster; "devastating to the community"

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The clock has run out for the Birthing Center at UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster.