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| Superintendent Sara Ahern at the demographic study info session at HMMS March 5 |
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| No book or bag sale this weekend due to the pandemic closure |
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| Franklin Residents: NOTICE - Town &; Public Schools grounds closed |
"We’ve made system-wide service changes to accommodate for decreased ridership and to protect our frontline employees while still enabling travel for essential workers, like hospital staff and emergency responders.
During the week, all subway lines and most bus routes are running on a Saturday schedule, and all Commuter Rail lines are on reduced service. Regular schedules for these modes are still in effect on weekends. Ferry service has been suspended entirely.
We value your feedback and are monitoring the effects of these service reductions closely. We will adjust service accordingly as the situation changes.
For the most up-to-date information, and to learn more about our response to COVID-19, visit mbta.com/coronavirus
During reduced service, our crews will continue to work on infrastructure repairs and upgrades throughout the system. This weekend, shuttles will replace trains on the Red and Green lines, and on the Green and Mattapan lines on weeknights.
Work will continue on the Commuter Rail as well. Starting Saturday morning, there will be shuttles on the Framingham/Worcester, Franklin, and Lowell lines, and the Fitchburg Line will start and end at Porter.
This work supports a number of projects as part of our $8 billion, 5-year capital investment program.
See how we are making the MBTA better for you https://www.mbta.com/projects?utm_source=email_digest"
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| MBTA Commuter Rail: Reminder - Franklin line shuttle bus for weekend schedule |
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| Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #5 |
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| Franklin, MA: School Committee - March 24 - FY 21 budget hearing postponed; meeting canceled |
"We are open for take out and delivery for all Franklin and surrounding community from 10 AM to 7 PM everyday until further notice"Address: 252 East Central St, Franklin, MA 02038 - (508) 520-3400
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| Friendly Reminder from SUBWAY |
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| https://www.subway.com/en-US/FindAStore |
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| FIORI: We now sell eGift Cards! |
"Funeral Masses and other forms of church funeral services will be suspended starting on Monday, the Archdiocese of Boston announced on its website Thursday.
The archdiocese’s Office of Risk Management recommends that “the bereaved be offered the opportunity for a graveside committal service during this time and a memorial Mass when we are able again to offer the celebration of Mass and religious services at our parishes and churches.”
This is the latest in a series of steps local Roman Catholic officials have taken in an effort to to halt the spread of the coronavirus."
"As normal everyday life grinds to a halt amid the coronavirus pandemic, some of the nation’s biggest retailers have temporarily closed thousands of stores to help stem the spread of the virus.
Simon Property Group, the largest owner of shopping malls in the nation, closed all of its properties on Wednesday. Westfield and Taubman malls followed with U.S. closures on Thursday.
Not everyone is deserting their posts. Grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies are keeping their doors open to help people stay stocked with essentials, though many are shortening store hours to clean and restock. Walmart, the world’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer, shortened hours beginning Thursday, for the second time in less than a week.
Those stores are joined by office supply and home improvement chains which say they, too, provide essentials. Among the justifications: they provide products people – including first responders – need in a natural disaster. Others say they sell supplies that people need to work and school their children from home."
"Hours and days for early shopping vary depending on the individual store. Shaw’s, Big Y and Price Chopper are providing them every day of the week from 6-7 a.m., while Market Basket is offering them from 5:30-7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Hannaford offers them from 6-7 a.m. on those three days.
Grocery chains throughout the region, including Market Basket, Price Chopper, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Big Y, have begun to offer early shopping hours for seniors to help protect them from both coronavirus exposure and the increasing difficulty of securing high-demand products.
Customers aged 60 and over will have first access to food and supplies in the store, with younger patrons asked to come later.
Older people are most at risk of health complications and death from coronavirus, and are encouraged to minimize contact with potential carriers of the virus, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
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| Big Y - Franklin, MA |
"Unfortunately due to the current circumstances, this Saturday’s (March 21) winter market is cancelled
Hope to see everyone in April!"
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| Winter Farmers Market - Mar 21 - Cancelled |
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| FHS' LaPuma, Titmuss, Wu, Eck, Gurge recognized by Hockomock League for Boys Swimming All Stars |
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| FHS' Tang, LaPluma, Chew, McGuire, Wainwright recognized by Hockomock League for Girls Swimming All Stars |
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| FHS' Brogan, Calitri, Harrington recognized by Hockomock League as Boys Indoor Track All Stars |
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| Lifelong Learning UPDATE: Covid-19 Impact |
I want you to hear directly from me how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our services. The first thing you should know is that we continue to pay benefits. Be aware that scammers may try to trick you into thinking the pandemic is stopping your Social Security payments but that is not true. Don’t be fooled.Continue reading the update
To protect you and help stop the spread of this coronavirus, we cannot accept visitors in our offices at this time. There are several other ways you can get help. Many services are available online. If you have a critical need that you cannot address online, we can help you over the phone.
Please visit our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) page to find out what services we are continuing and which ones we are suspending, how to contact us, and important information about deadlines we are extending to ease the burden on you and medical providers during this pandemic.
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| Andrew Saul, SSA Commissioner (SSA Photo) |
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| The second session was held at the Franklin TV studio |
The normally bustling downtown Framingham train station resembled a ghost town at rush hour Thursday morning.Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
Only 20 or so passengers boarded a double-decker train after it pulled into the Waverly Street station shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Framingham’s Bryce MacIver was one of the handful of passengers making the trek to Boston via the commuter rail. It was his first trip on the train this week, but he rode it all last week and noticed a substantial drop in ridership as the week went on.
“The parking lot on Friday was a quarter full,” he said as he waited to board.
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| a black and tan themed photo for the snowy St Patrick's day this week. |
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| 1 of a series of paintings "Future Awash" |
"As all of us around the world confront this difficult new period, we recognize the importance—and the challenge—of staying relaxed and entertained, especially for kids at home who are missing the stimulation of the classroom. From the beginning, Audible has served as an antidote to loneliness and even isolation, as a way to hear words that inspire and transport and for many – words that teach and entertain in deeply intimate ways.
With all of us experiencing varying degrees of social distancing and school closures, we have created something that we hope makes our customers' lives a little easier. At stories.audible.com, you will find hundreds of our titles available completely free. The collection has been handpicked by our editors and is a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18.
These stories offer a screen-free option that we hope may help break up the day for families with students home from school.
There are selections for our listeners in English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian.
To access the free titles, just visit stories.audible.com from any web browser.
The experience is completely free – no log-ins, credit cards, or passwords required. Just click, stream and listen.
We wish you and your loved ones good health, and we hope that listening to a good story will offer some respite during these unsettling times.
All of us at Audible
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| stories.audible.com |
a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.2. CITIZEN COMMENTS
a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.3. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
a. Coronavirus Update and Discussion
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COVID-19 updates |
"TO THE RESIDENTS OF FOXBOROUGH, FRANKLIN, NORFOLK AND WRENTHAM.
The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) Will Be Suspending All Fixed Route Bus Service In Your Towns. The FAB And Tri Town Connector Will No Longer Be In Service As Of Monday March 23,2020 For An Unknown Period Of Time.Please Be Safe And Follow All Guidelines Set By The CDC And Mass Dept. Of Public Health."
However Due To The Serious Situation We Are Facing GATRA Will Be Offering Our Dial-A-Ride Service To All Residents Of Foxborough, Franklin, Norfolk And Wrentham For Critical Transportation Needs Within These Communities.
If Anyone Needs This Reservation Service The Hours And Telephone Numbers Are As Follows:
Monday -Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
800-698-7676. Ext 1
A 24 – 48 Hours Advance Notice Would Be Appreciated. All Vehicles Are Wheelchair Accessible.
GATRA Will Waive All Fares.
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| Franklin Area Bus |
"I share your concerns about the spread of the Corona virus (COVID-19) and, as you know, new information is coming out regularly. So, I am updating you on the latest news. You can also check the special state website for latest updates at https://www.mass.gov/covid19.
Current cases. In Massachusetts, there are a total of 256 cases of COVID-19, out of the 2,271 individuals that have been tested. For complete details, click here. The state's capacity to test has been expanded so we expect that number to rise as more people get tested.
Unemployment Insurance. Today, the House of Representatives and the Senate voted to pass, and the Governor signed, legislation that grants certain workers a waiver from the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits. DUA may now pay unemployment benefits if a worker is quarantined due to an order by civil authority or medical professional; or leaves employment due to reasonable risk of exposure or infection, or to care for a family member and does not intend, or is not allowed, to return to work. The worker need not provide medical documentation and need only be available for work when and as able.
Emergency regulations are being filed to allow workers to collect unemployment if a workplace is shut down and expects to reopen in four or fewer weeks; and also to waive the one (1) week waiting period for unemployment benefits. For more information and to file a claim, click here.
Virtual Office hours. My in-person office hours scheduled for this Thursday and Friday this week were cancelled due to the closure of the Franklin Senior Center and the ban on restaurant service. However, we will be conducting virtual office hours on Friday morning (March 20) using zoom.com. To participate, go to https://zoom.us/j/7345161755and type in this meeting ID: 734 516 1755. I'll be there to answer questions and provide information. If you do not have access to a computer, you can dial in at 1-646-558-8656 and punch in this access code: 7345161755#."
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| Representative Jeff Roy: COVID-19 update #3 |
"A little less than half of what Franklin Public Schools has requested from the town to fund for its proposed fiscal year 2021 budget will be cut to balance the town’s budget.
That is what Town Administrator Jamie Hellen told the Town Council on March 4 as he reviewed the town’s FY 21 budget, which shows a $3.484 million deficit. On Wednesday, he announced that public hearings for that budget - originally scheduled for May - have since been postponed to June because of COVID-19 concerns.
Requesting a $3.9 million increase in town funding for FY21 - about 6% over FY20 - and anticipating a budget gap, the proposed FY21 budget of $68.8 million fills over half of the town’s proposed FY21 budget of $124 million, said Hellen at the meeting. That brings the school budget’s level of service to about 95% of the town’s projected revenue it’s expected to take in the next fiscal year, said Councilman Matt Kelly.
“It’s a huge chunk of our budget,” he said. “There’s no fluff in this, to be truthful. We came in last year saying we were going to be $3 million and $4 million short, and here we are.”
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| additional info can be found on the Town of Franklin budget page |
South Regional Grand Champs with a 93.9! #macheer2020 pic.twitter.com/qgNIdxZ59R— FHS CHEER (@FHScheer_) March 18, 2020
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| FHS Cheerleaders - video from South Regional Championship (Twitter photo cropped) |
