Boston Globe: "History is being erased in Lowell"

"The following things happened in Lowell in the 19th century: Girls as young as 10 worked 12-hour days, six days a week, in hot, unhealthy textile mills with little ventilation. The harsh conditions led the mill workers to organize the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association, which pushed for a 10-hour work day. Its newspaper, The Voice of Industry, took strong stands against war and slavery, and many workers stood in solidarity with the enslaved Africans who harvested the cotton spun in those very mills.

Apparently President Trump doesn’t want you to know about all of this, because in accordance with his executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” two videos about the mill workers shown at the Lowell National Historical Park have been removed.

“Lowell: The Continuing Revolution” is one of the two missing films (still available online if not on the park website). It’s a standard overview of the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, mostly supporting the narrative of benevolent mill owners and young women happy to be liberated from farm drudgery to earn their own money. But the film does describe the air in the mills as “swarming with lint, leaving the workers susceptible to lung disease,” and says that owners looking to optimize profits regularly cut wages, leading to strikes. Since the US Interior Department’s directives enforcing Trump’s order compel the National Park Service to “flag for removal” any materials that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living,” the educational videos had to go.

“Every American should be alarmed that this is happening,” said Kristin Sykes, Northeast regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association, an independent guardian of the parks. “We’re just starting to see this whitewashing, and we could see much more.”

Continue reading the article via this shared link -

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/06/opinion/lowell-mills-history-erased-trump/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "The MIAA’s revenue from state tournaments has been dropping steadily over the last several years."

"A downhill ski run best resembles the trend of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s net revenues for its tournaments over the past four years.

Massachusetts Interscholastic
Athletic Association (MIAA)

Dipping a total of 70 percent from $737,040 in fiscal year 2022 to a little less than $218,000 in 2025, the economics of the statewide tournament system implemented by the MIAA five years ago are not adding up.

“Certainly I’m not an alarmist to say that I have a huge level of concern. We have a reality that you can’t just keep slipping down to zero,” MIAA executive director Bob Baldwin said.

Administrative costs have climbed more than 50 percent over the four years while revenues from the fall, winter, and spring tournaments combined have dropped more than 20 percent."

Continue reading the article via the  'shared link'

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/03/sports/miaa-state-tournament-revenue/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "Massachusetts is national outlier in how it funds special ed transportation, report says"

OIG report on funding special ed transportation

"Massachusetts makes it difficult for local schools to pay for transportation for special education students because the state relies on an overly complicated reimbursement system that ties up funding, according to a study released this week by the state inspector general.

The report described Massachusetts as a national outlier that is one of only six states that uses this funding formula, which places a significant financial burden on local school districts.

The state requires local schools to pay upfront for special education transportation costs and then seek to be partially reimbursed by the state the following year.

At a time when school budgets are tight and inflation is soaring, a year’s delay in repayment leaves school districts without funds “for other critical uses,” the report said."

Continue reading the article with this "share link"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/24/metro/inspector-general-massachusetts-special-ed/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

You can go directly to download the report (PDF)

https://www.mass.gov/doc/special-education-transportation-study/download

Boston Globe: "Homeland Security wants social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts"

"The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement by sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticize the agency.

Boston Globe: "Homeland Security wants
social media sites to expose anti-ICE accounts"

In recent months, Google, Reddit, Discord and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have received hundreds of administrative subpoenas from DHS, according to four government officials and tech employees privy to the requests. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests, the government officials said. In the subpoenas, the department asked the companies for identifying details of accounts that do not have a real person’s name attached and that have criticized ICE or pointed to the locations of ICE agents. The New York Times saw two subpoenas that were sent to Meta over the past six months."

Continue reading the article via this 'shared link' - 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/14/business/social-media-expose-anti-ice-accounts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "The budgets for the bus go up and up"

"Massachusetts is set for another year of statewide municipal budget strain. With high inflation pushing up costs, and Prop 2½ constraining how much cities and towns can raise taxes, this spring will likely lead to tense town hall meetings across the state.

One budgetary strain stands out in particular: the skyrocketing cost of transporting schoolchildren. There are steps the state could take to ease this growing burden, and as more towns renegotiate their bus contracts and face massive jumps in costs, lawmakers should take a closer look at remedying this fiscal land mine.

FPS buses in the Holmes yard on Panther Way

In Fall River, school bus transportation costs ballooned from $8 million a year in 2021 to nearly $16 million in 2025. In 2024, Dartmouth was hit with a 26 percent increase in school transportation costs, with only one company bidding for the work. Last year, despite cutting eight buses from its fleet, Marlborough paid 8 percent more in the first year of its new transportation contract.

First: The industry of school bus transportation has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rich LaBrie, a consultant at Alliance Education Associates who specializes in school transportation. Pre-pandemic school bus drivers were, on average, older than other trucking professionals, rarely afforded health benefits, and generally worked only part-time."

Continue reading with this "shared" link -   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/10/opinion/school-bus-costs/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "Somerville’s secret weapon against snow"

"After 23.2 inches of snow, what’s a senior or person with heart problems supposed to do?

Somerville has figured out an answer, with a city program that matches homeowners in need with kids looking to make a few bucks by shoveling sidewalks, steps, and driveways. 

Boston Globe: "Somerville’s secret weapon against snow"

The city lets seniors and people with disabilities request help, and pairs them with a snow-shoveler between the ages of 14 and 19. The homeowner pays the shoveler in cash, at rates the city sets in advance.

For instance, clearing a sidewalk and steps is $25. Compare that to TaskRabbit, a site many people use to hire people for short one-off jobs, which says the cost of an average snow removal task arranged through the site is $118."

Continue reading the article at the Boston Globe ->

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/01/opinion/somerville-snow-shovel-teens/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "Panera to close Franklin baking facility in March, eliminating 92 jobs"

"Panera Bread is closing its Franklin fresh dough facility in March, a move that will cut 92 jobs, the company said.

Boston Globe: "Panera to close Franklin
baking facility in March, eliminating 92 jobs"

“Panera is currently rolling out a new bakery-operating model to our cafes that ensures our delicious breads and sweet goods are available whenever our guests want them,” Alycia Gonzalez, Panera’s chief people officer, said in a letter to local and state officials on Jan. 22.

Under the new model, Gonzalez continued, “we partner with artisan bakers who use our recipes and high-quality ingredients to make our baked goods, which we finish in the cafe.”

As a result, the company’s baking facility on Beaver Street is closing down March 27, Gonzalez wrote."

Continue reading the coverage from the Boston Globe -> 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/02/metro/panera-closing-massachusetts-baking-facility/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Patch also has coverage -> https://patch.com/massachusetts/across-ma/national-food-chain-lay-92-employees-close-ma-bakery-facility

Mass. AG: Why I filed a lawsuit to enforce housing law — and why it’s personal for me

Andrea Campbell is attorney general of Massachusetts.

Mass. AG: Why I filed a lawsuit to enforce
housing law — and why it’s personal for me

"Massachusetts has a housing crisis. People across the state are struggling to pay rent and find an affordable place to live. Seniors are struggling to keep their homes, and good luck to anyone attempting to buy one. Young people want to stay in the communities where they grew up, but they can’t make the math work. Rents and home prices are rising faster than wages. Employers can’t fill jobs because workers can’t afford to live anywhere near them.

Every elected official has a responsibility to use the tools at their disposal to address the crisis head on. That’s why I filed a lawsuit Thursday to enforce the MBTA Communities law, which requires communities served by public transit to allow multifamily housing to be built as of right. It’s not the only solution, but it helps to get more housing built in the Commonwealth.

I understand what having a home means and the stability it creates for families. Stable housing is not a luxury — it’s an essential need."

Continue reading the article with this 'share link' ->   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/29/opinion/mbta-communities-lawsuit/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: Measles is resurging across the country. Here are the New England towns most vulnerable to an outbreak (map)

"After decades of control, measles is resurging across the United States, pushing the country closer to losing its elimination status. While Massachusetts and other New England states remain well-protected because they have high vaccination rates, Boston researchers have found a new way to identify small pockets that are surprisingly vulnerable to outbreaks."

Boston Globe: Measles is resurging across the country. Here are the New England towns most vulnerable to an outbreak (map)

Shared from -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/23/metro/measles-cases-outbreak-massachusetts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "Here are the 12 communities that haven’t passed a new state-approved housing plan yet"

"Five years after it began, the fight over a controversial state housing law is nearly over.

The final compliance deadline for the MBTA Communities Act — the 2021 law that requires cities and towns served by the T make room for more multifamily housing — came and went at the end of 2025. And after a series of sometimes-bruising local fights, 165 of the 177 cities and towns the law covers have passed zoning intended to comply with it.

The remaining noncompliant towns are: Carver, Dracut, East Bridgewater, Freetown, Halifax, Holden, Marblehead, Middleton, Rehoboth, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop.

That just 12 communities are considered out of compliance represents significant progress for Governor Maura Healey’s administration, which embraced the nearly-passed law when Healey took office in 2022."

Continue reading the article online with this 'sharing' link ->

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/05/07/business/boston-housing-mbta-communities-law-towns/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Note: the map is 'inaccurate' at least as far as Franklin is concerned. While we have made zoning changes, there are a couple of technical changes out for Planning Board approval to come back to the Town Council for approval to bring us into full compliance. We were almost there when the whole MBTA community thing started due to the work we had already begun with Franklin For All.  Prior maps usually were shown as compliant, or pending, or not. We were in the pending status previously.

Traffic alert for St Mary's/Town Common area on Wednesday & Thursday

Be aware:

"Uxbridge Police Officer Stephen A. LaPorta will be laid to rest Thursday after he was killed when he was struck by a tractor-trailer while assisting a driver at the site of a crash last week, officials said.

The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at St. Mary Parish in Franklin followed by a private burial, State Police said in a statement. A wake is scheduled for Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. also at St. Mary Parish, according to State Police."

What does this means for Franklin?

• 

  Traffic alert for St Mary's/Town Common
  area on Wednesday & Thursday

  Franklin Public Schools have early dismissal on Wednesday

• Franklin Senior Center closes at noon on Wednesday, AND all day Thursday.

• Traffic will be stopped from using the Town Common area in front of St Mary's Church

Continue the Globe article -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/11/metro/uxbridge-police-officer-funeral/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Policies may have changed, the science hasn't

Policies may have changed, the science hasn't

"RFK Jr. has officially changed the US pediatric vaccine schedule. Let’s be very clear about what this means:

Reduced recommendations will result in confusion.

Confusion will result in fewer vaccinations.

Fewer vaccinations (specifically for rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, RSV, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and hepatitis B) will result in an increase in disease, disability, and death.

Please ignore this unscientific nonsense and follow the @ameracadpeds schedule alongside your pediatrician.

Comment SCHEDULE to get larger and downloadable versions of these slides*."

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DTI_5TQkijZ/

* Note: When the slides are available, I'll share them.

The Boston Globe also has an article assessing the recent changes to the vaccine policies and the impact to Massachusetts. Read via this "share link"   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/05/metro/cdc-vaccine-kennedy-measles-polio-flu-rsv-children-shots-massachusetts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe: "Mass. municipalities & school districts hit hard by rising health insurance costs"

"Escalating health insurance costs turned into a budget nightmare this academic year for Pioneer Valley Regional School District Superintendent Patricia Kinsella. Between July and October, her district got hit with two double-digit increases, totaling nearly 40 percent.

Boston Globe: "Mass. municipalities & school districts
 hit hard by rising health insurance costs"

The double whammy forced the district to lay off a librarian and eliminate three vacant positions. Paychecks for teachers and other employees who earn below statewide averages also shrank as they shouldered their portion of the premium increases.

“These were heartbreaking cuts to make,” Kinsella said. “None of us felt good about it.”

Across Massachusetts, school districts and municipalities are grappling with hefty health insurance increases, typically between 10 and 20 percent, and sometimes even more. The higher costs are pushing up annual health insurance spending by hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions of dollars."

Continue reading the article with this "share" link -> 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/05/metro/health-insurance-costs-school-districts-municipalities/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Boston Globe Editorial: "Getting to yes on housing in Massachusetts"

"Over the next decade, state housing officials estimate that Massachusetts will need another 222,000 homes. These homes are necessary to attract young professionals, to prevent families with young children from leaving, to empty the homeless shelters, and to let seniors age in their communities.

"Getting to yes on housing in Massachusetts"

More housing is also needed to mitigate climbing prices that are hurting not only lower-income residents, but even those who are solidly middle class. The median price of a single-family home in Massachusetts this year, as of November, was an astonishing $640,000, according to The Warren Group.

Zillow ranked Greater Boston as the fifth most expensive rental market in the country, with average rent hovering just under $3,000 a month, according to the Boston Foundation’s 2025 Housing Report Card."

Continue reading the editorial with this shared link -> 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/28/opinion/housing-reforms-massachusetts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Getting to "yes" on housing is a key issue for Franklin. Basic supply / demand economics are at play. Unless, and until, we increase the supply to meet the demand housing costs will continue to rise making it less affordable. 

Consider the Building Equitable Neighborhoods For Franklin (BEN 4 Franklin) group. They want to understand zoning to advocate for the right changes to make to enable sustainable and affordable growth.  Find out more at https://ben4franklin.org/

Boston Globe: "Trump administration suspends five offshore wind projects, including Vineyard Wind, escalating attack on renewables"

"Trump administration suspends five offshore wind projects, including Vineyard Wind, escalating attack on renewables"

The Boston Globe -> (share link) https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/22/science/trump-stops-vineyard-wind/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

"Trump Halts 5 Wind Farms Off the East Coast"

NY Times coverage -> (gift link) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/climate/trump-offshore-wind-farms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-08.sUXl.MgnLfY60NDng&smid=url-share

Mass Govern Healey responds:

The complete Governor Healey press release can be found ->

https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-responds-to-trump-administration-stop-work-order-for-vineyard-wind

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ehb8BZSXP/

Boston Globe: 150,000 Massachusetts residents. What can the state do? Is increasing support to food banks enough?

"The farm store Gardening the Community sells locally-grown produce, eggs, and milk, with a special focus on making these items available to low-income residents. When food stamps were suspended during the federal government shutdown in early November, the store gave away eggs and milk for free.

The giveaways were enabled in part by a significant spike in donations, with food pantries and soup kitchens across the Commonwealth receiving a surge of support amid the unprecedented cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which more than one million Massachusetts residents rely on. In addition to private donations, the state released funds from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program to support food banks across the state.

With the shutdown now over, SNAP payments have resumed. But thanks to new restrictions outlined in President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which took effect Nov. 1, the governor’s office estimates that over 150,000 Massachusetts residents could see their SNAP reduced or cut. Governor Maura Healey has made clear that the state won’t foot the bill for people who may lose their benefits due to the federal changes. She’s calling for sustained donations to food pantries across the state to address worsening food insecurity. But advocates warn: That won’t be nearly enough."

Continue reading the article via 'gift' link -> 

Pantry Elves campaign

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/07/metro/massachusetts-food-pantries-snap-cuts/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

The Franklin Food Pantry is working hard to handle the increased volume and you can help. There are a number of ways to get involved ->   https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/

You can get up to date with this recent conversation with Marsha, Jen and I ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/11/pantry-elves-play-important-role-in.html

R.I. launches launches first-time homeownership program touting ‘affordable’ mortgage options

“RI AnchorHome” will allow families in search of a primary residence in the Ocean State to obtain 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with a starting interest rate of 3.99 percent, officials said

"A new Rhode Island homeownership pilot program will expand access to “affordable, sustainable mortgage options” for first-time buyers, state officials say.

Rhode Island General Treasurer James A. Diossa on Thursday announced the launch of “RI AnchorHome,” telling reporters the initiative will allow qualifying families in search of a primary residence in the Ocean State to obtain 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with a starting interest rate of 3.99 percent.

R.I. launches launches first-time homeownership
program touting ‘affordable’ mortgage options

The program comes as Rhode Island, like many states, has struggled to slow the rising cost of housing. In October, the median sale price of a single-family home reached $505,000, while multi-family home sales prices reached a new high of $600,000, according to data released last month by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors."

Continue reading the article via this 'gift' link -> 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/05/metro/rhode-island-homeownership-pilot/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Franklin TV's visibility issue not unlike that facing local TV news stations

"Long a safe haven due to a reliable stream of retransmission fees and advertising dollars, local TV news stations are now facing a stark message as their industry faces the same financial pressures as the rest of media: adapt or die.

That’s the message in a new report from Northeastern University’s Reinventing Local TV News Project, which last month released a “survival guide” that urges local stations to prioritize digital-first programming to reach younger audiences that don’t tune into the traditional broadcast. Specifically, the authors urge stations to hire specialists to spearhead newsrooms’ digital strategy and coach their peers on how to bring their reporting to audiences online.

The guide doesn’t forge a silver bullet that will solve the local news crisis, especially in how to replace the decades-long reliance on advertising dollars that is slowly drying up as viewers flock elsewhere for news. But it argues that hiring a digital content producer — a role that the Reinventing Local TV News Project has piloted in three newsrooms, including WCVB-TV (Channel 5) — is a necessary step to avoid being tuned out by younger generations."

Continue reading the article with this 'gift' link ->   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/02/business/local-tv-news-digital-report/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Franklin TV's visibility issue not unlike that facing local TV news stations

Healey-Driscoll Administration Releases Statewide High School Graduation Framework

"State leaders released on Monday the broad outlines of new educational standards students would be required to meet to graduate from high school, including mandatory courses, senior projects or portfolios, and financial literacy.

The proposed seven-part “framework” aims to replace the 10th grade test requirement voters did away with last year. But the framework included exam-like “end-of-course assessments.” The potential for new testing drew immediate criticism from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which helped lead the drive to repeal the prior MCAS testing standard.

Governor Maura Healey and other proponents of the plan presented it as a necessary step for the state to maintain its number one ranking in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a status jeopardized by a decadelong decline in achievement."

Boston Globe article on new high school graduation framework

portrait of a graduate

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/01/metro/mcas-replacement-test-high-school-graduation/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view

Governor Healey's press release -> https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-releases-statewide-high-school-graduation-framework

Franklin recently approved it's own graduation and competency requirements in lie of the State having this developed and finalized (which will still take time for the State to complete).  Meeting recap can be found ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/11/franklin-school-committee-reorganizes_22.html

Boston Globe: "Massachusetts considers regulations for home care agencies caring for elderly"

"Doug Hano has struggled for years to find reliable care for his wife, Kirsten, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Once a “rock star” in the advertising industry, Kirsten, 58, now needs help with most basic tasks, including dressing, taking a shower, brushing her teeth, and eating. A string of inexperienced or unreliable home care workers, one of whom was present when Kirsten tripped on a curb outside and fell, leaving her requiring stitches, have left Hano frustrated and heartbroken.

“Here I am trying to spend extra money for peace of mind or better service,” he said, “but it’s very clear that the availability of good folks is limited.”

Doug Hano helped his wife, Kirsten, in the kitchen of
their home. Doug has struggled to find home
care for Kirsten, who was diagnosed at
age 53 with early onset Alzheimer's. S
uzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

In a state where barbers, manicurists, and massage therapists must be licensed, home care agencies providing nonmedical support are subject to shockingly little oversight, despite the profound vulnerability of the people who rely on them.

Massachusetts is one of only four states without a licensing process for private, nonmedical home care agencies, said Harrison Collins, director of legislative affairs for the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, an industry group representing about 200 agencies that provide help with the tasks of daily living, including bathing and toileting, household chores, and basic companionship."

Continue reading the article online with this link -> 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/30/metro/home-care-massachusetts-senior-alzheimers-regulate/?s_campaign=sharetool_copypaste_view