Inside the Franklin 4th of July Celebration with Paul & Joe (audio) - 06/23/22

FM #823 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 823 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Franklin 4th of July Coalition organizers Paul Kortick and Joe Carmignani. We had our conversation via Zoom on Thursday, June 23, 2022.

We talk about the 4th of July Celebration full 5 day schedule

• Food booths provided by non-profits, with food trucks on Saturday

• Carnival hours, wrist band/ card discount hours

• The music lineup each day with the Blues Festival on Saturday

• Fireworks return on Saturday night at 10 (at Franklin High School))

This is a community event so donations are appreciated, info is on their webpage to donate online, via Venmo, or via post office mail (see below).

The recording runs about 25 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Paul & Joe as we talk about the upcoming 4th of July on the Franklin Town Common.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-823-franklin-4th-of-july-celebration-06-23-22

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4th of July Coalition home page   https://www.franklin4th.com/

• Schedule -> https://www.franklin4th.com/carnival-hours

• Music line up -> https://www.franklin4th.com/schedule-of-events

• Food -> https://www.franklin4th.com/food 

• Donation info -> https://dashboard.atpay.com/giving_portal/org_hSjdZIXVngDI7KDJ_AeUeQ 

• Mail to    

Franklin July 4th Coalition

c/o Dean Bank

P.O. Box 307

Franklin, MA 02038

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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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https://www.franklin4th.com/

Live reporting: SAFE Community meeting

My live reporting from the FHS auditorium on Wednesday evening was via Twitter which I then captured to include other tweets with the same tag. Thanks to the others using the tag (#opioidFranklin). You'll see the results below.

Summary:

1. Opioid addiction is a complicated issue
2. There are genetic components as well as environmental
3. The body loves to adapt to the world, this adaption creates addiction
4. Undoing the addiction takes time
5. The earlier treatment is applied, and the more support there is for the individual, the more likely they will recover
6. There are two support meetings weekly in Franklin,  we need more
7. There are health insurance issues to be worked, the DA has started that conversation
8. The whole body approach is necessary for success
9. This is a community issue and the community can solve this
10. There is hope, it will take work and time

Click through to Storify to see the full listing or scroll with the inner bar.

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.”

Why do teenagers get involved to help with the opioid epidemic? One can easily understand how the parents get involved. Concern for their children and the children of close friends are good reasons. But teens? What brings them to the issue?

In the case of Ben Waters, he felt he really needed to help. He is working on his Eagle Scout badge and needed a project. This would fit the requirements. But that is too easy an answer. The more he found out about the epidemic, the more he realized he had to help.

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.” Ben and I met recently at Panera Bread to discuss the epidemic and the efforts of the coalition.

Coalition meeting Aug 12, 7:00 PM

Ben had reached out to Jeff Roy offering to help. He went to visit the Norfolk District Attorney’s office and started meeting others involved from the various coalitions that had formed. He heard about a coalition meeting in Needham and went. He was impressed by what he heard from Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. Dr Kelly was the speaker that night at the Needham meeting.

He reached out to Dr Kelly to arrange for him to speak in Franklin. This is what is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Franklin High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM.

He has spent time going door to door, handing out flyers to spread the word. Dr Kelly has information that both parents and kids need to hear. When we got together for this talk, his enthusiasm seemed boundless. All that energy and drive is going to do some good, especially for those in and around the opioid epidemic.

Franklin Community Coalition Event on Wednesday, Aug 12

The next meeting of the coalition is Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Franklin High School, featuring Dr.  View this email in your browser S.A.F.E. Coalition meeting on Wednesday On Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m., Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital, will be the featured speaker at our coalition meeting. His talk will be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience. In addition to Dr, Kelly, the panelists include: Jonathan Cabezas, Director of Services at Number 16 in Wakefield; Brooke, a recovering addict dedicated to helping others; Danny Lynch, CAS, BRI-1, LADC-1, a certfied interventionist and President of Lynch Wellness and Recovery Foundation; Jenn Rowe, Norfolk ADA and Director of Education & Community Programs Click here to view the flyer and Facebook page for this event. Please pass it along and let your friends and family know about this important event. We certainly hope you are able to join us for an informative and robust discussion. Thank you for your continued commitment to this effort and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 12 for our next meeting. Sept 12 Opiate Addiction Awareness Walk in Milford Join the first annual Missin' Matt Walk and walk for a couple of miles, listen, learn and be a part of the solution. This walk is in remembrance of Matthew A. Bertulli, who died on November 3rd, 2012 at the age of 27. His young life was abruptly ended by a heroin overdose. "We walk for Matt, we walk to bring education, we walk to help stop the judgment, we walk to give hope and we walk to help.  Our goal is to make a difference in our community." - Kattie Truit, Matt's mom The walk is on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at Milford Town Park. For more information and registration, click here.   Missin Matt meetings on Wednesdays in Milford Starting in September, the Missin Matt foundation will host a family support group meeting every Wednesday night in the Milford Hospital. The program will feature a 12 step Big Book workshop for those suffering from addiction. Look for further details in an upcoming coalition newsletter. Subscribe to email list Forward this email to a friend Healing Hearts meets on Thursday Healing Hearts has begun meeting on Thursday evenings on the second floor of the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place" for people and families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. For the group's Facebook page, click here. more information, contact Jennifer Knight by clicking here. HOPE meets on Monday Community of HOPE (Healing ourselves, preserving each other) has begun meeting on Monday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 262 Chestnut Street in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place for people and families in crisis. HOPE's mission is a peer led support network for families dealing with addiction and recovery. It is striving to become an official Learn to Cope chapter. Until then, it will adopt the Learn to Cope meeting format and bring resources to the table for families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. The group will meet weekly. At the meeting on Monday, the discussion will begin with comments from Brooke and Ally, two recovering addicts who will share their stories in an effort to help others. Click here to join HOPE's Facebook page. For more information, contact Jim Derick by clicking here.  Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against obioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

In the News: Medway considering joining SAFE, Solar Challenge coming to an end

The Board of Health, which currently has a member belonging to SAFE Community Coalition, hopes to solicit community members to join the coalition, which seeks to solve the statewide heroin epidemic. 

At Monday’s meeting, Board of Health member Jordan Warnick said Rep. Jeff Roy, D-Franklin, asked him to be on the Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment (SAFE) Community Coalition to “help bring Medway into it.” 

“We’re trying to forge a relationship with Franklin,” Warnick said. “Alone, we can’t do it.”

Continue reading about Eco Embrace here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150810/NEWS/150819440/1994/NEWS

Local officials are encouraging town residents to participate in the Franklin Solar Challenge before the program's Sept. 15 deadline. 

Town Councilor Brett Feldman, who coordinates the challenge, said it was based on the state Clean Energy Center's Solarize Massachusetts program, which offers increasing discounts on solar panels as more and more townspeople use them. 

"It's based off that, but we did our own to maintain flexibility," he said, noting that such flexibility allowed the town to run its program over a longer time frame. "It started a year ago, and it will end in September."

Franklin Solar Challenge

Continue reading about Eco Embrace here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150811/NEWS/150819510/1994/NEWS

Addressing an Epidemic: Addiction, Stigma, and Recovery - August 12

Sponsored by S.A.F.E. (Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment), the Community Coalition recently formed in Franklin, this event will feature a talk by Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. 

It will be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience.

Addressing an Epidemic: Addiction, Stigma, and Recovery - August 12

Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Franklin High School Auditorium, 218 Oak St

You can follow the event on Facebook here
https://www.facebook.com/events/466145200232846/

Franklin Community Coalition on Opioid Abuse Update

The next meeting of the coalition is Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Franklin High School View this email in your browser Coalition work continues Since our first meeting, a lot has happened. Two support groups have begun meetings in Franklin (see more information below), our board of incorporators has been crafting our next steps, and we are starting the process of developing a web and social media presence. For our next meeting (Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m.), Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital, will be the featured speaker. The two support groups consist of Franklin HOPE (Healing Ourselves, Preserving Each other) which meets on Monday evenings and Healing Hearts which meets on Thursdays. The groups offer support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Both preserve anonymity and create a safe place" for people and families in crisis. In the meantime, we have adopted S.A.F.E. (Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment) as our coalition name. It speaks well to the work we are doing. On the organizational front, we have begun discussing a leadership structure and seeking volunteers to serve as officers in the coalition. In addition, we have formed subcommittees to formulate a community survey, to address our web and social media needs, and to attend meetings (including the DA coalition, the regional CHNA, and Learn to Cope). There has been a great outpouring of support for our efforts. We are trying to line up speakers for future events, so if you have ideas or suggestions, please pass them along. Thank you for your continued commitment to this effort and I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, August 12 for our next meeting. Next Coalition Meeting on August 12 at 7 pm On Wednesday, August 12, S.A.F.E. will feature a talk by Dr. John Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. His talk will be followed by a panel discussions and questions from the audience. Please let your friends and family know about this important event and be sure to join us for an informative and robust discussion. Click here to view the flyer and Facebook page for this event. Franklin HOPE meets on Monday Franklin HOPE (Healing ourselves, preserving each other) has begun meeting on Monday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 262 Chestnut Street in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place for people and families in crisis. HOPE's mission is a peer led support network for families dealing with addiction and recovery. It is striving to become an official Learn to Cope chapter. Until then, it will adopt the Learn to Cope meeting format and bring resources to the table for families in crisis. The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis. The group will meet weekly. At the meeting on Monday, the discussion will begin with comments from Brooke and Ally, two recovering addicts who will share their stories in an effort to help others. For more information, contact Jim Derick by clicking here.  Forward this email to a friend Closer to Home than You Think: A Personal Look Inside The Opiate Epidemic On Wednesday, July 29, the Milford Library is hosting an opiate awareness program featuring Amy Leone, MA, MS, LMHC of Community Impact, Inc. and the Juvenile Advocacy Group (JAG); Mike Rodrigues, Founder of the EVAN Fund; Katie Triutt and Meghan Triutt Giacomuzzi of the Missin' Matt Walk. The Rodrigues family lost Evan Rodrigues, age 19 in 2014 to a heroin overdose. The EVAN Fund honors his life and aims to help other youth and their families be educated about this widespread problem.The Truitt family lost Matt Bertulli, Katie's son and Meghan's brother in 2012, also due to a heroin overdose. They are planning a memorial walk in September, the Missin' Matt Walk to fundraise for families on the road to recovery. Amy Leone is part of the S.A.F.E. coalition and works closely with adolescents and their families to address and cope with addiction, treatment, and recovery. She will also speak about Learn to Cope, a growing  peer-led support network that provides hope and community to families. Milford and Franklin do not currently have chapters. Following the short presentations, there will be time to ask questions and connect.Sponsored by The Milford Regional Medical Center, The Milford Town Library, Community Impact,Inc, and JAG, this event is free and open to the public. We urge you to attend this important forum. Click here to view the event flyer. Healing Hearts meet on Thursday Healing Hearts has begun meeting on Thursday evenings on the second floor of the Franklin YMCA at 45 Forge Hill Road in Franklin at 7 p.m. The group offers support for families struggling with addiction and recovery. Its preserves anonymity and creates a safe place" for people and families in crisis.  The group will also provide mobile support (in home) for parents and family members who need help but don't want a meeting. And the network will provide opportunities for people to call someone in crisis.  For more information, contact Jennifer Knight by clicking here. Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against opioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book

Franklin Community Coalition on Opioid Abuse (Video)

The video recording from the June 30th meeting to start the Community Coalition addressing opioid epidemic is now available for viewing.





My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/07/live-reporting-community-coalition-june.html

The next meeting is scheduled for August 12 location remains to be determined

Live reporting: Community Coalition - June 30, 2015

While I had some technical difficulty in the auditorium at Franklin High School on Tuesday, I was able to send out updates via Twitter. The updates and additional info is captured here.

I created #opioidFranklin as a tag for the Twitter updates and then was able to collect them via Storify. 

For those reading this via email, you will need to click through to the Franklin Matters webpage to read the full "storify"

Rep John Fernandes, Milford provides an update to the group

"Our whole community is talking about it, and that really does make a difference.”

Matt Dowling shared his experience with heroin addiction, describing it as several years of a vicious cycle that saw him getting clean, relapsing, then finding himself in trouble again with the police and his parents. 

“Five years clean, I live a normal life now,” Dowling, 27 and a 2006 Franklin High School graduate, said Tuesday night at the first meeting of a local coalition on the drug epidemic plaguing the state. “Drugs don’t own me anymore. If anyone is suffering or knows someone suffering, you can talk to me: I’d love to help in any way I can.” 

His willingness to help – offering his cell phone number to anyone who asked – captured the essence of the meeting in the Franklin High School auditorium, where a 12-person panel gathered to discuss the drug crisis in Massachusetts.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150630/NEWS/150639605/1994/NEWS

Community Coalition - Formation Meeting Agenda - June 30, 2015

The agenda for the meeting Tuesday, June 30 at 7:00 PM at the auditorium in Franklin High School


I. Welcome and introductions – Jeff Roy

II. Speakers (3-5 minutes each)

A. Mike Morrissey, Norfolk District Attorney
B. Robin Chapell, Walpole, www.drugfreewalpole.com
C. Jeffrey Hopkins M.D., Emergency medicine perspective
D. Amy Leone, Community Impact and JAG Coalition, Milford
E. Ed Hurley, Hockmock YMCA President
F. Jennifer Knight, Franklin family support group
G. Matt Dowling, recovered addict
H. Roy Scipion, Pharmacist at CVS Franklin
I. Reinhard Straub, American Addiction Centers
J. Maureen Sabolinski, Franklin Superintendent of Schools
K. Robert Dellorco, Franklin Town Councilor & Coach
L. Steve Semerjean, Franklin Police Chief
M. Robert Donovan, Franklin Fire Department

III. Mission, objectives, organization

A. “Saving lives by empowering individuals and communities to prevent
and eradicate addiction.” Or other suggestions.

B. Coalition name

1. Franklin Against Drugs (FAD)
2. Franklin Against Opioids
3. Other suggestions

C. Organization of group

IV. Ideas for future

A. Fed Up Rally (http://feduprally.org)
B. Development of website with resources
C. Speaker series
D. Other ideas

E. Next meeting

use the community entrance at FHS to get to the auditorium

In the News: social media renews case work, Community Coalition meeting

Thirty-five years later, the homicide investigation remains open, with detectives from Bellingham, Franklin and the State Police continuing to develop sources and pursue leads. 

The departments are using social media to stir up new information about the murder. 

“It is believed that those involved are still out there,” Bellingham and Franklin police said in a joint statement. “Someone knows just what happened to Theresa. Whatever the circumstances were or may have been, Theresa should not have perished in such a cruel and careless manner.” 

In an interview with the Daily News last week, Franklin Police Chief Stephan Semerjian said the departments have an obligation to “keep the fire going.”

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150630/NEWS/150639954/1994/NEWS

A community coalition on opioid abuse will meet with the public for the first time Tuesday night to introduce its mission and provide insight from experts on the statewide epidemic. 

State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin, will host the 7 p.m. session in the Franklin High School auditorium. In bringing together doctors, drug counselors, educators, police officials and town leaders, the coalition members hope to establish a local support network for residents struggling with addiction. 

“We are expecting a large group at the meeting, and we have arranged for a number of speakers to address topics surrounding opioid abuse and ways that the coalition can help curb this epidemic,” Roy said in an email update Monday.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150629/NEWS/150626450/1994/NEWS

Franklin Community Coalition on Opioid Abuse Update - Meeting June 30th

The first meeting of the coalition is Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at FHS. View this email in your browser Meeting reminder Here is a quick reminder about the Franklin Community Coalition meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 30th at 7 pm in the Franklin High School Auditorium. We are expecting a large group at the meeting, and we have arranged for a number of speakers to address topics surrounding opioid abuse and ways that the coalition can help curb this epidemic. The goal is to jumpstart a community conversation and establish a coalition that will meet on a regular basis and provide consistent programming in this area. In addition, many of you have already completed the survey included with last week's email. Thank you. Please click here or on the image to the right to view the document which includes the names and information on the people who have already responded. You can also download a copy that you can print out if you choose. I trust that you will find it valuable to know about some of the folks who will be with you on Tuesday. If you haven't already submitted your information, and are still interested in adding it, simply click here to complete a short survey. We will then incorporate your info into the final list. In the meantime, last week Governor Charlie Baker released the findings of his Opioid Working Group, a comprehensive report detailing 65 actionable steps to curb the deadly opioid epidemic. You can view the report by clicking here. The findings by the 18-member Working Group include short and long term action items to be implemented between now and the next three years, some requiring legislative action and funding and some will be achieved through partnerships with private industry and federal leaders. The announcement comes just days after the launch of a statewide public service campaign to alert parents about the dangers of prescription opioid misuse by their kids. You can link to the campaign by clicking here. Finally, below I have again included some links to two timely videos on the subject. One is a short film called If Only which was produced by James Wahlberg and filmed in Tewksbury. It tells the story of two teenagers battling addiction to prescription opiates. One of the boys gets help to beat the addiction, while the other dies of an overdose. The other film is an 87-minute documentary titled The Other Side of Andover Massachusetts. It's the work of a recent Andover High School graduate who is trying to draw attention to opiate abuse in his community. I thought the films would be of interest in preparation for our first community conversation on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you then. If Only, a film produced by James Wahlberg, tells the story of two teenagers battling addiction to prescription opiates. Click the image above to view the movie. The Other Side of Andover Massachusetts is the work of a recent Andover High School graduate trying to draw attention to opiate abuse in his community. Click on the image above to watch the movie. Copyright © 2015 Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in joining the fight against obioid abuse in our community. Our mailing address is: Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov State House - Room 527A Boston, MA 02133 Add us to your address book