THE BLACK BOX - Ayla Brown - August 15

Ayla Brown - August 15

THE BLACK BOX, the region’s premiere concert, theater, and event venue, will present country singer Ayla Brown as part of their outdoor concert series in the theater’s parking lot on Saturday, August 15 at 8:00 PM. 

The concert is sponsored by the Franklin Cultural District Committee and the Franklin Downtown Partnership. THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Dean Bank.


Visit the box office online for ticket information
https://www.theblackboxonline.com/news.php?id=1343


What does the outdoor seating look like? Check out this aerial view

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/the-black-box-outdoor-concert-setting.html

THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series: Diane Blue - Aug 8

THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series presents Diane Blue as an outdoor concert in the theater's parking lot. Sponsored by Dean Bank.

Boston's DIANE BLUE is a “multi-talented performer who’s equally at home belting out a blues standard or cutting loose with a ferocious harmonica solo.” (Bill Van Siclen, Providence Journal). Her performances are captivating, charismatic and heartfelt, whether fronting her own world-class band or singing alongside master Bluesman Ronnie Earl. Ms. Blue is the first female member of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, prominently featured on the band’s most recent six celebrated records, including co-writing credits. When Diane is not performing with Ronnie Earl, she leads her own all-star band of extraordinary musicians.

Diane’s reputation as a sensational entertainer has led her all over the United States and tours of Europe where audiences enjoy her traditional and original songs alike. A multi-nominated and award-winning artist, she competed at the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Diane has shared the stage with many greats including Muddy Waters’ guitarist Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson, Irma Thomas, Toni Lynn Washington and the late Big Jack Johnson of Clarksdale, Mississippi who called Diane a “monster on the harp.”

Diane Blue’s latest solo record, Look for the Light (Released 12 October 2019 on Regina Royale Records), made its debut at #10 on the Living Blues Radio Chart and climbed to #8. The album also charted on the international Roots Music Report Top 50 Contemporary Blues Albums of the Year 2019. Produced by Lorne Entress, the album includes six original songs and four cover songs, and features special guest guitarist Ronnie Earl (courtesy of Stony Plain Records), backed by some of Boston’s top musicians (Dave Limina, Chris Vitarello, Brooks Millgate, Jesse Williams, Lorne Entress, Kevin Barry).

Saturday August 8, 2020 - 8:00 PM

• For more info and tickets, visit THE BLACK BOX online

https://www.theblackboxonline.com/events.php?id=1392&month=08&year=2020

• What does the outdoor seating look like? Check out this aerial view

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/the-black-box-outdoor-concert-setting.html

THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series: Diane Blue - Aug 8

THE BLACK BOX - Outdoor Concert Setting (YouTube)

"Drone footage of THE BLACK BOX outdoor concert series courtesy of John Fitzgerald at Peek Aerials. 

THE BLACK BOX's Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Dean Bank."

Video link = https://youtu.be/VMFanDJy76w

"recent uptick can be attributed to individuals “'letting down their guard'”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A backyard barbecue in picturesque Chatham has led to more than a dozen new coronavirus infections.

About an hour away, in the coastal community of Falmouth, an in-person high school graduation ceremony was scrubbed after school officials say some seniors were exposed to the virus.

And on the western side of the state, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield is dealing with an outbreak of at least 40 cases traced to a hospital staffer who recently returned from an out-of-state vacation.

Less than a month after Massachusetts allowed gyms, movie theaters, museums and other public venues to reopen, there’s an increasing sense of dread that the hard-hit state’s summertime respite from the pandemic is waning just as families are looking ahead to the start of school."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200731/hard-hit-mass-worries-covid-19-respite-is-fleeting?rssfeed=true

Gov Baker's press conference on Friday July 31 = https://youtu.be/oOSiqvC_cTw

“We’re not prepared for a resurgence"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"There were nearly 500 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Massachusetts over the weekend and the percentage of tests that come back positive for the coronavirus is rising. 

The Department of Public Health confirmed 210 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and 273 more cases on Sunday, along with the announcement of 31 recent COVID-19 deaths between the two days. The number of daily new cases, which had generally settled at fewer than 200 a day earlier in the month, has been above 200 each of the last four days. 

“Last four days in #Massachusetts had #COVID19 new positive tests over 200. Last time that happened? Mid-June - on the way down,” Dr. David Rosman, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, tweeted Sunday night. “The data is early, but it looks like we are on the way back up. We should consider backing down a phase. #wearamask.” 

Sunday’s report from DPH also showed that the seven-day average of the positive test rate as of July 25 had climbed to 1.9% from 1.8% after holding steady at 1.7% for more than a week. One month ago, the positive test rate was 2.0%."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200727/massachusetts-covid-19-case-counts-on-rise-again-after-flattening-pandemics-curve-early-in-summer?rssfeed=true

Gov Baker's press conference on Monday = https://youtu.be/FJd1JVSdaIo

In the News: "much of the evidence is inconclusive"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"What role children play in the coronavirus pandemic is the hot-button question of the summer as kids relish their free time while schools labor over how to resume classes. 

The Trump administration says the science “is very clear,” but many doctors who specialize in pediatrics and infectious diseases say much of the evidence is inconclusive. 

“There are still a lot of unanswered questions. That is the biggest challenge,” said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a pediatrics professor at the University of Florida and former scientist at the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 

Several studies suggest, but don’t prove, that children are less likely to become infected than adults and more likely to have only mild symptoms."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200717/how-does-covid-19-affect-kids-science-has-answers-and-gaps/1?rssfeed=true


The NY Times article on a related report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/health/coronavirus-schools-reopening.html

Go directly to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report

"Weighing the health risks of reopening K-12 schools in fall 2020 against the educational risks of providing no in-person instruction, school districts should prioritize reopening schools full time, especially for grades K-5 and students with special needs, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Opening schools will benefit families beyond providing education, including by supplying child care, school services, meals, and other family supports. Without in-person instruction, schools risk children falling behind academically and exacerbating educational inequities."

Continue reading the report online:
https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2020/07/schools-should-prioritize-reopening-in-fall-2020-especially-for-grades-k-5-while-weighing-risks-and-benefits

DESE: Fall Reopening Frequently Asked Questions, as of July 10, 2020

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Fall Reopening Frequently Asked Questions, as of July 10, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions – All Audiences

1. What is the overall goal for K-12 education in academic school year 2020-21?
Our goal is the safe return of as many students as possible to in-person school settings, to maximize learning and address our students’ holistic needs.

2. Why are DESE and the medical community recommending in-person learning?
After weeks of discussion with many stakeholders, including members of our Return-to-School Working Group, infectious disease physicians, pediatricians, and other public health experts, and given low transmission rates of COVID-19 in the state, there is a clear consensus that in-person learning is the preferred model. While remote learning has improved over the course of the school closures, there is no substitute for in-person instruction when it comes to the quality of students’ academic learning. In-person school plays an equally important role in supporting students’ social-emotional needs, including their mental and physical health, and mitigating the impacts of trauma.

3. What safety measures will be in place for students and staff? 
It is important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics has affirmed that children, particularly younger children, are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, if they become infected, it appears children may not have the same transmission potential as adults. The health and safety requirements for school reopening use a combination of strategies that, taken together, will substantially reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in schools. This combination approach includes masks/face coverings, physical distancing, handwashing/sanitizing, and staying home when sick.

4. What are the guidelines for safe distancing requirements between students?
Medical experts advising DESE have stated the greater the physical distancing the better, but that the minimum acceptable distance is three feet, when in combination with face coverings and other measures. Establishing a minimum physical distance of three feet between students when face coverings are worn is informed by evidence and substantiated by guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization.

5. Who needs to wear a mask or face covering, and when do they have to be worn?
Students in second grade and above, and adults, including educators and staff, are required to wear a mask/face covering that covers their nose and mouth at all times, except for designated breaks, which should occur throughout the day. Breaks should occur when students can be six feet apart and ideally outside or at least with the windows open. Students in kindergarten and grade 1 are strongly encouraged to wear masks or face shields. Masks/face coverings must be worn by everyone on the bus during school bus transportation. Teachers and parents should reinforce mask-wearing.

6. Are there exceptions to wearing masks or face coverings?
Exceptions to mask/face covering requirements must be made for those for whom it is not possible due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other health or safety factors. Face shields may be an option for students with medical or behavioral challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings.

7. Can parents send children to school without a mask/face covering if they do not have access to one?
Masks/face coverings should be provided by the student/family, but schools should make available face masks for students who need them.
Superintendent/Principal Frequently Asked Questions

Health and Safety

1. When, if ever, should students and staff be tested for COVID-19? Is there routine testing?
Current Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidance states that anyone who shows any COVID-19 symptoms, even if mild, should be tested. Medical experts recommend close contacts of those who test positive also get tested.

2. What are the health and safety guidelines for teachers?
All adults, including educators and staff, are required to wear a mask/face covering that covers their nose and mouth at all times, except for designated breaks, which should occur throughout the day. Allow adequate space for teachers to ensure safe physical distance from students.

Facilities and Operations

3. Is ten students the maximum number in one class in the fall (as provided in the Initial Summer School Guidance issued on June 4, 2020)?
No, our guidance has evolved since the Initial Summer School Guidance. For the fall, there are no required maximums on cohort or group sizes, so long as schools adhere to physical distancing requirements.

4. How do we measure how many desks can fit into a classroom?
When masks are worn, three feet is the minimum distance allowed from “seat edge” to “seat edge.” Desks should face in the same direction. There is no maximum number for group size, so long as schools adhere to the physical distancing requirements. Six feet of physical distance is required between students who are not wearing face coverings, e.g., when eating or taking a mask break. Please see guidance about unmasked kindergarten and first grade students below.

5. Can students in kindergarten and first grade who are unmasked sit together on the rug?
Students in kindergarten and first grade should be encouraged to wear a mask/face covering, or a face shield if masks are not tolerated. Schools should aim to keep kindergarten and first grade students six feet apart but lesser distances are acceptable (but no less than three feet). This is permissible given the lower susceptibility of the age group. Schools should consider reconfiguring space to discourage prolonged close contact and encourage activities that allow children to spread out. Programs may design their own strategies to implement this recommendation – such as spacing chairs at tables, designing games and group activities where children may engage in play that can be spaced apart (for example, by using visual cues, like hula hoops or tape on the floor), and increasing outdoor time.

6. When students are in the cafeteria or in classrooms or other spaces to eat, what is the space requirement?
During meals, because masks are not worn, six feet of physical distancing is required. To provide adequate distancing, there may need to be multiple meal breaks for smaller cohorts of students or enable some students to eat in the classroom and some in other spaces as feasible (e.g., cafeteria, hallways if permitted, etc.).

7. Do we have to keep classroom windows open?
To increase facility ventilation, we encourage schools to keep classroom windows open, if feasible, as much as possible throughout the school year.

8. Can we use our cafeteria for meals if we provide adequate spacing in lines and at tables?
Students must be six feet apart in the cafeteria or any eating space, as it is assumed that masks/face coverings will not be worn during meals. If the cafeteria cannot provide adequate spacing, consider alternative ways (e.g., stagger meal times, have students eat in classrooms instead of the cafeteria, or use common areas) to promote physical distancing during meals. If serving food in the cafeteria, develop staggered schedules that minimize mixing of cohorts, enforce six feet physical distancing protocols, adjust food preparation and service procedures to minimize shared items, and support compliance with health and safety. It is preferred for those without masks not to sit facing each other.

Models of Learning

9. Do districts need to create three plans or just the plan they intend to start with this fall?
DESE is requiring districts to develop one plan that addresses all three models for learning (in-person, hybrid, and remote) this school year. The plan should prioritize getting as many students back to school in-person safely as possible, following a comprehensive set of health and safety requirements. The plan should also describe how the district would implement a remote learning and hybrid school model (a combination of in-person and remote learning). Across each of these models, the district or school also needs to address how special populations, including students with disabilities and English language learners, will receive necessary services and accommodations.

10. When are school and district plans for reopening due? Will there be a template to submit the plan?
Districts and schools will be required to submit a reopening plan to DESE by July 31 that addresses the three models outlined in the previous question. A template will be distributed the week of July 13.

Resources

11. What is a “level service plus” budget?
A “level service plus” budget includes additional funds on top of a district’s projected budget to manage additional costs associated with health and safety preparations. While the FY21 budget is still being developed by the Legislature, the Commonwealth is making additional funding sources available directly to schools and districts to support reopening.

12. What federal funding is available to assist districts and schools?
To date, the following federal grants have been made available to cities and towns for educational expenses related to COVID-19:
a. $193.8M from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund to districts, largely based on the Title I formula
b. A portion of the $502M from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CvRF) already allocated
c. Additional $202M from CvRF ($225 per pupil) to support school reopening, specifically
d. $25M for remote learning technology grants from CvRF and ESSER
Moreover, the Executive Office of Education (EOE) and DESE applied for additional competitive federal grants and are waiting determination.

Policies

13. Is DESE mandating changes to school days/calendar changes?
DESE reserves the right to do so, but not at this time. Please move forward with planning accordingly.

14. Will there be changes to assessment requirements (MCAS)?
Not at this time beyond decisions already made. Please move forward with planning accordingly.

15. What should educators and other staff who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 do when the school re-opens?
Educators and other staff who are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 will want to consult with their health care providers about whether and under what circumstances a return to in-person school settings would be medically inadvisable.

16. How is the guidance different for private schools?
This guidance applies to all public elementary and secondary schools in Massachusetts, including charter schools. Private, independent, and parochial schools may use DESE documents as a guide.

17. What can a district do to avoid disruptions that occur if parents change their mind about whether their child will attend school remotely or in-person?
Many superintendents have surveyed parents/caregivers about their intention to return to school. It is recommended that districts and parents/caregivers continue to be in close communication. When parents/caregivers communicate early that a child is returning to school, it allows for more thoughtful planning by their child’s school. More information may follow.

18. Should Pre-K classes follow DESE guidance or EEC guidance?
In general, public preschools should follow DESE guidance. However, if public preschools enroll children whose families receive subsidies administered by EEC, they should seek guidance from their EEC regional office.

19. Are school districts responsible for students who are choosing remote learning?
Yes, school districts are responsible for students who are engaging in remote learning. Remote learning models shall include the following requirements: (1) procedures for all students to participate in remote learning, including a system for tracking attendance and participation; (2) remote academic work shall be aligned to state standards; (3) a policy for issuing grades for students’ remote academic work; and (4) teachers and administrators shall regularly communicate with students’ parents and guardians, including providing interpretation and translation services to limited English proficient parents and guardians, consistent with 603 CMR 27.08.

20. What do I do if I have other questions not answered here?
District/school-based personnel may email reopeningk12@mass.gov.


Frequently Asked Questions by Parents

Models of Learning

1. Can parents choose whether to send their children to school or keep them learning remotely?
Parents/caregivers can choose to send their children to in-person school or keep them at home learning remotely. In-school attendance is highly encouraged to promote student academic progress because there is no substitute for the attention and engagement possible with in-person learning.

2. If my child starts the school year remotely can I send them back to in-person learning?
Yes, parents can choose to send their children back to school to in-person learning if they started the year remotely. Parents and school districts are highly encouraged to be in close communication about any changes. When parents/caregivers communicate early that a child is returning to school, it allows for more thoughtful planning by their child’s school. More information may follow.

3. What is the difference between homeschooling and remote learning?
Remote learning means learning provided by the school district that happens outside of the traditional classroom because the student and teacher are separated by distance. Remote learning may be synchronous or asynchronous. Remote learning may include but is not limited to online learning (603 CMR 27.08). Parents may also choose to homeschool their children, a type of private education. For a child of compulsory school age, the homeschooling program must be approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee of the district of residence.

Health and Safety
4. After in-person instruction resumes, does a student need to submit a doctor’s note if they need to be out for personal health reasons?
State law dictates that school committees set local attendance policy. Given the current health crisis, DESE does not recommend requiring a physician’s note for attendance-related purposes for personal health reasons. If the student’s parents/caregivers are seeking home or hospital educational services, the regular home/hospital process (http://www.doe.mass.edu/prs/ta/hhep-qa.html) must be followed, including the completion of the Physician’s Affirmation of Need for Temporary Home or Hospital Education for Medically Necessary Reasons, which requires a physician’s signature. Additional requirements for return will be in place for a student or staff who has tested positive for COVID-19.

5. What is the proper handwashing technique?
When handwashing, individuals should use soap and water to wash all surfaces of their hands for at least 20 seconds, wait for visible lather, rinse thoroughly, and dry with an individual disposable towel.

6. What is the proper hand sanitizing technique?
Hand sanitizer should be applied to all surfaces of the hands and in sufficient quantity that it takes 20 seconds of rubbing hands together for the sanitizer to dry. Hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent ethanol or at least 70 percent isopropanol content can be used.

7. Is hand sanitizing an acceptable replacement for handwashing? Is handwashing (not hand sanitizing) necessary?
While handwashing with soap and water is the best option, alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60 percent ethanol or at least 70 percent isopropanol) may be utilized when handwashing is not available. As has always been the case, hands should be washed whenever hands are visibly soiled and after using the bathroom.

8. What do I do if I have other questions not answered here?
Parents/caregivers may email questions to COVID19K12ParentInfo@mass.gov.




Link to DESE doc
http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop/2020-0710fall-reopening-faq.docx

Parmenter school sign for summer 2020

"Some 2,000 hidden infections were already spreading through major cities"

From the New York Times, comes a great read showing research on how much travel (without social distancing and other measures) spread the virus around  before the country acted on it. 

Note: this is best viewed on a laptop/desktop. The phone screen was too small to display the scrolling data.
 

"Invisible outbreaks sprang up everywhere. The United States ignored the warning signs. We analyzed travel patterns, hidden infections and genetic data to show how the epidemic spun out of control."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-spread.html

screen capture of NY Times article

Tracy Novick: "COVID doesn't care"

Great summary by Tracy Novick of the recently released guidelines for school districts on how to prepare for September.

• If you managed to read through the 27 pages, good. Check out this summary.
• If you haven't got there yet, check out this summary:

"COVID-19 doesn't care about your politics.
It doesn't care about the economy or small businesses or the GDP.
COVID-19 doesn't care about learning loss.
It doesn't care about language acquisition or student growth or meeting state standards.
COVID-19 doesn't care about socio-emotional learning.
It doesn't care about your mental health or your social connections or student support.
COVID doesn't care.

We can want, desperately, to have things back to normal, to have children back in classrooms, to have families back to work, to begin to repair what we've lost by schools being closed.

But COVID doesn't care."

Continue reading Tracy's summary
http://who-cester.blogspot.com/2020/06/covid-doesnt-care.html

The DESE guidelines can be found
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/06/in-news-screening-children-for-covid-19.html

the dogwood tree in my backyard, a pleasant sight this time of year

"Yes, kids should be going back to school in the fall"

When Dr Erin Bromage says that he had wished he had written an article like this, it is share worthy. The one aspect author Joseph G. Allen doesn't cover in this opinion piece is the impact/risk for the school personnel (teachers, administrators, etc.) who are more at risk than the children.

"I’ve spent more than 10 years as a forensic investigator of “sick buildings.” The stakes were often extraordinarily high: a hospital where four people had died and hundreds were at risk; a factory where workers were at risk of getting an irreversible respiratory disease called “Popcorn Lung”; a military base where housing was suspected in the deaths of 11 infants.

In all of these investigations, I was asked, “Is it safe to go back in the building?” If, after the appropriate controls were in place, my answer was “yes,” I always paused for one final gut-check question: Would my answer be any different if my family was involved?

When people ask me whether schools are safe during the coronavirus pandemic, I ask the same question: Would I let my kids go back to school in the fall? The answer is yes.

Let’s first acknowledge a hard truth: Widespread school closures come with devastating costs."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/24/yes-kids-should-be-going-back-school-fall/

Dr Bromage's tweet: https://twitter.com/ErinBromage/status/1275953245555433472?s=09

An empty playground outside the Achievement First charter school in Providence, R.I., on March 7. (David Goldman/AP)

Town of Franklin: COVID-19 Case Count Status

"The chart below details the confirmed, recovered, and isolated cases of COVID-19 in the Town of Franklin. This data reflects the most current information available and will be updated with additional information as confirmed counts are released through the Franklin Board of Health from the state Department of Public Health (DPH). Data for this table is based on information available in the Department of Public Health surveillance database at a single point in time.Case counts for specific cities and towns change throughout the day, as data cleaning occurs(removal of duplicate reports within the system) and new demographic information (assigning cases to their city or town of residence) is obtained. Statewide data is here​ (https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/04/16/coronavirus-cases-by-city-and-town-in-massachusetts)."

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/uploads/covid-19_case_counts_6.pdf

This confirms that what we are doing (social distancing, face coverings, washing hands, etc.) is working. Let's keep it up as we gradually re-open.

Town of Franklin: COVID-19 Case Count Status

Recreation COVID-19 News

All Town and School playing fields, courts, open space are now open with restrictions. Playgrounds are still closed until further notice.


Hello Franklin! We have created a Trails & Walking Paths site to serve as a resource to our community. During these unprecedented times, it is important to get outside & de-stress, while practicing social distancing! We hope you find it useful. Be well! https://bit.ly/3bDgozC

SNETT trail section in Bellingham

For additional info check out the Recreation tab in the coronavirus portal page
https://sites.google.com/view/recdeptcovid-19contests/home?authuser=1

https://sites.google.com/view/recdeptcovid-19contests/home?authuser=1

"social distancing in Massachusetts is working"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Gov. Charlie Baker had a simple message Thursday for residents looking for their “chance to fight back” against COVID-19: Answer the phone. Apparently, many people are not.

Baker, along with local and non-profit partners participating in the state’s first-in-the-nation contact tracing program, said the effort will become even more important for the state to identify hot spots and track the spread of the virus as businesses start reopen.

Officials, however, said fewer than 50 percent of people diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts are answering their phones on the first try by contact tracers to reach these individuals and assist them with self-isolation.

“If you get a call or a text from your local board of health or the COVID team it’s vital you take that call,” Baker said. “As we see the curve flatten we can begin thinking about permitting some businesses to resume operations and we want to reinforce that by increasing the importance of testing and contact tracing.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200507/virus-tracing-efforts-hinge-on-people-answering-phones/1

The Public Service Announcement (PSA) shown in the briefing: https://youtu.be/aV990fAGeOk

MassDCR: How to do social distancing in parks, trails, and paths

"Be smart! Be Considerate! Practice good #socialdistancing by staying 6 feet from others in parks, on trails and on paved paths!

Parks are open for all to enjoy but please be conscious of others and help everyone stay safe during the spread of #covid19. "

Additional info on how to visit the MA parks  https://bit.ly/3ad6Kn4

How to do social distancing in parks, trails, and paths

Shared from the MassDCR twitter account
https://twitter.com/MassDCR/status/1258094174991155200?s=09

Podcast Recommendation: Brene Brown's "Unlocking Us"

In these challenging times, akin to the safety warning when flying, we need to put our oxygen mask on first before helping the child next to us. Taking care of ourselves, will help provide the resilience to deal with the changes each day brings.

A good nights sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet can address the physical aspects. For the mental aspects, taking only a few doses of main stream media is one step. Choosing good reading or listening also helps. 

When I walk along the side roads, I can listen to one of several podcasts. One of the new entries to my regular list is appropriate for this time. Brene Brown has introduced a new podcast "Unlocking Us". It was supposed to get a big splash entry in March at the South by Southwest Conf (SXSW) but alas the pandemic shut that down. 

Splash entry or not, Brene is a worthy listen. In this episode she talks with Dr Marc Brackett about emotional literacy. 

"Dr. Marc Brackett has dedicated his life to studying emotions and to teaching us what he’s learning. In this episode, we talk about how emotional literacy – being able to recognize, name, and understand our feelings – affects everything from learning, decision making, and creativity, to relationships, health, and performance."

Listen to the podcast here (or subscribe via one of the several podcast apps where you can find it):
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/dr-marc-brackett-and-brene-on-permission-to-feel/

Podcast Recommendation: Brene Brown's "Unlocking Us"

Brene Brown is an accomplished author and speaker. She has a couple of TED Talks among several good videos to view and get the gist of what she talks about  https://brenebrown.com/videos/

NY Times: "The Untold Story of the Birth of Social Distancing"

From the New York Times we find this long read but good background information on where 'social distancing' came from.

"Fourteen years ago, two federal government doctors, Richard Hatchett and Carter Mecher, met with a colleague at a burger joint in suburban Washington for a final review of a proposal they knew would be treated like a piñata: telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic.

When they presented their plan not long after, it was met with skepticism and a degree of ridicule by senior officials, who like others in the United States had grown accustomed to relying on the pharmaceutical industry, with its ever-growing array of new treatments, to confront evolving health challenges.

Drs. Hatchett and Mecher were proposing instead that Americans in some places might have to turn back to an approach, self-isolation, first widely employed in the Middle Ages.

How that idea — born out of a request by President George W. Bush to ensure the nation was better prepared for the next contagious disease outbreak — became the heart of the national playbook for responding to a pandemic is one of the untold stories of the coronavirus crisis."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/us/politics/social-distancing-coronavirus.html

Shared earlier in this pandemic period but a great visual on how social distancing works.  YouTube Link = https://youtu.be/o4PnSYAqQHU

"9 Ways Schools Will Look Different When (And If) They Reopen"

While some folks are upset schools are closed for the remainder of this school year, let's think about what they should look like when they do re-open. Jessica Minahan shared this NPR article as "food for thought."


"9 Ways Schools Will Look Different When (And If) They Reopen"

"Three-quarters of U.S. states have now officially closed their schools for the rest of the academic year. While remote learning continues, summer is a question mark, and attention is already starting to turn to next fall.

Recently, governors including California's Gavin Newsom and New York's Andrew Cuomo have started to talk about what school reopening might look like. And a federal government plan for reopening, according to The Washington Post, says that getting kids back in classrooms or other group care is the first priority for getting back to normal.

But there are still many more unknowns than guarantees. Among the biggest, says Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, is this: "Is it safe and healthy for my kids to pack them into that classroom?"

Here are nine key ideas — drawn from interviews with public health experts, education officials and educators around the country — for what reopening might look like."

Continue reading about the 9 ideas online
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/842528906/what-it-might-look-like-to-safely-reopen-schools

Shared from Jessica Minahan via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jessica_minahan/status/1253702816583102464?s=03

"9 Ways Schools Will Look Different When (And If) They Reopen"

Covid19 – Whack-a-Mole?

Numbers may provide truth, but we have an obligation to study – carefully.
by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/19/2020

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/infection-trajectory-flattening-the-covid19-curve/

W.H.O. logarithmic scaled chart of international progress

"How those numbers are framed, wrapped in context and presented to us can be misleading. Here is the latest W.H.O. logarithmic scaled chart of international progress. It shows us – s-l-o-w-l-y bending the curve of viral spread.

Note that this week Dr. Deborah Birx made a pointed statement about the preferred use of the Log chart. While that presentation form has its value, you can extract a clearer understanding of exactly where we are in mitigation by studying the Linear scale as well. The Log view would have you thinking that, all in all, we’re not that far off from other nations.

However, here’s the eye opener. Same chart. Linear scale.

the eye opener. Same chart. Linear scale

This scale shows you how little progress we have made through tough mitigation. The bend is not really a bend. It’s what the ever-expanding scale of a Log chart produces when you hit a steady-state plateau ( currently, above 10,000/week ). This is nowhere near the CDC’s mitigation target of 420/week. This presentation indicates there is almost no ‘bend’ or true flattening. We have a very long way to go.

The false bend produced by the Logarithmic function creates a false impression –
that we can break out the champagne and declare victory. ( Your best bottle of bubbly, please ).

Not so fast. Look at China and South Korea. That’s very flat, even on a Linear scale. They got there by testing and more testing, isolation and more onerous isolation. Note that even as a flat trajectory at a very low rate compared to the U.S., their rate of new infection cases continues to double roughly every nine days or so. However slowly, the viral spread continues even under the best of mitigation efforts.

We once had 14,000 U.S. domestic flights. Even a minimum of that air traffic transports the virus at uncontainable rates. The virus continues to spread rapidly, freely hitchhiking about the country as it will. We will be stamping out viral fires, and locking down cities here and there, only to have more fires pop up elsewhere like a deadly game of Whack-a-Mole. These flareups will be our new normal until we can test and trace rapidly.

Now the President is encouraging an impatient citizenry to “liberate states”. They gather to protest – in crowds tight enough and large enough to spread the virus. Regardless of the hopeful mathematical models and projections we embrace today, when we change the input data, we change the outcome. We change our future.

‘Stay-at-home’ be damned. The emotionally infectious bravado of a protest crowd cannot protect it – or us. If the President pushes governors to ‘open up’ the country, some will comply. Those eager states will bring hurt upon us all.

Know that you are truly on your own regarding your personal health and safety. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. For your own sake, stay there.

We have no testing. The current rate of testing is effectively next to zero on a per capita basis. We can’t begin to trace or treat what we can’t meaningfully test.

May I suggest that the feds need to shove the cork back in the bottle for another day
– a day that’s far off in the future.

Help yourself and others. Find away to mask up. As a fashion statement: Mask is the new black.

And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. And, thank you for watching."

For the full program Guide for this week for Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kGfjYFxFr-rj4wLVmnFBrs6WHSdsCuvJ/view?usp=sharing
 

Storywalk at DelCarte (photo slideshow)

A fun Storywalk is up at DelCarte! Enjoy the sunshine!

And if you haven't made it there yet, you can visit it virtually with this photo slideshow

Photo taken in the rain on Weds 4/08/20

Great visual to reinforce social distancing

From the Ohio Dept of Health  https://youtu.be/o4PnSYAqQHU

Their COVID-19 page  https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home