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The MA pay gap per Census data |
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
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The MA pay gap per Census data |
"The COVID-19 pandemic removed any doubt that state policies can affect health outcomes. East Coast states (eg, New York, New Jersey) that responded to the first wave of the pandemic in the spring of 2020 with strict protective measures achieved relatively quick control of community spread within as much as 8 weeks,9 and they blunted subsequent surges by reinstating those policies.
In contrast, states that had spent decades opposing public health provisions were among the most resistant to COVID-19 guidelines and took active measures to resist restrictions. Some elected officials made a political issue out of challenging scientific evidence, embracing dubious theories, and labeling public health safeguards as infringements on personal freedom. Conservative governors used preemption to reverse efforts by mayors and school districts to control local transmission rates.
These policy choices may have been associated with increased COVID-19–related morbidity and mortality. States that rushed to curtail lockdowns in the spring of 2020 experienced more protracted surges in infections and disruptions to their economies.9 In 2021, excess deaths were disproportionately concentrated in states where resistance to COVID-19 vaccination was prevalent.
For example, excess death rates in Florida and Georgia (more than 200 deaths per 100 000) were much higher than in states with largely vaccinated populations such as New York (112 per 100 000), New Jersey (73 deaths per 100 000), and Massachusetts (50 per 100 000). States that resisted public health protections experienced higher numbers of excess deaths during the Delta variant surge in the fall of 2021 (Figure). Between August and December 2021, Florida experienced more than triple the number of excess deaths (29 252) as New York (8786), despite both states having similar population counts (21.7 million and 19.3 million, respectively).10"
Figure. Weekly Excess Death Rate (per 100 000) in Selected States, 2021 |
This hour features two recent discussions, first up my Talk Franklin session with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen from March 13, 2022 Followed by my conversation with Jerika Lowry and Adam Calvert. We talk about the Franklin Neighborhood Support Team and the Shamrock Walk for Refugees to provide support for an Afghan family now living here
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
FM #752 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 752 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge.
Conversation around the following topics:
The recording runs about 40 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie as we “Talk Franklin”.
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/march_16_2022_town_council_agenda.pdf
Franklin For All survey -> https://mapc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bDBzodBPnt8a5Ce
Franklin For All web page -> https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/franklin-for-all/
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
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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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
Storm water fee comes back to Council among items in this "Talk Franklin" with Jamie Hellen (audio) |
As published in Franklin Local Pages By J.D. O’Gara
Lisa Piana, Director of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, says she is “thrilled” at what she is calling a “business boon” in the heart of Franklin. In fact, six new businesses call downtown Franklin home, and with a new Ladybug Cultural and Historical Trail, and new alleyway murals, there is a lot to discover in downtown Franklin!
Established to foster greater vitality in the downtown commercial district, the Franklin Downtown Partnership (FDP) has been planning for this moment of tremendous growth in the downtown for the 20 years it has been in existence, says Piana. “Over these many years, the FDP has been diligently putting in the infrastructure, working with town officials, improving the streetscape, meeting with builders, and hosting downtown events,” she writes.
Lily Riviera, Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Town of Franklin, also attributes the growth to a few initiatives the town of Franklin took to make the community welcoming to business. Some of the new businesses, in fact were part of the Pop-Up Shop grant initiative.
“I think it was a good way for people to get integrated into the community,” says Rivera.
Rivera notes that her predecessor, in fact, created a business guide to help opening businesses in Franklin get to know not only the community, but the various steps they must take to establish their business of preference in the town.
“Obviously, opening a business, there are a lot of different steps,” says Rivera. “Anne Marie (Tracy) broke down zoning and more, in a simplified way, guiding them through a very layered process. That’s something that’s been a resource.”
Rivera also points out that, following a market study the town did with the MAPC, Franklin conducted Business Listening Sessions during the pandemic, to determine how best to help local business thrive. That helped steer the Pop-Up Shop grant initiative, and now the town is working on a Franklin for All study with the MAPC, to more clearly establish a vision for the downtown center and adjust zoning toward this effort. This work helps in the long run, she says. The public is invited to take part in a forum to be conducted in Town Council chambers at 7 p.m. on March 7th.
“These are good tools for businesses to use,” says Rivera. “As a business owner, you need to look at ... how unique your business proposal is in the town you’re going to operate in. If you’re a coffee shop in a town with a lot of coffee shops, it’s going to be harder for you.”
The new businesses located in the Franklin downtown area include:
• Birchwood Bakery and Kitchen, 17 E. Central St., Franklin, offers breads, salads, baked goods, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits and more.
• Briller Boutique, 70 E. Central St., Franklin, will be opening soon and will sell women’s clothing and accessories.
• Escape Into Fiction, 12 Main St., Franklin, sells a variety of fictional books.
• Greco Design Co., 2A Main St., Franklin, offers unique home decor items and handmade gifts.
• I Have Coins and Collectibles, 15 Main St., Franklin, carries coins, Pokémon cards, comic books, Star Wars and other collectibles, as well as offers free appraisals.
• Zuzu’s Petals & Cafe, 19 Dean Ave., Franklin, is a full-service florist and offers a variety of gift items.
“We really encourage residents to stroll the downtown and appreciate all it has to offer,” said Lisa Piana, executive director of the FDP. “Small businesses add so much to our community. We encourage residents to support Franklin businesses and shop local whenever possible.”
Escape Into Fiction originally occupied a storefront on the edge of the downtown through the town’s pop-up shop grant initiative last year. “The first time I drove down Main Street and saw the unoccupied storefront at 12 Main Street, I knew that I needed to have it,” April Rock, owner of Escape into Fiction. “We really wanted to be in the downtown so we can be part of the entire community, not just on the outskirts.”
Rock worked with town officials, business owners and the FDP to secure her new space. “The networking with the FDP helped us continue to stir interest and get people excited about establishing a bookstore in downtown Franklin.”
Roberta Trahan, vice president of the FDP and lifelong Franklin resident is delighted to see the growth in downtown Franklin.
“The FDP Mission has always been to develop and support an attractive and vibrant downtown,” Trahan said. “The addition of these new businesses, coupled with the support of the many businesses that have been downtown for some time, will continue to work towards this goal. We are so excited for this continued growth!”
"Saturday March 19, 11 AM - 1 PM at the Franklin Public Library!
Come meet and greet a few of the Franklin School Committee Members!
We will be located in the "Friends Room"https://t.co/do1kb2mW9o
Come meet & greet some of the Franklin School Committee - March 19 from 11 AM to 1 PM |
"Get ready for Winter Awards Night with a review of the season!!! "
Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriRvths/status/1503530998298034177
Video link -> https://youtu.be/7eC1k53d4wo
In April of 1945, exactly two years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, liberal Boston City Councilman Izzy Muchnick persuaded the Red Sox to try out three black players in return for a favorable vote to allow the team to play on Sundays. The Red Sox got the councilman's much-needed vote, but the tryout was a sham; the three players would get no closer to the major leagues. It was a lost battle in a war that was ultimately won by Robinson in 1947.
This book tells the story of the little-known heroes who fought segregation in baseball, from communist newspaper reporters to the Pullman car porters who saw to it that black newspapers espousing integration in professional sports reached the homes of blacks throughout the country. It also reminds us that the first black player in professional baseball was not Jackie Robinson but Moses Fleetwood Walker in 1884, and that for a time integrated teams were not that unusual. And then, as segregation throughout the country hardened, the exclusion of blacks in baseball quietly became the norm, and the battle for integration began anew.
About the Author: Ted Reinstein has been a reporter for "Chronicle," WCVB-TV/Boston's award-winning—and America's longest-running, locally-produced—nightly news magazine since 1997. In addition, he has been a contributor for the station's political roundtable show and sits on WCVB's editorial board. He lives just west of Boston with his wife and two daughters. He is also the author of New England Notebook (Globe, 2013) and Wicked Pissed (Globe, 2016).
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/news/%C2%A0-brooklyn-unsung-heroes-who-helped-break-baseballs-color-barrier
Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball's Color Barrier with Author Ted Reinstein |
What this report will mean for the Town budget remains to be seen. We heard last week (Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting) that the Town is expecting to get the new health care rates in a couple of weeks. Both Town and School budgets forecast an increase of 5-8 percent:
"After years of ever-increasing spending on health care that left policymakers struggling to contain costs, Massachusetts finally found the key to lowering spending on health care: a global pandemic.
Ironically, spending on health care declined by 2.4 percent in Massachusetts in 2020, an unprecedented drop that can be attributed to fewer people seeking care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Monday by the Center for Health Information and Analysis."
A logical extension of MA law to include early childhood education in the overall education system to bring about more equity is going to cost.
"MASSACHUSETTS’S EARLY CHILDHOOD education system is unaffordable and inaccessible to too many families, and it will cost an estimated $1.5 billion a year to improve it, according to a report released Monday by a special legislative commission looking at the economics of early education and care.
The commission, led by Education Committee co-chairs Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Alice Peisch, calls for expanding the subsidies available to families while increasing financial support to childcare centers themselves and their workers. But it stops short of calling for universal public pre-kindergarten, as some activists have been calling for. "
"WARNING THAT the pace of electrification underway for the MBTA’s bus fleet is “too slow for the Legislature,” a top senator is newly forecasting that his chamber plans to make the transportation sector a focus in upcoming climate legislation.Sen. Michael Barrett, who co-chairs the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee, told leaders of the Baker administration’s transportation secretariat on Friday that he expects a forthcoming Senate bill will make another pass at requiring the T to transition its bus network to full electrification by a specific date. "
Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
One of the recurring themes here is citizen engagement. And yes, while I attend many of the meetings and report on them so you don't need to, this week and this budget season, is THE time for you to be more engaged, period.
Why?
The Town budget determines what services we get from the Town. No matter whether it is a pickleball court, or a ball field with nicely cut grass, books on the shelf at the library or the café reopening at the Senior Center. The Town of Franklin is a service organization providing for all our needs and "there ain't no such this as a free lunch" (the TANSAAFL principle). Everything costs something.
If you paid attention last week, the School Committee got their first view of the school budget. The Finance Committee got a deep dive on the DPW and all it does. The Joint Budget Subcommittee got their first look at the overall town budget. (links to the meeting audio and transcripts are provided below.)
Surprise, the initial revenue projection doesn't meet the initial expense projections. So how do we figure that out?
This is where YOU come in to the act. If you believe that what happens in Franklin matters to you, then follow along as the discussion takes place to resolve the budget deficit this year.
1 - Find out how the storm water utility fee takes managing storm water expenses down a more fair approach. Everyone pays a little vs. the taxpayers bearing the full burden.
2 - Watch, listen, or read what happens at the Town Council meeting Wednesday as the discussion/action item comes up for review.
Storm water information links
- Storm water utility information flyer https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/utility_flyer_extended_version_reduced_size.pdf
- EPA MS4 permit quick facts and takeaways https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/ms4_permit_-_quick_facts.pdf
- Storm water items on the Wednesday Town Council agenda
Stormwater Presentation - Department of Public Works -https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/stormwater_utility_fee_presentation_2022.pdf
ii. Stormwater Management Plan:● Year 2 Update, July 3, 2020 - 393-page Federal Stormwater Permithttps://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_swmp_year_2_update_7-3-20_for_town_with_appendicies.pdf● July 2021 Updatehttps://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2021.06.29_franklin_py3_swmp_update.pdf
iii. Department of Public Works:& Parcel Level Impervious Surface Maphttps://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e45452a3047e4c83b27170a8f4f79aa5
TA Jamie Hellen, Miriam Goodman and Supt Sara Ahern presenting to the Joint Budget Subcommittee |
https://www.heatherhillcountryclub.com/ |
Take a Group walk on the SNETT Friday - Mar 18 at 9 AM |