MA COVIDTeam says: "Answer the call"

AlertsMA: Help support contact tracing efforts and answer calls with 833 or 857 area codes from the MA COVIDTeam. Learn more: mass.gov/covid-trac

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




Gov Baker's full press conference update on May 7, 2020 = https://youtu.be/quCFtxHdwzI

"Just Say Mindfulness" - May 15

Join Michelle Palladini, Norfolk Police Detective and King Phillip Middle School Resource Officer for an online workshop "Just Say Mindfulness" next Friday, May 15 at 12 PM!

Learn ways to empower your children with mindfulness, as a drug prevention effort. Zoom link and short video intro are below:

SAFE Coalition Inc. is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Just Say Mindfulness
Time: May 15, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84076017966?pwd=M0ozcndsWWlMU1Y3UUIzd0NQUmhsZz09

Meeting ID: 840 7601 7966
Password: 694418
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,84076017966#,,1#,694418# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,84076017966#,,1#,694418# US (Chicago)

Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 840 7601 7966
Password: 694418
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdjMMyGmVa

Mindfulness with Officer Palladini from SAFE COALITION on Vimeo.

"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

Franklin Line: Double track photos via Keolis

"Phase Two of @MBTA_CR’s Franklin Double Track Project continues to make progress as crews prepare the track-bed for the installation of new track infrastructure. In 2019, Keolis completed Phase One ahead of schedule and under budget. (1/2)"

"An essential project, Keolis teams are taking appropriate measures with the @MBTA to supply proper PPE, maintain social distance and ensure good hygiene while following guidance from the @CDCgov and @OSHA_DOL. #BuildingABetterT (2/2)"

Phase Two of @MBTA_CR’s Franklin Double Track Project continues to make progress as crews prepare the track-bed for the installation of new track infrastructure. In 2019, Keolis completed Phase One ahead of schedule and under budget. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/L1a4FuPgjB

— Keolis Boston (@KeolisBoston) May 7, 2020

Franklin Line: Double track photos via Keolis

Shared from Twitter
https://twitter.com/KeolisBoston/status/1258383425268076546?s=09

IRS: Three new credits are available to many businesses hit by COVID-19

The Internal Revenue Service today reminds employers affected by COVID-19 about three important new credits available to them.

Employee Retention Credit:
The employee retention credit is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll. The refundable tax credit is 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19.

The credit is available to all employers regardless of size, including tax-exempt organizations. There are only two exceptions: State and local governments and their instrumentalities and small businesses who take small business loans.

Qualifying employers must fall into one of two categories:

• The employer's business is fully or partially suspended by government order due to COVID-19 during the calendar quarter.
• The employer's gross receipts are below 50% of the comparable quarter in 2019. Once the employer's gross receipts go above 80% of a comparable quarter in 2019, they no longer qualify after the end of that quarter.

Employers will calculate these measures each calendar quarter.

Paid Sick Leave Credit and Family Leave Credit:
The paid sick leave credit is designed to allow business to get a credit for an employee who is unable to work (including telework) because of Coronavirus quarantine or self-quarantine or has Coronavirus symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 10 days (up to 80 hours) at the employee's regular rate of pay up to $511 per day and $5,110 in total.

The employer can also receive the credit for employees who are unable to work due to caring for someone with Coronavirus or caring for a child because the child's school or place of care is closed, or the paid childcare provider is unavailable due to the Coronavirus. Those employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to two weeks (up to 80 hours) at 2/3 the employee's regular rate of pay or, up to $200 per day and $2,000 in total.

Employees are also entitled to paid family and medical leave equal to 2/3 of the employee's regular pay, up to $200 per day and $10,000 in total. Up to 10 weeks of qualifying leave can be counted towards the family leave credit.

Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit.
Eligible employers are entitled to immediately receive a credit in the full amount of the required sick leave and family leave, plus related health plan expenses and the employer's share of Medicare tax on the leave, for the period of April 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020. The refundable credit is applied against certain employment taxes on wages paid to all employees.

How will employers receive the credit?
Employers can be immediately reimbursed for the credit by reducing their required deposits of payroll taxes that have been withheld from employees' wages by the amount of the credit.
Eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns or Form 941 beginning with the second quarter. If the employer's employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may receive an advance payment from the IRS by submitting Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19 (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-7200).

Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting Form 7200.

The IRS has also posted Employee Retention Credit FAQs (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-employee-retention-credit-under-the-cares-act) and Paid Family Leave and Sick Leave FAQs (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/covid-19-related-tax-credits-for-required-paid-leave-provided-by-small-and-midsize-businesses-faqs) that will help answer questions.

Updates on the implementation of the Employee Retention Credit and other information can be found on the Coronavirus page of IRS.gov.

Related Items:
•FS-2020-05, New Employee Retention Credit helps employers keep employees on payroll (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/new-employee-retention-credit-helps-employers-keep-employees-on-payroll)


Shared from 
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-three-new-credits-are-available-to-many-businesses-hit-by-covid-19

FTC warns 45 more sellers of scam Coronavirus treatments

FTC warns 45 more sellers of scam Coronavirus treatments by Colleen Tressler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC Every day we are reading about researchers studying potential ways to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19. However, at this time there certainly are no products you can buy online, or services you can get at a neighborhood clinic, that are proven to work.  But that doesn't stop some sellers from pitching products that claim to protect or heal you. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/ftc-warns-45-more-sellers-scam-coronavirus-treatments  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Soup R Bowl Friday - Takeout Tailgate at Gillette Stadium

Soup R Bowl Friday - Takeout Tailgate at Gillette Stadium

May 8, 2020 - 2 - 5 pm - Registration Required

The Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, Patriots Foundation, and Revolution Charitable Foundation are excited to invite you to Soup R Bowl Friday, a "takeout tailgate" that you won't want to miss! 

Soup R Bowl Friday will take place at Gillette Stadium this Friday, May 8, from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, and is for Military, Veterans and their families to pick up a box filled with plenty of soup, crackers, salad fixings, eggs, cheese, assorted frozen vegetables, fruit and more! 

Please CLICK HERE 2 REGISTER (https://www.patriots.com/community/soup-r-bowl)
and lookout for a follow-up email with arrival instructions.

Soup R Bowl Friday - Takeout Tailgate at Gillette Stadium

FM #263 FHS Empty Bowl Club Stars 5/04/20 (audio)

FM #263 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 263 in the series.

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with the FHS Empty Bowls Stars. Brenna Johnson, FHS ceramics teacher and club advisor. The stars introduce themselves: Allison Ivers, Breanna Atwood, and Drew Conrad. We had our conversation via virtual conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We started the discussion with the round of introductions and their work on the Empty Bowls Dinner. It would have been held Thursday, May 7 and due to the pandemic has shifted to a virtual event.

Posts on Thursday, May 7 will share photos and talk about the virtual event coming up the week of June 8-12

The “Week of Giving” virtual event will be held online. The site is still in development and will be shared when ready. It will enable donations to the Franklin Food Pantry for which you will receive a crafted bowl. There will also be an online auction for about 15 special pieces crafted for this event.

Support from the FHS Principal Paul Peri and Superintendent Sara Ahern has been key to enable this effort by the students for the Food Pantry.

The recording runs about 25 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with the FHS Empty Bowls Stars   https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HrWy1yK7



--------------

Recap:
FHS Empty Bowls Club is still active albeit virtually working to complete some of the hand crafted ceramic bowls for the event now to be held virtually.

The virtual event called a “Week of Giving” is scheduled for June 8-12

• Direct Donations to the Franklin Food Pantry during the “Week of Giving” will receive a hand made bowl (The first 150 people)
• An auction online will also be held this week too. 15 hand crafted pieces made by current and recently graduated FHS students and Claymark Studio (Patricia & Larry Vintinner) for this event.

Stay tuned for more to come from the FHS Empty Bowls club

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

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/
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!
------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

an empty bowl

working with clay

Memorial Day Activities Cancelled Due to COVID-19

Memorial Day Activities Cancelled Due to COVID-19

This year's Memorial Day activities have been cancelled due to concerns about the safety and well-being of attendees and participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the annual Memorial Day breakfast scheduled for May 22 and the annual parade and ceremony on the Town Common scheduled for May 25.

Memorial Day flag placing on veterans' gravesites in our town's three cemeteries will still take place and volunteers are needed. Those wishing to volunteer should email: ernestcarruthersjr@gmail.com and put "Flag Volunteer" in the subject line. All volunteers must wear face coverings.

Memorial Day Activities Cancelled Due to COVID-19

Calling All Franklin High School Senior Parents — Adopt A Senior!

Let's put a smile on our Senior's faces! We have recently created an "Adopt a Senior" Facebook Page, so please join today. Currently we have 194 senior families that have posted, but our goal is to have as many senior families that would like to participate included!

We request that all FHS Senior Parents post a picture of their child along with a brief profile, no later than May 8 at 5 PM and indicate on the top line, "Not Adopted".

Let's bring our community together to celebrate the Franklin High Class of 2020!

Please note: If you would prefer your child not to appear on the Facebook  posting, or you would like one of us to post for you, please send an email to one of the Administrators (Daniela Masters ( dmasters11@verizon.net), Nicole Nesbit ( nandjn@verizon.net), Roseanne Szczepanowski ( TRLM16@comcast.net) or Laura Gagnon).

Feel free to share this information with all FHS Senior Parents that may not have social media accounts.

The Adopt a Senior Facebook Page and details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/609321069796002/

Thank you for your support!
Parents of FHS Class of 2020 

Calling All Franklin High School Senior Parents — Adopt A Senior!

HockomockSports.com: Teams of the Decade #17: 2014 Franklin Wrestling

HockomockSports.com has compiled their "Teams of the Decade" listing and started revealing them this week working up from #20 to #1. In the 17th slot we find the FHS wrestling team.

Team: Franklin Wrestling
Year: 2013-2014
2014 Kelley-Rex Division Champions
2014 Division 1 Central Champions

"There have been a lot of great individual performances by Hockomock wrestlers through the years, but few teams had the depth of Franklin in 2014. The Panthers started slow as they incorporated new faces, but they rolled through the league (including a big win at North Attleboro) to win the league double, claiming both the dual meet and league championship meet titles.

Franklin carried that success into the postseason, winning the Div. 1 dual meet crown and the D1 Central title as well. The Panthers finished third in Div. 1 and fifth at All-States, showcasing a high level of wrestling throughout the roster.

Head coach Carmine Colace said after the Panthers edged North Attleboro at the 2014 league meet, “We do have a lot of depth; we do and that really helps. Today was a real team effort because we had some tough matches in the semis, but nobody got down on themselves and they all battled back.”

After winning the dual meet title, Franklin went into the Hockomock Championships as favorites and took control of the leaderboard early on. The first four weight classes were won by the Panthers. Mike Coppola (108), Cam Kelly (113), Ben Zogby (120), and Dan Pisani (126) went back-to-back-to-back-to-back to start the final round and Griffin Tighe (195) added a fifth individual title later that evening."

Continue reading about the Franklin wrestling team
https://hockomocksports.com/teams-of-the-decade-17-2014-franklin-wrestling/

HockomockSports.com: Teams of the Decade #17: 2014 Franklin Wrestling

Franklin Public Schools: FHS Principal Announcement

This is a message that has also been shared with the FHS community, but we also wish to share it across Franklin Public Schools.

May 6, 2020

Dear Franklin High School Community,

I am very pleased to share the news that Mr. Joshua Hanna has accepted my offer to be named the principal of Franklin High School.

We were fortunate to have three excellent candidates emerge as finalists from a rigorous and thorough search process. Candidates were interviewed by an Interview Committee composed of faculty, administrators, parents/guardians, students, and two School Committee members. Finalists joined the district in a remote site visit to converse with students, parents/guardians, administrators, and faculty/staff in mid-April. Feedback from the visits was reviewed and considered carefully and references were checked. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the members of the Interview Committee, led by Assistant Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Director of Human Resources Lisa Trainor. I would also like to thank members of our student focus group, parents/guardians, administrators, and faculty/staff members who contributed feedback.

Mr. Hanna has been serving as Assistant Principal at Hopkinton High School since 2013. Prior to this role, he was a Social Studies Teacher and Social Studies Department Head at Natick High School. While in Hopkinton, Mr. Hanna has guided work around social/emotional learning, founded the Passion Project Club for the Class of 2023, created the Top of the Hill Program, led the Crisis Response Team, and served as designated school official for the F1 International Student Program. Mr. Hanna received a Bachelor's Degree from Framingham State in History and he earned his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Simmons College.

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Hanna to the PANTHERS community. More communication from Mr. Hanna will be forthcoming as we prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.

Kind regards,

Sara Ahern
Superintendent of Schools

Franklin Public Schools: FHS Principal Announcement

Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #18

CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19 UPDATE #18

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Hi friends,

I hope you’ve been able to enjoy some of today’s glorious sunshine.

With rescheduled town elections just around the corner, I want to make sure all of you have all the information you need to vote safely during this pandemic period. Remember, local elections are very important, as local government routinely make decisions about property taxes, zoning, roads and other infrastructure elements in town, supports for senior centers and community spaces, and a host of other elements of daily life and town culture.

I’ve put all the information you need to get your mail-in ballot on my website. Here are the rescheduled in-district election dates:

Remember, in this public health crisis, it is extra important that as many people as possible vote by mail. It’s not as easy to do as it could be, but with a little leg work, you can get your mail-in ballot from your town clerk.

Here are a few additional updates about our state-level efforts to combat COVID-19:

Facemask Order Goes into Effect: Today, Governor Baker’s order requiring face masks in public went into effect (https://www.mass.gov/doc/may-1-2020-masks-and-face-coverings/download). Face Masks must be worn in all public spaces -- both indoor and outdoor -- where adequate social distancing cannot be achieved (like on the sidewalk in densely populated areas!). The order allows businesses to refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask, and includes a possible $300 fine for noncompliance. I encourage you to wear a facemask as much as possible outside your home; this is a critical step to protecting ourselves and our neighbors, reducing coronavirus transmission, and helping our communities open up sooner.

...

As always, my team and I are here for you. Call us at 617-722-1555 or email me directly at becca.rausch@masenate.gov and one of us will get back to you as quickly as we can. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook for real-time updates.

Wishing you and your families strength, health, and resilience.

Yours in service,

Senator Becca Rausch

The newsletter was shortened for publication here. To review the full set of content visit this link
https://mailchi.mp/e28c375c6a76/covid19-update-12329094
 

Senator Rausch: COVID-19 Update #18

Franklin Cultural District Partners Meeting - May 12

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 7:00 PM

Virtual Meeting*

AGENDA

Welcome 7:00 PM

Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant Update (Nancy) 7:05 PM

FCD Photography Scavenger Hunt (Nancy) 7:10 PM

Massachusetts Cultural Council Webinars (Pandora) 7:15 PM

Cultural District Data Collection (Roberta ) 7:25 PM

• 2020 Annual Report
• Data requirements

Newsletter (Pandora & Nancy) 7:30 PM

Economic Development & Cutler Plant PPE update (Bryan) 7:35 PM

Guest Speaker Erin Lynch 7:45 PM
Executive Director of the Metrowest Visitors’ Bureau

Questions/Discussion 8:15 PM

Next Partner Meeting 8:25 PM

• September 15th Tuesday

Adjourn 8:30 PM

The listings of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

For Additional information, contact:
Bryan W. Taberner, AICP, Director
Department of Planning and Community Development
508-520-4907; btaberner@franklinma.gov

*Virtual connection info to be provided closer to the meeting

Franklin Cultural District Partners Meeting - May 12

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