This Thursday: Mental Health During COVID-19 Event

 Friends,

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, please join me and representatives from Massachusetts Samaritans for a Facebook Live conversation this Thursday, September 24 from 4-5 PM about mental health, suicide prevention, and the ways in which we can best help ourselves and our loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Come join the conversation! The Samaritans team and I will answer audience questions about mental health and supporting those around us.

Click here to RSVP to the Facebook Live 

https://www.facebook.com/events/957203728090449/

For over 40 years, Samaritans have provided life-saving suicide prevention services and nonjudgmental support throughout Massachusetts. Samaritans evolved from one small Helpline to having answered over 2.6 million calls, chats and text messages.

As always, if you or any of your loved ones in my district have fallen on hard times during this public health crisis, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. My office line is 617-722-1555 and my email is becca.rausch@masenate.gov. We are here to help. You can also find robust resources to help you navigate through COVID-19 on my website.

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

Yours in service,

Senator Becca Rausch

THIS THURSDAY: Mental Health During COVID-19 Event

Facilities Analysis Sub Committee Meeting - Sep 30

Facilities Analysis Sub Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Sep 30 -  5:00 PM

 

Virtual Meeting (Links in agenda)

https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/agenda_dt_subcom_9.30.2020.pdf 

 

 

 

 

Facilities Analysis Sub Committee Meeting - Sep 30

 

Washington Post: "Meet the Cal cross-country runner who wants to dismantle the NCAA"

From The Washington Post, an article of interest for Franklin:

"In spring 2019, Andrew Cooper and some other Pac-12 athletes arrived at a high-end resort in Phoenix. Ten pools and a golf course surrounded them on the scenic property. Cooper, a cross-country runner from Washington State, attended this event during which administrators were supposed to listen to athletes.

During one session, Kate Fagan, the author of a book about a college runner who died by suicide, addressed mental health and how colleges could better serve athletes. The year prior, Cooper watched how quarterback Tyler Hilinski’s death by suicide rocked his campus community. Cooper called Fagan’s discussion “one of the most powerful mental health talks I’ve ever witnessed.” But he remembers the stark juxtaposition in the room. Athletes cried while some administrators continued working on their laptops.

“It just made me realize they don't care,” Cooper said. “They don't actually care about us. This is only going to change from the outside.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/09/22/andrew-cooper-dismantle-ncaa/

Andrew Cooper, who ran cross-country for Washington State and California Berkeley, has become an advocate for college athlete rights. (Mitch Hechsel)

Boston Globe video: Mail-in voting explained

The Boston Globe has a brief video explaining the differences on mail in voting emphasizing the MA process and reiterating that there is no evidence of fraud with this process.  

 

Link to video 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/video/2020/09/19/nation/politics/mail-in-voting-explained/?event

Boston Globe video: Mail-in voting explained

MA.gov: Information For Voters for 2020

Dd you get the election information booklet in the mail from the Secretary of the Commonwealth?  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleidx.htm

You can get your copy at the ma.gov page  https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2020.pdf 

or with this Google doc copy:

 

 

MA.gov: Information For Voters for 2020

 

In the News: "The letter states that the numbers printed do not equal 104"

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

"In June, 104 employees – many of them teachers – at Franklin Public Schools received pink slips. This fall, 87 of them are returning, according to a recent comprehensive personnel update released by the district.

Only 15 positions of the 104 threatened with the chopping block back in June wound up being cut, according to a letter from the district signed by Superintendent Sara Ahern and Director of Human Resources Lisa O’Keefe-Trainor on Friday. "

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200922/layoffs-in-franklin-schools-fewer-than-expected?rssfeed=true

Editor's note: Other than the quote from Superintendent Ahern, there is no new information in this article and the numbers still don't add up. This is elementary math and if turned in as a school report by a fourth or fifth grade student, it would be really interesting to see what the rubric would provide as a score. Lots of numbers, lots of info but it doesn't add up. They can start with either people or positions, there is a difference between them, I get that. But 104 (or 103) got notified, what happened to them? It should be as easy as 87 came back and 17 (or 16) didn't. There can be a variety of other categories, that really doesn't matter. Tallying to the total (either 104 or 103) does.

In the News: "The letter states that the numbers printed do not equal 104"

 

 

 

Boston Globe: Norfolk County ranked as a healthy community by US News & World Report

From the Boston Globe, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Call Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket home? US News & World Report just ranked these two island communities the healthiest in the state.

In its third annual “500 Healthiest Communities” rankings, US News listed three Massachusetts counties in the top 100, taking into account economic, educational, and environmental factors, as well as other social determinants of health.

Dukes County, which represents six towns on Martha’s Vineyard and one on the Elizabeth Islands, was ranked 39th, followed by Nantucket County, which placed 62d. A little further down the list was Norfolk County, ranked 75th. The five communities that topped the list were Los Alamos County in New Mexico, Douglas County in Colorado, Falls Church city in Virginia, and Broomfield and Routt counties in Colorado.

.....

Norfolk County, with a much bigger population of 670,850, received an overall score of 75, with population health, education, and economy scoring the highest, and equity scoring the lowest."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/09/22/lifestyle/three-mass-communities-were-ranked-among-healthiest-nation-by-us-news-world-report/

MBTA Franklin Line: Through Wednesday - Franklin Line delay due to signal problem

All outbound Franklin Line trains may experience delays up to 20 minutes between Windsor Gardens and Forge Park/495 due to a signal issue. Individual alerts will be sent as needed.

Last Updated: Sep 22 2020 10:42 PM

Up to date alerts can be found on the MBTA page  https://www.mbta.com/schedules/CR-Franklin/alerts

 

MBTA Franklin Line: Through Wednesday - Franklin Line delay due to signal problem

FTC Consumer Alerts: Heard about the “waiting package” phishing scam?

Heard about the "waiting package" phishing scam? by Ari Lazarus, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC Phishing scams can be hard to spot. For example, we've been hearing about one where people get a text message saying that there's a package waiting for them, and asking them to click a link to learn more. Sounds innocent enough, right? Unfortunately not. Read more  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/09/heard-about-waiting-package-phishing-scam  This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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NY Times Magazine: "How Climate Migration Will Reshape America"

This article, the second in a series on global climate migration, is a partnership between ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, with support from the Pulitzer Center. Read Part 1: 

"August besieged California with a heat unseen in generations. A surge in air-conditioning broke the state’s electrical grid, leaving a population already ravaged by the coronavirus to work remotely by the dim light of their cellphones. By midmonth, the state had recorded possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on earth — 130 degrees in Death Valley — and an otherworldly storm of lightning had cracked open the sky. From Santa Cruz to Lake Tahoe, thousands of bolts of electricity exploded down onto withered grasslands and forests, some of them already hollowed out by climate-driven infestations of beetles and kiln-dried by the worst five-year drought on record. Soon, California was on fire.

Over the next two weeks, 900 blazes incinerated six times as much land as all the state’s 2019 wildfires combined, forcing 100,000 people from their homes. Three of the largest fires in history burned simultaneously in a ring around the San Francisco Bay Area. Another fire burned just 12 miles from my home in Marin County. I watched as towering plumes of smoke billowed from distant hills in all directions and air tankers crisscrossed the skies. Like many Californians, I spent those weeks worrying about what might happen next, wondering how long it would be before an inferno of 60-foot flames swept up the steep, grassy hillside on its way toward my own house, rehearsing in my mind what my family would do to escape.

But I also had a longer-term question, about what would happen once this unprecedented fire season ended. Was it finally time to leave for good?"

 

Continue reading the article online

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/15/magazine/climate-crisis-migration-america.html

Read Part 1 here

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html

Franklin Public Schools: "Comprehensive Personnel Update"

It may not be fair, but in all the private sector companies I worked for over the years the employee count a manager was responsible for was a key piece of data. You could not make a mistake with that. Budget, payroll, never mind the service you were delivering all depended upon it.

To see the following footnote: 

"Numbers do not equal 104 as some staff members received notices appointing them to similar positions that were vacated in the district" 

leaves me with a problem.  If you notify 104 folks they don't have work, and then for a variety of reasons some do, and some don't, it still has to add up to 104.

The personnel update can be found

https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/personnel_update_memo_new_hires_sep_2020_.pdf

 

Franklin Public Schools: "Comprehensive Personnel Update"

Remote Learning Support Sessions for Parents & Guardians

Remote Learning Support Sessions for Parents & Guardians

September 22nd - 24th

The FPS Digital Learning Integrationists will be holding Parent/Guardian support sessions throughout the year.

Our first session, "Navigating the Remote Learning Environment", will focus on the basics of navigating Google Classroom and Google Meetings. 

Click here for the schedule and session links 

Remote Learning Support Sessions for Parents & Guardians

@BostonDotCom: "Question 2: What to know about the debate over the Massachusetts ranked choice voting ballot measure"

What to know about the debate over Question 2, the ranked choice voting ballot measure.

"Massachusetts could change the way the state votes this fall. And while skeptics argue that ranked choice voting has overlooked flaws, supporters say it's still a needed improvement to the current system"

Continue reading the article online

https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/09/21/massachusetts-ballot-question-2-ranked-choice-voting

Question 2: What to know about the debate over the Massachusetts ranked choice voting ballot measure

What to know about the debate over Question 2, the ranked choice voting ballot measurehttps://t.co/PKOsd4TrNo pic.twitter.com/PVmnIgSjXn

— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) September 22, 2020

Recycling reminder: The box=YES! The Pizza=NO!

Recycling reminder: The box=YES!  The Pizza=NO! 

 

Don't forget to add those empty pizza boxes to your recycling bins!  

 

• Shared from Twitter:https://t.co/ZcMur2WsRM

 

For the recycling guide https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/uploads/franklin_program_guide_2020-2021.pdf

 

For additional info on what to or not to recycle, visit the Solid Waste page at the Town of Franklin   https://www.franklinma.gov/recycling-solid-waste

 

 

Recycling reminder: The box=YES!  The Pizza=NO!

2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity

The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate its 20th birthday this year! And, for the first time in its history, the event will be completely virtual. Join us next weekend for an interactive, online celebration of American Ingenuity featuring more than 120 authors, poets and illustrators. The festivities will culminate with a PBS television special “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” hosted by Hoda Kotb on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings).

Register Today! 

2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival

Create your FREE account now at loc.gov/bookfest to access on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions during the Festival weekend, Sept. 25 – 27. You’ll have options to personalize your own festival journey with timely topics, and to explore book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose.

Check Out the Author Lineup

Collage image of authors participating in the 2020 National Book Festival

More than 120 renowned authors, poets and illustrators are taking part in our virtual festival! Connect with your favorite writers across all genres at our virtual “stages” including, Children, Teens, Family, Food & Field, Fiction, Genre Fiction, History & Biography sponsored by Wells Fargo, Poetry & Prose sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Science and Understanding Our World.

View the full author lineup: loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/