Senate President Karen Spilka: The FY22 Budget is On Its Way to the Governor's Desk

What it means for MetroWest & Massachusetts

Update on the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 Building 'Back to Better' I am pleased to announce that the Massachusetts State Legislature on Friday unanimously passed a $48.07 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), an increase of $326 million over the Senate FY22 budget. This budget maintains fiscal responsibility and recommends targeted investments to address emerging needs, safeguard the health and wellness of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable populations and ensure that residents will benefit equitably as the state recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into consideration strong tax revenue performance in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), the final FY22 conference report increases revenue assumptions by $4.2 billion over the December consensus revenue projection for a new tax revenue projection of $34.35 billion. The FY22 budget does not make a withdrawal from the Stabilization Fund and projects an estimated balance of approximately $5.8 billion for this crucial 'rainy day' fund at the end of the fiscal year. Notably, the Legislature provides substantial funds in the FY22 budget to meet the Commonwealth's long-term obligations. The new Student Opportunity Act Investment fund was funded at $350 million to be utilized in the coming years for the implementation of the state's landmark Student Opportunity Act (SOA). Additionally, a supplemental payment of $250 million was transferred to the Pension Liability Fund to reduce the Commonwealth's pension liability. As a cornerstone of the Commonwealth's equitable recovery, the FY22 budget protects access to educational opportunity and charts a path forward for students, families, educators, and institutions. The budget maintains the Legislature's commitment to implementing the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) by FY 2027. The conference report proposal funds the SOA consistent with the $5.503 billion local aid agreement reached in March, amounting to an increase of $220 million over FY21. Despite the uncertainty created by the pandemic, this increased level of investment represents a 1/6th implementation of SOA rates and ensures that school districts across the Commonwealth have adequate and equitable resources to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students. The FY22 budget also includes a $40 million reserve to provide additional aid to districts experiencing increases in student enrollment compared to October 2020, as well as $387.9 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker, which reimburses school districts for the high cost of educating students with disabilities at the statutorily required 75% reimbursement rate. Additionally, the conference report includes $154.6 million for reimbursing school districts at 75% for costs incurred when students leave to attend charter schools. Finally, I am proud to say that my personal priority of including $6 million for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) grants to help K-12 schools bolster SEL supports for students—including $1 million for a new pilot program to provide mental health screenings for K-12 students—made it into the final budget. For further information about the budget, please see here  (https://karenspilka.com/updates/2021/7/9/massachusetts-legislature-passes-fy22-budget). The budget now moves to the Governor for consideration. As always, if you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact my office at 617-722-1500 or Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov. Regards,

Baker-Polito Administration Releases Future of Work Report

Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) tweeted  on Tue, Jul 13, 2021:

To address key findings, our plan proposes support for several critical areas, including:

🏘️ Housing
🛠️ Workforce Training
🏙️ Downtown Development
🏥 Substance Use & Behavioral Health Programming
🚸 Child Care
🚗 Transportation Flexibility & Improvements

Full press release link ->  https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-releases-future-of-work-report-outlines-ongoing-steps-to-address-findings

The report provides eight core insights:

1. Demand for office real estate may fall as workers spend more time in residential areas due to hybrid work.
2. Hybrid work will likely drive demand for flexible childcare options, requiring childcare business models to evolve.
3. Public transit ridership is likely to fall, with the steepest decline likely in commuter rail.
4. Business travel may be structurally reduced from pre-pandemic levels.
5. Workforce training may be required at an unprecedented scale and pace.
6. The Commonwealth population is likely to grow, albeit more slowly than pre-pandemic
7. Existing equity challenges will intensify.
8. Equitable housing opportunities will be key to retaining and attracting people.

Download the full report here to read:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/future-of-work-in-massachusetts-report/download

Shared from Twitter:  https://t.co/wM28MYuav7

Commonwealth Magazine coverage:

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/future-of-work-report-highlights-job-training-housing-needs/

Boston Globe coverage

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/13/business/boston-cambridge-could-see-major-changes-some-workers-never-return-mckinsey-report-shows/

Future of Work Report

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM

Hello to all from the 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node. Please mark your calendars for this week's Node meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM.  (As a reminder, we meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month.)

We continue to hold meetings via Zoom. Here are the the Zoom details.

Zoom link for the meeting, July 15, 7:00 PM

https://zoom.us/j/544734092?pwd=N3hwYzZBazRYZG9ycHRsbmliVkMxZz09

Meeting ID: 544 734 092

Password: 350ma

Audio by phone: +1 646 876 9923

 

At our meeting we will update the status of bills that 350 Mass is promoting. You can view our legislative priorities here  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TlmDp8VO0p5GGXFQZkyPisA5CJKt5ehQ/view). We'll also discuss local and regional issues and action plans.

 

As for the national scene, a major focus among climate activists is trying to stop the Line 3 Pipeline, a tar sands oil pipeline in Minnesota that Enbridge is building through Indigenous territory, breaking the treaties. It is despoiling hundreds of delicate waterways and will inevitably leak heavy tar sands oil into them, including the Mississippi River, a source of water for over 18 million people. A campaign is underway to pressure the banks who are funding the project; these loans are up for renewal this month. If you are able to help, you can contact the banks via phone or email using this online tool (https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/line3/).  Or you can join our local protest action, this Saturday morning, July 17, 10-11 AM, in front of the Bank of America building, 49 Main Street, Franklin, next to the Post Office; for more information, contact Carolyn Barthel (carolyncbarthel@gmail.com; 508-335-0848).

 

We hope you can join us on Thursday. We'll send a reminder that day.

Thanks for your participation and support.

 

Node Co-coordinators,

Carolyn Barthel

Ralph Halpern

 

 

Ralph Halpern

ralph.halpern@comcast.net

781-784-3839 (h)

339-203-5017 (c)

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM

Help celebrate Walter's 104th Birthday

"HELLO ALL,

We live in a community unlike any other!!

We here in the Town Clerk's office are reaching out to the residents of Franklin requesting your help to celebrate and honor Franklin's oldest resident, Mr. Walter Zinchuk, born on July 19, 1917 celebrating his 104th birthday.

Walter, along with his late wife Alta, purchased their Franklin home in 1958, where they raised four children. Mr. Zinchuk who is a World War II Veteran, served in New Guinea and Australia as a combat engineer. Walter received the Boston Post Cane which represents the oldest Franklin resident, and holds the title proudly! Walter is a very young 104, actively participating in various activities at Benchmark Senior Living.

To celebrate this amazing gentleman, a gathering is planned for Sunday, July 18th at 1:30 PM at Benchmark Senior Living, Forge Hill Road, Franklin. We are asking Franklin residents to "participate" in Mr. Zinchuk's birthday celebration by mailing a birthday card to:

Mr. Walter Zinchuk c/o Benchmark Senior Living

4 Forge Hill Road

Franklin, MA 02038"

Walter Zinchuck, the oldest Franklin resident received the Boston Post Cane

Town Council meeting recap of March 4, 2020
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/03/town-council-recap-march-4-2020.html

The Climate Minute: Advice on how to lobby your elected representative (audio)

"Climate activist can take advantage of opportunities to speak with their elected officials.  Lobbying can seem intimidating. What is the best way to do it?  We talk to a legislator about what he hopes to hear from people who come to talk to him about pending legislation."

Ted McIntrye talks with State Representative Jeff Roy about this topic. The conversation runs about 14 minutes.

Audio link =>  https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/advice-on-how-to-lobby-your-elected-the-climate-minute/

 

The Climate Minute: Advice on how to lobby your elected representative (audio)

FM #578 - Talk Franklin with Jamie Hellen - 07/09/21 (audio)

FM #578 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 578 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We talk about: 

• 4th of July; Farmers Market and Concerts on the Common

• Fire dept, Red Cross in response to lightning strike

• Maple Hill right of first refusal scheduled for Town Council vote at meeting 7/21/21

• Dale Kurtz retirement among several to be recognized

Links to the key topics covered here are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 30 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie.

Audio file => https://anchor.fm/letstalkfranklin/episodes/4th-of-July-Recap--Farmers-Market--Concerts-on-the-Common-and-Other-Local-Updates-e14bd4s/a-a64am7i

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

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

Town Council agendas  https://www.franklinma.gov/node/160/agenda/2021 

Cultural Festival scheduled for September  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/06/franklin-gearing-up-for-franklin.html 

Harvest Festival scheduled for October  https://www.franklindowntownpartnership.org/2021/04/harvest-festival-scheduled-for-october.html 

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

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!

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

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

FM #578 - Talk Franklin with Jamie Hellen - 07/09/21 (audio)

FHS' Vinayak, Marr, Malhotra, Gundimeda, Shaik recognized as Tennis All Stars; Marr as boys Kelley-Rex Div MVP

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Girls Tennis All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

KELLEY-REX DIVISION MVP

Katarina Schneider, King Philip

KELLEY-REX DIVISION ALL STARS

Vedika Vinayak, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

Sarah Schiavo, Franklin

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Boys Tennis All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

KELLEY-REX DIVISION MVP

Liam Marr, Franklin

KELLEY-REX DIVISION ALL STARS

Liam Marr, Franklin

Vayshnav Malhotra, Franklin

Anish Gundimeda, Franklin

Sameen Shaik, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

Thomas Broyles, Franklin

The complete Boys list:
https://hockomocksports.com/2021-hockomock-league-boys-tennis-all-stars/

The complete Girls list:

https://hockomocksports.com/2021-hockomock-league-girls-tennis-all-stars/ 

FHS' Vinayak, Marr, Malhotra, Gundimeda, Shaik recognized as Tennis All Stars

Reminder: Community Conversations - Housing and Race - July 14 - 7 PM (via Zoom)

Housing and Race - July 14 - 7 PM

The Franklin Area Against Racism group (FAAR) is holding the second segment of its Community Conversations series, this time on Housing and Race next Wednesday, July 14th at 7:00PM. 

We invited Jim Johnston (longtime Franklin resident and historian), Bryan Taberner (Franklin Director of Planning and Community Development), and Jesse Kanson-Benanav (Executive Director of Abundant Housing MA) to discuss how how Franklin's housing policies and practices have fostered socio-economic inequities and worked to reduce diversity in the community.

Zoom info contained in the image

Background on Jesse Kanson-Benanav

https://abundanthousingma.org/2021/03/29/ahma-announces-executive-director/ 

Franklin Odd Fellows - Trivia Extravaganza - Aug 1

On August 1, 2021, the public is invited to join the Franklin Odd Fellows for an afternoon of Trivia, fun and good cheer from 2 to 4:30 PM at the Bellingham Sportsman Club at 360 Lake St., Bellingham, MA 02019.

The event will consist of teams of up to ten players with a registration cost of just $10 per person and $15 at the door.  Team pre-registration and pre-payment is strongly encouraged.

After a long and difficult year in 2020 where four Odd Fellows fundraising events were canceled due to Covid-19, William F. Ray Lodge #71 has remained active and continues with the renovation process of the building and with indoor meetings and cookout gatherings in their quaint pine grove back yard.  

This will be our first social event for this year that will help us to continue the longstanding tradition of giving back to our local community - and have a good time while doing it!  The Bellingham Sportsman Club has worked closely with the Bellingham Board of Health and is now following restaurant guidelines for holding public events.  

Get your team of trivia masters together and register today.  Entries at the door will be integrated into whatever teams have space remaining at their tables.  There will be a cash bar available during the event.

Register and prepay:    http://www.franklinmassoddfellows.org/trivia2021/

Download the flyer as a reminder ->    https://drive.google.com/file/d/133QIpuopY5ohYYMvs3X5TXV-jyrOQUcM/view?usp=sharing  

Franklin Odd Fellows: Trivia Extravaganza - Aug 1

Invisible Stories - #2 - "House Calls to Homeless People in Venice Beach"

"the intervention that counts is housing"

Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) tweeted on Sun, Jul 11, 2021:

Invisible Stories is a mini-doc series that goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages understand and can't ignore. 

Link to the second of the series: https://youtu.be/8N2Ry_g15KA

Link to the series: https://t.co/Y0NRNIujar 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardlynormal/status/1414284287034155020

Note: I met Mark at a social media conference many years ago and have been following his work. This series is very well done. Yes, the series is set in LA but homelessness is an issue all around us whether visible or not.

SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants for Franklin

"The Small Business Administration on Friday released a database disclosing the recipients of Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants.

Massachusetts businesses received $993 million, more than all but five other states in the country. A total of 2,556 businesses here were awarded grants, out of some 6,867 applicants, and the average award was $388,000, the highest in the country."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/12/business/these-are-businesses-approved-restaurant-revitalization-fund-grants-mass/

A query of the data provided returns the following for Franklin

Lets Eat Franklin LLC	Franklin	$620,400.50
GlenPharmer Distillery LLC	Franklin	$159,172.07
Super HK LLC	Franklin	$119,697.62
Proof Restaurant LLC	Franklin	$117,551.00
Silver Spring Donuts Inc	Franklin	$104,862.00
Rhapsody's Victorian Coffee House LLC	Franklin	$88,601.51
JAY AMBE INC	Franklin	$73,596.00
Franklin Donuts Inc	Franklin	$31,300.00
PRATHAM LLC	Franklin	$29,677.00
NGG LLC	Franklin	$22,282.15
Kavish Corporation	Franklin	$14,911.63
140 Donuts Inc	Franklin	$10,287.00

Lets Eat Franklin operates 3

World Economic Forum: "We're living longer - but how can we ensure we stay healthy, too?"

World Economic Forum (@wef) tweeted on Sun, Jul 11, 2021:

"Did you know that 1 in 3 people lives in China or India?

Learn more about how we can live longer and healthier: https://t.co/8OCeNeovTy "

Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/NvD6zPixI6

World Economic Forum: "We're living longer - but how can we ensure we stay healthy, too?"

Franklin●TV Annual Meeting - August 28, 2021

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 07/11/2019

This year our Annual Open Board Meeting will be conducted as a neighborhood block party at our 23 Hutchinson St. studios.

Join us, Saturday, August 28 at 3:00 PM.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP by August 15 to: info@franklin.tv

It’s open to all Franklin businesses and residents. We’ll meet-and-greet and enjoy refreshments starting at 3:00 PM. Come hungry and enjoy some great barbeque. You can also tour our studios, and learn about Franklin●TV and wfpr●fm. We’ll also review our progress during the past year and discuss plans for the future. At our meeting you may cast a vote for new and/or renewing board positions. This year we will vote to extend Jay Horrigan’s board position for an additional three years.

Excerpt from FCCA bylaws: (Available on our website http://franklin.tv/ftv_v12_010.htm)

Section 15. Election of Director by the Membership (a) Members shall be notified by the Clerk of the election of a director by the Membership at the Annual Meeting. Said notice shall be in accordance with the notice provisions of Section 4 of this Article IV. (b) Any eligible voting Member may be nominated for election to the position of Director by:

(i) Written notification to the Clerk no later than seven (7) days prior to Annual Meeting; or (ii) By nomination from the floor of the Annual Meeting made and seconded by no less than three (3) eligible voting members.

Our facility enables us to provide full production support for Franklin residents and groups who wish to create TV and radio programs. Thanks to our board members who contribute their time and energy to help make Franklin●TV all that a public access studio can be. 

If you would like to become involved either as a volunteer or produce your own TV or radio programs at Franklin●TV and wfpr●fm, just send an email to: info@franklin.tv with your contact information. You can also call us to discuss and explore your ideas. 508-541-4118.

Please join us at our Franklin●TV event. Again, it’s Saturday, August 28th starting at 3:00pm. We’ll have tours of our facility, some good eats, and you can meet our board and staff. Our brief open meeting begins at 4:00pm. Come meet, greet, and learn all about local TV and radio in Franklin.

See you then. 

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

Get this week's program guide for Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online

http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf  or for archive purposes

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SlWIbM_ejezl2ZhXfCWitXXtVjBxgfTJ/view?usp=sharing

 

Franklin TV studio on Hutchinson St

Invisible Stories - #1 - "We Can't Let Homeless People Die: USC Street Medicine on Skid Row"

Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) tweeted on Sun, Jul 11, 2021:

Invisible Stories is a mini-doc series that goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages understand and can't ignore. 

Link to the first of the series: https://youtu.be/RWVt_arzYoA

Link to the series: https://t.co/Y0NRNIujar 

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardlynormal/status/1414284287034155020

Note: I met Mark at a social media conference many years ago and have been following his work. This series is very well done. Yes, the series is set in LA but homelessness is an issue all around us whether visible or not.

Invisible Stories - #1 - "We Can't Let Homeless People Die: USC Street Medicine on Skid Row"