FHS Gymnastics' White named by Boston Globe to All Scholastic; Rudolph as Honorable Mention

FHS Gymnastics (@fhs_gymnastics) tweeted on Wed, Mar 24, 2021:

Congratulations to Junior Emma White who has been named both a Boston Herald and Boston Globe All Scholastic!  Your future is bright!  @FHSSports @FranklinHS @FHSPantherbook @FranklinMatters @fhsgymboosters  

Emma White

 

Check out the photos of Emma = https://t.co/nTHGgyUyjo

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/fhs_gymnastics/status/1374702692908535812

Congratulations to Junior Kate Rudolph who has been named a Boston Globe All Scholastic Honorable Mention!  Your future is bright! @katerudolph17_  @FHSSports @FranklinHS @FHSPantherbook @FranklinMatters @fhsgymboosters  

 

Kate Rudolph

Check out the photos of Kate =  https://t.co/PX1VATaDpB

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/fhs_gymnastics/status/1374706528243040256

Pantherbook wins SNO's Story Page Excellence Badge

Pantherbook (@FHSPantherbook) tweeted on Wed, Mar 24, 2021:

Pantherbook has won SNO's Story Page Excellence Badge!

Thank you to all the amazing writers that contributed to this achievement!

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FHSPantherbook/status/1374706448584826883

Pantherbook wins SNO's Story Page Excellence Badge

Google improves accessibility of content for those with hearing problems

 

"Google is expanding its real-time caption feature, Live Captions, from Pixel phones to anyone using a Chrome browser, as first spotted by XDA Developers. Live Captions uses machine learning to spontaneously create captions for videos or audio where none existed before, and making the web that much more accessible for anyone who’s deaf or hard of hearing.

When enabled, Live Captions automatically appear in a small, moveable box in the bottom of your browser when you’re watching or listening to a piece of content where people are talking. Words appear after a slight delay, and for fast or stuttering speech, you might spot mistakes. But in general, the feature is just as impressive as it was when it first appeared on Pixel phones in 2019. Captions will even appear with muted audio or your volume turned down, making it a way to “read” videos or podcasts without bugging others around you. And even better, Google says Live Captions works offline, too.

...... 

Live Captions can be enabled in the latest version of Chrome by going to Settings, then the “Advanced” section, and then “Accessibility.” (If you’re not seeing the feature, try manually updating and restarting your browser.) When you toggle them on, Chrome will quickly download some speech recognition files, and then captions should appear the next time your browser plays audio where people are talking. "

Continue reading the article online with this feature described
https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/17/22337074/chrome-real-time-live-captions-audio-accessibility

I was able to capture the screen display of the School Committee meeting Tuesday with the feature. The black box located on top of the Zoom participants displayed in front of Chairperson Anne Bergen. It does well in providing an accurate caption. It is NOT perfect. There are mistakes some humorous but most seen thus far can be made out phonetically if not spelt correctly in the caption.

One really cool and potentially useful feature is that the captioning works for audio or video EVEN if the system sound is muted.  

Google improves accessibility of content for those with hearing problems

On National Pay Day women in sports highlight inequality

 

Megan Rapinoe has taken her fight for equal pay to Congress as she testified on Wednesday in front of a committee examining “the economic harm caused by longstanding gender inequalities, particularly for women of color”.

The Olympic and World Cup champion testified at a hearing by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. In her opening statement, the soccer star told the committee that: “I am here today because I know firsthand that this is true. We are told in this country that if you just work hard and continue to achieve - you will be rewarded, fairly. It’s the promise of the American dream. But that promise has not been for everyone.

“The United States women’s national team has won four World Cup championships and four Olympic gold medals on behalf of our country. We have filled stadiums, broken viewing records, and sold out jerseys, all popular metrics by which we are judged.

“Yet despite all of this, we are still paid less than men – for each trophy, of which there are many, each win, each tie, each time we play. Less.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/24/megan-rapinoe-equal-pay-day-us-congress-white-house-visit

"The NCAA’s handling of the women’s basketball tournament is either malpractice or malfeasance. It’s one or the other. The issue is not just petty skimping on food, the withholding of the March Madness brand, the willful lack of promotion. Something much bigger is going on here, a kind of larceny. And Congress should make the NCAA crack open the books on it.

Short of stifling Geno Auriemma with a pillow while stealing his diamond championship rings, the NCAA could not work harder to smother the potential of the women’s tournament and rob it of revenue. This week, in response to a query about its financials, the NCAA insisted again that the women don’t turn a profit. This is patently unjustifiable. You know how much revenue NCAA Division I women’s basketball generated collectively in 2018-2019? Almost a billion dollars. "

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/25/ncaa-women-basketball-tournament-revenue/

MA voices on National News: another mass shooting prompts more talk, no action (yet)

"Baker supports federal assault weapons ban, would advocate Mass.-style gun laws to national GOP"

"Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday that he supports a federal ban on assault weapons and that he would advocate Massachusetts-style gun laws to fellow Republicans in Congress, as Democrats in Washington renew the push for tighter restrictions following two mass shootings in the last week.

“I think what we’ve done here in Massachusetts has worked and worked well, and if I could be a voice to share that with folks at the national level, I’d be happy to do that,” Baker said in an interview with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on GBH Radio’s “Boston Public Radio.”

Asked by Braude if he supports a federal assault weapons ban, Baker responded, “Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/25/metro/baker-supports-federal-assault-weapons-ban-would-advocate-mass-style-gun-laws-national-gop/

 

"If 20 children killed in an elementary school didn’t change things, why would 10 dead adults in a supermarket?"

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/24/metro/if-20-children-killed-an-elementary-school-didnt-change-things-why-would-10-dead-adults-supermarket/

It doesn’t matter what most Americans want. It doesn’t matter how many people die. Those who could protect us from you too often won’t

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/24/metro/deadly-price-freedom/

MA State News: Gov Baker no mandate now for vaccinations; Duxbury football coach fired

"Baker not interested in vaccine mandates – for now"

"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER isn’t interested in requiring public-facing employees to get vaccinated, at least right now. And he’s got a problem with public officials who use their position to cut the vaccine line.

In an interview Wednesday on the Boston Public Radio show, Baker said he wouldn’t favor a mandate requiring members of the State Police, correctional officers, nursing home workers and other public-facing employees to be vaccinated in order to perform their duties.

“I don’t think you should put somebody in a position where they have to choose between a vaccine that they may be very concerned about taking for some very good reasons and their jobs, at least at this point in the process,” Baker said. “I want to concentrate on getting people vaccinated first.”

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/baker-not-interested-in-vaccine-mandates-for-now/ 

"Duxbury football coach fired over team’s use of anti-Semitic terms in recent game"

"The longtime head coach of the Duxbury High School football team, Dave Maimaron, was fired Wednesday, as the fallout widened from disclosures that his players used Holocaust-related language and Jewish words to call plays during a recent game.

The school’s upcoming game against Hingham was also canceled, along with upcoming junior varsity and freshman games, and the Duxbury school district hired an outside investigator to examine what happened. It’s unclear if or when the team’s season will resume.

“We want to be perfectly clear that we recognize how serious this is, and it is getting our undivided attention,” said Superintendent John Antonucci in a letter to the community announcing the district’s response."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/24/sports/duxbury-football-head-coach-dave-maimaron-fired/

2020 Selections to the National Recording Registry Announced

National Recording Registry Adds 'Rhythm Nation' Among 25 New Selections 2020 Selections to the National Recording Registry Announced Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named 25 recordings as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage. Janet Jackson's clarion call for action and healing in "Rhythm Nation 1814" now joins other groundbreaking sounds of history and culture among the latest titles inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, including Louis Armstrong's "When the Saints Go Marching In," Labelle's "Lady Marmalade," Nas' "Illmatic," Kool & the Gang's "Celebration," and Kermit the Frog's "The Rainbow Connection." Watch the announcement video featuring several of the artists and songwriters. Click here for more information  =>  https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-21-015/?loclr=ealn Watch the announcement video featuring several of the artists and songwriters. https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9731/?loclr=ealn

FHS Girl Up Club schedules virtual discussion on women's rights - Mar 25, 6:00 PM

From Angelina Perez:

I wanted to let you know about an event that my Girl Up Club is hosting this Thursday (3/25/21) at 6:00 PM. The event will take place via zoom and it is going to be a discussion on gender equality. 

This event will also be a place where people can discuss their experiences with sexism and misogyny and also discuss intersectional feminism and gender based violence. The event will be recorded for people to watch. 

Anyone is allowed to attend, they don't have to be a member of Girl Up as many FHS students will be in attendance. There will also be Girl Up global leaders/youth activists at the event. 

I've attached a pdf flyer that also has the Zoom link attached to it.

Zoom link =>  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85127749031?pwd=NUVOTk1Tc0NlME9WUkJUWWNoSnRNZz09

Download a copy of the flyer   https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_qA08rXarC6dCZlkXtzsniIakjCSDQB/view?usp=sharing

FHS Girl Up Club schedules virtual discussion on women's rights

FHS Theatre Company to perform Senior Student Directed 1 Acts: 2 plays each on 2 nights

Come support the Franklin High School Theatre Company as they premier the Senior Student Directed One Acts.  

Four different performances spanning the course of two evenings: 

• What Happens in Neverland, Stays in Neverland directed by Amanda Melmed '21 (March 25th @ 7pm)
• Frankenstein directed by Ben Fine '21 (March 25th @ 745pm)
• Identity Play directed by Bridget Flaherty '21 (March 26th @ 7pm)
• The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time directed by Max Allard '21 (March 26th @ 745pm)

VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM (ALL PATRONS): Note that there are TWO SITES - one for Thursday (3/25) and one for Friday (3/26). 

What Happens in Neverland, Stays in Neverland/Frankenstein - Thurs. 3/25/21

What Happens in Neverland, Stays in Neverland/Frankenstein - Thurs. 3/25/21

Identity Play/The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time - Fri. 3/26/21

Identity Play/The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time - Fri. 3/26/21

Access to live stream arrives with two different price points: $10.00 for individual access (additional processing fee applies $3.95), and $20.00 for family access (encouraged for viewers of 4+ individuals - additional processing fee applies $3.95).

Here is a guiding document for how to purchase the tickets for the livestream (remember that all patrons have to "make and account" before they can buy - they should do this well before the show, so there are no last minute hiccups.)

 

Rotary Club of Franklin - Interact Club to meet with Rep. Jeff Roy

Representative Jeffrey Roy has graciously accepted an invitation to meet with the Rotary Club of Franklin Interact Club on April 2, 2021, at 3 PM on the Franklin Town Common. 

Rotary Interact Club is for teens 12-18 years of age and come together to complete service projects locally and surrounding towns. A few of our club members are seniors in High School and leaders amongst their peers.  They are civic minded and are grateful for the chance to speak to, and ask questions of, one of our own hometown heroes.

"Rotary Club of Franklin MA hopes that our Interact Club teens will be inspired when they hear about the kinds of things expected of a State Representative and what Rep. Roy is doing for the Towns of Franklin and Medway, and also Massachusetts and how they can be involved." said President Judy Alfred.

From the archives:

Franklin Interact Club - project delivers masks to hospital - August 2020

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/franklin-interact-delivers-100-masks-to.html

Rotary Club interview - Nov 2020
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/11/fm-400-franklin-ma-rotary-club-111720.html

Interact Club to meet with Rep. Jeff Roy (Interact Club twitter image)

Franklin Public Schools, MA: District News Letter - March 2021

Franklin Public Schools, MA (@FranklinPSNews) tweeted on Tue, Mar 23, 2021:

"Hello FPS!  Please find the March edition of the District Newsletter posted here: https://t.co/rTxzTzqeXA "  or here

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/District-Newsletter---March-2021.html?soid=1134219428814&aid=nEzlZRXRB6w

Franklin Public Schools, MA: District News Letter - March 2021

Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/BxuL8s1V2f

 

One interesting piece is the budget video https://youtu.be/IXI95zuFbnw

Hockomock League: Hockomock League Fall II Update on Away Spectators

"Effective immediately, the Hockomock League will allow 2 AWAY family members of SENIOR student-athletes to attend all varsity games. This policy will include all league sports offered during the Fall II season: Cheerleading, Football, Volleyball, Track and Field, and Unified Basketball. 

Going forward, the Athletic Directors will continue to monitor information as it is made available from the EEA, DESE, and our local Boards of Health. Each district has the ability to make this policy more restrictive based on its own facility limitations and/or local Board of Health restrictions. It is our goal to focus on the health and safety of our communities while safely permitting family members the opportunity to watch high school sports in person. "

Shared from the Hockomock League page:

https://hockomockleague.blogspot.com/2021/03/hockomock-league-fall-ii-update-on-away.html

Hockomock League Fall II Update on Away Spectators

MA State News: "Should we still call it ‘commuter’ rail?"; uncertainty in the vaccine numbers

"Should we still call it ‘commuter’ rail?" 

"The MBTA is launching a fairly radical change to its commuter rail operations on April 5, running fewer trains at the traditional morning and evening peaks and spreading service out at regular intervals over the course of the day – what some call regional rail.

On the Framingham-Worcester line, trains currently depart from Worcester for Boston at 5:30 a.m., 7 a.m., and 8:50 a.m. and then run at roughly two-hour intervals the rest of the day. Under the new approach starting April 5, the first train from Worcester will depart  at 4:15 a.m., the next train at 5 a.m., and then trains will depart every hour on the hour for the rest of the day until 7 p.m. The three late-night trains will depart at 8:20, 9:20, and 10:20.

 The idea behind the scheduling experiment is that COVID has disrupted ridership patterns. No one is quite sure what riders will want in the future, but the feeling is that they will no longer rigidly commute into work in the morning and return in the evening. They want more flexibility and greater frequency. And they want schedules that are easy to remember."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/should-we-still-call-it-commuter-rail-2/

"Uncertainty abounds in vaccine eligibility numbers"

"WHEN THE MASSACHUSETTS COVID-19 Command Center calculates how many people are eligible for vaccinations in each of the state’s three phases, there’s a problem: The total number is 1 million more adults than actually live in the state.

The main reason is that the state is double counting many individuals in these estimates.

As a result, while the Command Center has said an estimated 2.55 million people could become eligible for vaccinations in the final group – generally healthy people between ages 16 and 55 who are not essential workers – the uncertainty in the numbers raises the possibility that the final group may be smaller than expected."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/uncertainty-abounds-in-vaccine-eligibility-numbers/

Note: This another symptom of the lack of a fully integrated and functioning public health infrastructure. The Commonwealth has various sources of data about the population (voter records, driver licenses, tax records, etc.) yet they lack the cohesiveness of a central repository of our population so we could know our count and categorizations without double counting. The repository would drive the planning already done by the local departments of health to enable the timely and accurate delivery of a vaccine or anything health related to all.

Cultural District planning session for ArtWALK - Mar 25, 7:00 PM

The Franklin Cultural District Committee has begun planning for the upcoming ArtWALK Celebration which will be held on the weekend of June 11th - 13th. This Thursday, March 25th at 7:00 p.m. the committee is inviting all of our Cultural District Partners to join us in our first collaborative planning meeting. The meeting will be held via the zoom platform. Below you will find the  zoom link for this meeting.

The Cultural District Committee is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Cultural District Committee, Cultural District Partners Event Planning Meeting
March 25, 2021 7:00 PM 

Join Zoom Meeting
    https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83387368806
Meeting ID: 833 8736 8806

One tap mobile
    +13017158592,,83387368806# US (Washington DC)
Dial by your location
        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 833 8736 8806
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdVvZiUkbc

Attached you will find the agenda for the meeting. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12uoFiSrhvvguLpRRCMDf_RcSPpFJQWWa/view?usp=sharing

As we look forward to this event,  we hope that all of our partners will take part in the planning
by joining one of the working groups. We will discuss these groups at our meeting on Thursday.

We hope to see you all there.

Regards,
Nancy Schoen

Chair, Franklin Cultural District Committee
nschoenfranklinculture@gmail.com 

Cultural District planning session for ArtWALK - Mar 25, 7:00 PM

National news: Post Office performance to slow mail; Some news orgs following Russian model

"Slower mail, fewer office hours part of Postal Service plans"

"Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday announced plans to slow mail delivery standards and cut hours at some post offices as part of a 10-year strategy to stabilize the struggling agency.

Details of the long-awaited plan come at a time of intense scrutiny on the US Postal Service over persistent delivery delays under DeJoy, a major GOP donor who took over the agency last summer. The plan also includes a proposal to consolidate underused post offices, hinted at a potential postage rate increase and detailed investments in new delivery vehicles, among other things.

Facing an expected $160 billion in losses over the next decade, DeJoy and postal executives stressed the need to cut costs and modernize the agency's operations as its workload increasingly shifts from handling letters to hauling more and more packages."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/24/business/slower-mail-fewer-office-hours-part-postal-service-plans/

 

"Specifically, Pomerantsev points to two major areas of strategic overlap. First, there’s a shared war on facts that tries to convince the viewer that accountability is a fool’s errand because true objectivity does not exist.

“There’s this kind of pop-postmodernism, where Sean Hannity will say things like objectivity doesn’t exist, everybody’s biased,” Pomerantsev says. He points to Hannity’s infamous interview with Ted Koppel, in which he contrasted his own style with what he sees as the charade of “objective” facts in other areas of the press. “I don’t pretend that I’m fair and balanced and objective,” Hannity bizarrely boasted.

“That’s exactly the same argument the Russians make,” Pomerantsev says. He recalls a famous phrase uttered by Dmitry Kiselev, a prime-time TV host who was also appointed by Vladimir Putin to run Kremlin’s international propaganda network, Rossiya Segodnya. “Objectivity is a myth that is proposed and imposed on us.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/23/he-worked-russian-media-he-recognizes-same-tactics-fox-news/

Town of Franklin, MA: A resource of available trails and paths for our community

Town of Franklin, MA (@TOFranklinMA) tweeted on Mon, Mar 22, 2021:

"Hello Franklin! It's gorgeous out there today!  Perhaps you can find a bit of time to go for a walk!  Our Trails & Walking Paths Storymap is a great resource to find places to go in Town.

Enjoy the day!" https://t.co/vofhNYMjEO

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1374019648707002369

A resource of available trails and paths for our community

Community Conversation on Police Reform - Mar 24, 2021 - 7:00 PM

Franklin Area Against Racism (FAAR) is hosting a Community Conversation on Police Reform.

When: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - 7:00 PM

• Senator Becca Rausch
  
• Representative Jeff Roy 
• Franklin Police Dept. Chief Thomas J. Lynch
• Franklin Police Dept. Deputy Chief James Mill
• and other community leaders
  

More details, including the Zoom link, in the image below.

In preparation for the Community Conversation Wednesday on Police Reform, here is the collection of articles on the legislation as it passed both Senate and House in December, got returned by Gov Baker, was revised and sent back to Gov Baker who signed the legislation on Dec 31, 2020. (Note: The Boston Globe links may require a subscription. The other links will not.)

MA Legislature press release
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/legislature-passes-policing-reform.html

Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/01/opinion/police-reform-bill-historic-just-beginning/

Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/09/opinion/governor-baker-should-sign-police-reform-bill/

Gov Baker rejects, sends back
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/10/metro/baker-sends-police-bill-back-legislature-asking-changes/

CommonWealth on Senate compromise
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/politics/senate-to-compromise-with-baker-on-police-reform-bill/

Senate press release on passage
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/senate-advances-police-reform.html

Globe/CommonWealth report on House passage
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/12/police-reform-and-abortion-measures.html

MA Legislation link
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2020/Chapter253

Gov Baker press release
https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-baker-signs-police-reform-legislation

Globe on 12/31/20 after Gov Baker signs
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/metro/governor-baker-signs-landmark-policing-reform-law/

Globe on roadmap future
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/opinion/police-reform-roadmap-future/

Globe on what’s in/out
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/metro/heres-whats-police-reform-bill-governor-baker-signed-into-law/

 

Community Conversation on Police Reform - March 24, 2021

FHS volleyball tops Taunton 3-0

From HockomockSports.com and Twitter we share the FHS sports results:

Volleyball = Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – Final 

– Franklin bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-19) win on the road at Taunton. Cailyn Mackintosh dished out 26 assists in the win while Ally Bonnet-Eymard (eight kills) and Taylor Lacerda (six kills) paced the offense.  

 

For other results around the Hockomock League 

https://hockomocksports.com/mondays-schedule-scoreboard-03-22-21/

 

 

FHS volleyball tops Taunton 3-0