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Saturday, November 4, 2023
Sharing 2 articles from the rebranded CommonWealth Beacon; Dizoglio audit & Danielle Allen interview
Via CommonWealth Beacon (formerly CommonWealth Magazine):
"Campbell says DiZoglio lacks legal authority to audit Legislature"
"ATTORNEY GENERAL Andrea Campbell notified state Auditor Diana DiZoglio on Thursday evening that the auditor’s office lacks the legal authority to audit the Legislature without its consent.The decision by Campbell deals a major setback to DiZoglio’s crusade to scrutinize the policies and procedures of the House and Senate chambers where she used to serve, but it doesn’t end it.In addition to seeking Campbell’s legal opinion on her authority to audit the Legislature, DiZoglio is pursuing a ballot question that would establish a law giving her that power. Campbell, who certified the question as legally suitable to go on the ballot, said in effect that her response to DiZoglio’s request is an interpretation of existing law and is unrelated to the quest for a new law.“I believe transparency is a cornerstone of good government, but that transparency must be achieved through methods that are consistent with the law,” Campbell said. “As the chief law officer of the Commonwealth, it is my office’s role to determine the legal position of the state by looking at the law as it exists on the books today, and evaluating what that law allows, and what it does not. After a thorough review of the statutory text, pertinent Supreme Judicial Court decisions, and relevant history, we have concluded that current law does not allow an audit of the Legislature over its objection.”
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| State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, surrounded by past audits by her office of the Legislature or legislative committees. (Photo by Bruce Mohl) |
"Danielle Allen says we have work to do on Massachusetts democracy"
"MASSACHUSETTS IS rightly proud of its “revolutionary tradition,” but according to democracy scholar Danielle Allen, the health of the state’s democratic structures isn’t all rosy in practice
“A healthy democracy depends on a couple of critical values,” Allen, a Harvard professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy, said on a live episode of The Codcast. “There’s the value of inclusion, really achieving full inclusion, the value of engagement or participation, and then the value of competitiveness. And on each of those dimensions, we can see room for improvement in Massachusetts.”
Allen is focused on what she calls the work of “democratic renovation,” in part through her role as president and founder of Partners in Democracy. The organization pushes for reforms to bolster running for office, voting in elections, and making government systems more transparent. Allen herself made a short-lived bid for governor last year, pushing for many of these reforms."
Continue reading the article online, or listen to the Codcast Episode with the Danielle Allen conversation. https://commonwealthbeacon.org/politics/danielle-allen-says-we-have-work-to-do-on-massachusetts-democracy/
Register O'Donnell Announces 2023 Holiday Food Drive November 14th through December 14th
The cost of living has become increasingly challenging for many individuals and families across Norfolk County, making it difficult to afford basic necessities such as food, which can be especially difficult during the holiday season when the pressure to provide for loved ones is heightened. Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell is asking people to take a moment to contribute to the Annual Registry of Deeds Food Drive, starting Tuesday November 14th and running through Thursday December 14th.
“There is no doubt that Norfolk County is a desirable place to live and to work. However, there are people throughout the county who are truly hurting. This year, we, as a community, have seen a rising demand for food assistance, and it is crucial that we come together to support those in need. By participating in the Annual Registry of Deeds Food Drive, we can make a significant impact this holiday season,” said Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell.
Register O'Donnell Announces 2023 Holiday Food Drive
November 14th through December 14th
Today, according to the latest Project Bread statistics, 18.8% of households in Massachusetts are considered food insecure. Furthermore, 21.9% of children in the state are also considered food insecure. The increasing cost of housing and food are likely factors that contribute to the rising rates of food insecurity.
Register O'Donnell noted. “As the holidays approach, there is definitely a need for more food assistance. Household expenses are higher due to the cost of home heating fuel, food bills, and increased interest rates. Some Norfolk County families are hit harder by these increased costs and worry about putting food on the table this holiday season. So, let us be mindful during this Thanksgiving season that others may need our help.”
Non-perishable food items can be brought directly to the Registry of Deeds, which is located at 649 High Street in Dedham. A donation bin will be set-up in the Registry's lobby and food can be dropped off Monday through Friday between 8:00AM to 4:30PM. Suggested donations include canned goods, breakfast cereals, pasta, sauces, toiletries, and paper products.
“We (Interfaith Social Services) are experiencing a 30% increase in the demand for food assistance which is the heist it has been in our 53 years of operation,” said Rick Doane, Executive Director for Interfaith Social Services in Quincy. “We would be extremely grateful for any assistance that the local community could provide.”
If you can't get to the Registry of Deeds building to drop off food, you can check the Registry website at www.norfolkdeeds.org for a pantry location in your community.
“Working together, we can truly make a huge difference this holiday season,” concluded Register O'Donnell. “By supporting each other and being mindful of those in need we can help those struggling with food insecurity, because no one should go hungry, especially during this time of year. I ask that we all embrace the true meaning of the Thanksgiving by showing compassion and generosity towards all.”
To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/norfolkdeeds. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @norfolkdeeds.
The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High St., Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities, and others with a need for secure, accurate, and accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry's website, www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101 or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.
Friday, November 3, 2023
Franklin's Event Outlook: Nov 3, 2023 to November 9, 2023
Friday, November 3
6:00pm - Piano Steve (live music) (La Cantina Winery)
7:00pm - Arts Mosaic (ticketed event) (Dean College)
Saturday, November 4
10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
4:00pm - Tyler Zajac (live music) (La Cantina Winery)
6:00pm - Annual FPAC Gala (in person and virtual event) (THE BLACK BOX)
7:00pm - Arts Mosaic (ticketed event) (Dean College)
Sunday, November 5
Daylight Saving Time ends (clocks fall back 1 hour)
1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)
Tuesday, November 7 = Election Day
6:00am - Town of Franklin Election (Franklin High School)
6:00pm - Franklin Garden Club - meeting (Franklin Public Library)
Wednesday, November 8
1:00pm - Senior Scribblers (writing group)
3:00pm - Fall Health Fair
7:00pm - St Mary's Women's Faith Formation Group
Thursday, November 9
6:00pm - FAA Art Gallery Reception
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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)
Find the full Community event calendar https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html
The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar
If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication: https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6
The Town meeting calendar is found https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
The School district calendar is found https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26
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| Franklin's Event Outlook: October 27, 2023 to November 3, 2023 |
Join the "Friends of Franklin Conservation"!
Do you have a deep passion for the environment? Do you love getting out "into nature"? Do you want to get more involved around Town? Start by joining our local stewardship group, the Friends of Franklin Conservation (FFC)!
We are hosting a meet and greet on Sunday, November 12 at the DelCarte Conservation Area from 10a-12p and we'd love to have you attend. We'd really like to get to know you, your interests, and for you to get to know us!
This is an informal meet and greet so need to stay for the entirety of the time and if you are unable to attend, no worries. We plan to coordinate a more formal meeting opportunity in the future where we can discuss goals, missions, and projects for the stewardship group.
Please feel free to share the attached flier with your Franklin friends and family and we hope to see you on the 12th!
By the way, the Franklin Conservation Commission is hosting their annual autumn event "Cider & Stroll" at DelCarte at the same time as the meet and greet. Feel free to join their event before or after meeting with us for FFC.
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| Join the "Friends of Franklin Conservation"! |
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/conservation/news/join-friends-franklin-conservation
Town Council Segment - Migrant Housing Status - 11/1/23 (audio)
FM #1093 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1093 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares the Town Administrator’s Report segment from the Town Council Meeting of Nov 1, 2023. Town Administrator Jamie Hellen provides an update on the Migrant Housing status.
The report segment runs about 9 minutes. Let’s listen to this segment of the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1093-town-administrators-report-migrant-housing-status-11-01-23
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Town Administrator page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator
Town Council agenda doc -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/10/franklin-ma-agenda-for-town-council.html
Migrant Housing Portal -> https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/pages/migrant-dashboard-portal
Prior updates on the Migrant Housing Status
Update from the Oct 18, 2023 meeting -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/10/town-council-segment-migrant-housing.html
Update from the Oct 11, 2023 meeting -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/10/town-administrators-report-migrant.html
Update from Sep 20 meeting -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/09/town-administrators-report-on-migrant_20.html
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Update from Sep 6 meeting -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/09/town-administrators-report-on-migrant.html
Notification on migrant temporary housing -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/08/ma-notifies-franklin-of-plans-to-house.html
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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 iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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| Town Council Segment - Migrant Housing Status - 11/1/23 (audio) |
FHS volleyball wins first playoff game vs. Wachusett to advance
Via Twitter and our subscription to HockomockSports.com, we share the results of the fall sports playoff competition for Franklin High School on Thursday, Nov 2, 2023.
Volleyball = Division 1 = #23 Wachusett, 0 @ #10 Franklin, 3 - Final
Ryan Lanigan, founder and Editor-in-Chief of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:
"Franklin’s season hit a big speed bump at the midway point, but the Panthers are now peaking at the right time.Through its first eight matches, the Panthers hadn’t dropped a single set. Then came the loss of starting libero Leah Cooke to a season-ending injury as well as back-to-back losses to Canton and Attleboro. A tight five-set win over Mansfield righted the ship, and now Franklin is streaking.The Panthers, the 10th seed in the MIAA Division 1 tournament, made it nine wins in a row with a convincing sweep of #23 Wachusett (25-12, 25-12, 25-12) to book a spot in the Round of 16.“A big part of having to kind of restart understanding the idea that we could lose because up to that point, we hadn’t lost a set,” said Franklin head coach Sam Redmond. “We had to figure out how to fight for each set and make sure that we were working hard all the time. We’ve really been practicing focusing on point by point, siding out when we need to, and not letting the other team get a lot of rallies."
Continue reading the recap (subscription required)
For a photo gallery from this game (subscription required)
For other results around the league (subscription required)
The MIAA bracket for volleyball
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Reminder that HockomockSports.com changed to a subscription model in July. I have a subscription to view and share the FHS results that they provide. If you want to view all the worth Hockomock League reporting they do, subscribing is a good thing. It is quite reasonable. The subscription link is provided below.
To subscribe to HockomockSports.com ->
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| FHS Panther sports results shared via subscription to HockomockSports.com |
MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Announces New Executive Director
The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau (MBVB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stacey David as their new Executive Director. Ms. David most recently served as Deputy Director of the Bureau, and previously served as a Board member for the organization, representing the arts and culture sector.
“We are so excited to have Stacey David as the new ED at the Visitors Bureau,” the MBVB Board of Directors said in a statement. “Stacey is such a strong leader and has already shown how she plans to positively impact the organization's effectiveness, visibility, and ability to promote the local area as a tourist destination. We are excited to watch her guide the Bureau to success by providing clear direction, building a strong team, and adapting to the evolving landscape of tourism.”
The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau promotes travel and tourism throughout the 19 towns of the MetroWest region, which includes Ashland, Bellingham, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, and Westborough. Affiliated with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), the MBVB conducts a number of marketing and advertising campaigns each year to draw both domestic and international visitors into the region, as well as enticing tour groups and meeting planners to consider MetroWest as a destination. The Bureau’s membership includes hotels, restaurants, area attractions, arts and cultural organizations, and retail establishments, all of which are promoted through the annual Visitors Guide and marketing campaigns.
“I am delighted to take over the helm of the Visitors Bureau,” Ms. David said, “and look forward to continuing the great work we started this year. We are continuing to expand our marketing and advertising programs, which include both ads and editorial coverage in Yankee magazine, Down East, Rhode Island Monthly, New Hampshire magazine, and Connecticut magazine, all of which highlight the amazing things to see and do in MetroWest. We launched a beautiful new Visitors Guide this summer, which can be found on our website as well as in visitor information booths all over New England. In conjunction with our partner tourism councils, we are working on a huge PR campaign as well as a digital marketing campaign. We have expanded our website, and will continue to do so, and hope that both residents and visitors see us as a resource for exploring MetroWest.”
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| MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau Announces New Executive Director |
Now that businesses are starting to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bureau has once again offered paid memberships that include a variety of benefits.
“We see ourselves as a partner to our members who can provide a wide variety of marketing and promotional assistance at a fraction of the cost were they to undertake the same campaigns on their own. Our members can participate in co-op advertising programs and other initiatives with very little investment on their part, either financially or through human resources. We love having engaged members because there are so many ways we can promote them.”
Residents and visitors can access the Bureau’s regional events calendar, attraction listings, and the Visitors Guide online at www.metrowestvisitors.org. Businesses interested in more information on the Bureau, membership, and current marketing initiatives should email Stacey David at sdavid@metrowestvisitors.org.
Franklin Fire welcomes 4 new firefighter/paramedics
Franklin Fire (@FranklinMAfire) posted Wed, Nov 01, 2023:
"Congratulations to our newest Firefighter/Paramedics sworn in at tonight's Town Council meeting.
Please welcome Firefighter Kenneth Cotnoir, Firefighter Ovidiu Ticlea, Firefighter Christopher Rose, & Firefighter Douglas Jasper.
https://t.co/3bsJZIF4Zq"Shared from -> https://x.com/FranklinMAfire/status/1719880250304217356
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| Franklin Fire welcomes 4 new firefighter/paramedics |
Town Council views 4 firefighter/paramedic swear-ins & discusses the process for charter changes (video)
The Town Council met on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023 as scheduled.
Brief recap:
- 4 firefighter/paramedics were sworn in
- Key presentation and discussion around the Town charter and how to change it if so desired. A healthy discussion, some interesting nuances were revealed (a community with less than 6,000 can only use a town meeting format, a community with more than 12,000 can chose to use the city form of government). Likely to come forward again as part of the new Council goals setting session
- Finance Cmte meeting Nov 8 will review the budget update, still a downgrade of revenue of about $300K. Ways to manage this were found.
- Town Council will get to the budget at their Nov 15 meeting. The tax rate hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov 21
- Migrant housing update, hotel now full. Coordinated efforts to help as required. Portal on the Board of Health webpage with donation listing and the migrant housing statistics. $10,000 grant received for non-emergency medical transportation. Clinic in the works with State and Federal official on work permits, lots of unknowns remain as details are still scant.
Franklin TV video link -> https://www.youtube.com/live/a4szhufndn0?si=HqcE_7yLD66iBNf9
Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/town_council_agenda_-_nov_1_2023.pdf
Did you know you can view a transcript for meetings as they broadcast and as they are reviewed? When in YouTube, show "More" and then view "Transcript"
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| Town Council views 4 firefighter/paramedic swear-ins & discusses the process for charter changes (video) |
Economic Development Subcommittee reviews 40r (video)
The Economic Development Subcommittee met as scheduled on Wednesday, Nov 1. Three members were present in Chambers, 1 (Frongillo) participated remotely.
The discussion revolved around the nuances and how to implement 40r. The proposal is to develop the language for the 40r bylaw and then work with developers on their proposal and effectively turn on the 40r for a specific area, The key objection to this is that it still maintains strict control of the development process.
Given that this Council is already on record of not wanting a friendly 40b, it is likely to maintain strict control. No further action is being taken at this time with the election and potential change to some members of the Council.
Franklin TV video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og_LpSEjaTs
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| Economic Development Subcommittee reviews 40r (video) |
Agenda:
1. Discussion: 40R https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/40r_overlay_dist_memo_and_bylaw.pdf
The agenda doc also includes remote participation info ->
In addition to the document included in the agenda, you can review the video presentation at the prior EDC meeting -> (skip to about 49 minutes to get the 40R segment) https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/10/economic-development-cmte-hears-about.html
And from the discussion in Dec 2022 -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/12/economic-development-plus-cmte-mtg.html
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