"it takes, on average, eight years to remission"

For an American society that wants a quick fix, there are multiple problems with the opioid epidemic.

A Harvard professor and Massachusetts General Hospital addiction expert spoke Wednesday night about the mechanisms of, and strategies for, combating and de-stigmatizing substance abuse disorders. 

John Kelly, a professor of psychiatry and the director of the hospital's Addiction Recovery Management Service, spoke to the second meeting of the Support for Addicts and Families by Empowerment, or SAFE, at Franklin High School.
Kelly said addiction was caused by several factors, including genetic predisposition and exposure to the drug itself. 

"Some ask why people get addicted - the real question is: why we aren't all addicted," he said. "This relates to the genetic component."

Continue reading the article in the MIlford Daily News here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150812/NEWS/150818375/1994/NEWS

Emma Frances Dalton Memorial Golf Tournament - Oct 9

Good Morning Steve, 

My name is Nicole and in October, My husband Will and I will be hosting the first annual Emma Frances Dalton Memorial Golf Tournament to honor our daughter, Emma.  Emma passed away just a week shy of 7 months from a mitochondrial disease, called Leigh's.  

We live in Franklin, and I am writing to ask if you would consider helping us spread the word of our event.  We have created a website www.emmafdalton.org if you have a minute and are interested in hearing more about our story.  

Anything you could do would be greatly appreciated.   

Thank you!
Nicole and Will Dalton

Juniper Hill Golf Course in Northborough Friday, October 9th @ 9am!

Concerts On the Common: Westwood Swing Band

• Storyteller Elaine Kessler (children’s program 6-6:30 PM) 
• Westwood Swing Band (6:30-8:30 PM)

Westwood Swing Band

From the Westwood Swing Band webpage:

"The Westwood Swing Band exemplifies the hard-driving sounds of big bands of the swing era. Its 16 instrumentalists and female vocalist perform from the repertoires of such noteworthy artists as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. The band’s members, many of whom are professional or semi-professional musicians, are capable of offering up solo’s and ensemble play that reflect both virtuosity and feeling. 

The roots of the band began in the mid-1980’s, when Mark Rogers assembled a few musicians interested in playing jazz together. Initially this was a seven-piece combo with ever-changing membership. In 1992 the band solidified into an ongoing enterprise under the "Westwood Swing Band" banner, as Mark, its director, had in the meantime moved to the town of Westwood, Mass. Six of today’s band’s members have played with the band for 20 years or more without interuption. The band still rehearses weekly in the town of Westwood."

Franklin Food Pantry needs volunteers to stock their shelves

We need volunteer stockers! Join volunteers Missy and Liz and donate your organizational skills to a good cause. 

Help us replenish the inventory on our Pantry shelves. 

Available shifts are Mondays, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; and Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 2 p.m. 

A weekly commitment would be ideal. There are some physical requirements such as lifting and stairs. 

Contact Maria Weiss at volunteers@franklinfoodpantry.org if you are interested. 

Franklin Food Pantry Facebook photo

For more about the Franklin Food Pantry, you can visit them on the internet at http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/  or on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/FranklinFoodPantry

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.”

Why do teenagers get involved to help with the opioid epidemic? One can easily understand how the parents get involved. Concern for their children and the children of close friends are good reasons. But teens? What brings them to the issue?

In the case of Ben Waters, he felt he really needed to help. He is working on his Eagle Scout badge and needed a project. This would fit the requirements. But that is too easy an answer. The more he found out about the epidemic, the more he realized he had to help.

“Who is this epidemic killing? Kids in their mid-twenties. That would be me in 10 years.” Ben and I met recently at Panera Bread to discuss the epidemic and the efforts of the coalition.

Coalition meeting Aug 12, 7:00 PM

Ben had reached out to Jeff Roy offering to help. He went to visit the Norfolk District Attorney’s office and started meeting others involved from the various coalitions that had formed. He heard about a coalition meeting in Needham and went. He was impressed by what he heard from Dr. John F. Kelly, the director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Mass General Hospital. Dr Kelly was the speaker that night at the Needham meeting.

He reached out to Dr Kelly to arrange for him to speak in Franklin. This is what is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Franklin High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM.

He has spent time going door to door, handing out flyers to spread the word. Dr Kelly has information that both parents and kids need to hear. When we got together for this talk, his enthusiasm seemed boundless. All that energy and drive is going to do some good, especially for those in and around the opioid epidemic.

"immediate changes are unlikely"

Though the school district is examining the way it builds its calendar, immediate changes are unlikely. 

The School Committee discussed the matter at its Tuesday night meeting after hearing the results of a survey of the district's parents and teachers. 

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said 81 percent of the district's parents participated in the survey, a rate she attributed to the nightmarish 2014-2015 winter season. 

"I think it really generated discussion - there was a lot of anxiety about the last day of school," she said. "We thought it would be a good idea to send a quick survey out to our families and faculty to see what folks were feeling."

Continue reading the article here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150811/NEWS/150818973/1994/NEWS

The document shared at the School Committee meeting with the survey results can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/08/franklin-public-schools-calendar-survey.html

StoryCorps launches new project: The Great Thanksgiving Listen

View this email in your browser It may still be August, but it's never too soon to start planning for the holidays! And this Thanksgiving, StoryCorps wants to be a part of your family's traditions. Our Founder and President, Dave Isay, was on Good Morning America yesterday to share some exciting news about The Great Thanksgiving Listen. Click here to see Dave on GMA.   On Thanksgiving weekend 2015, StoryCorps will join forces with ABC, NPR and TED to record interviews between students and their elders across the country. Our educational partners will include Facing History and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The Great Thanksgiving Listen will use smartphone technology to foster meaningful connections among families, communities and classrooms. Plus, with permission from the participants, each interview will be uploaded to the StoryCorps archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Are you an educator who's Interested in being part of #TheGreatListen? Sign up for a free toolkit here Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Support our work if you believe every story matters. storycorps.org Copyright © 2015 StoryCorps, All rights reserved. We want to share more StoryCorps with you. You are receiving this email because you recorded an interview, made a contribution or signed up for our mailing list. Our mailing address is: StoryCorps 80 Hanson Pl Brooklyn, NY 11217