Thursday, April 23, 2020

“We’re used to it so we don’t think much of it"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"As most work places shut their doors, employees adjust to working from home and consumers get used to once-weekly shopping trips with face coverings and gloves, one South Shore business is working overtime to make sure airplanes, grocery stores and other essential spaces are still safe for the public: Clean Harbors.

“As it hit hot spots, so did we,” Clean Harbors Senior Vice President Chuck Geer said. “Our movements really did mimic the COVID-19 spread and our responses have spiked almost simultaneously with the virus cases.”

Clean Harbors is one of the nation’s leaders in decontamination, and has been for decades. The Norwell-based business has responded after major events such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Gulf Oil Spill, as well as the swine flu spread and H1N1 scare, but as is true for most businesses, a pandemic is new territory.

“It’s completely new to us, America hasn’t seen a true pandemic like this and neither have we,” Geer said Tuesday. “But really, there are a lot of similarities between this kind of clean up and any type of infectious waste. . . The chemicals we use to destroy the virus may change up, but really it’s the same principal.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200422/massachusetts-company-clean-harbors-leads-decontamination-response-nationwide-during-coronavirus-pandemic


https://www.cleanharbors.com/
https://www.cleanharbors.com/

Franklin, MA: Town Council Meeting - Agenda - Executive Session - April 29

FRANKLIN TOWN COUNCIL
Agenda and Meeting Packet
April 29, 2020

Municipal Building First Floor Lobby
355 East Central Street 4:30 - 6:30 PM

1. EXECUTIVE SESSION
a. Collective Bargaining
i. I request a motion that the Board vote to convene in Executive Session for the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to collective bargaining, because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the Board.
2. ADJOURN


https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/_2020-04-29_town_council_agenda.pdf

Franklin, MA: Town Council Meeting - Agenda - Executive Session - April 29
Franklin, MA: Town Council Meeting - Agenda - Executive Session - April 29

HMEA's incredABLE Virtual Community Walk



Join Us for Our incredABLE Virtual Community Walk
We may not be able to physically be together for this incredABLE 5K,
but we can be together VIRTUALLY!

Here's how it works:

  • Share your personal page with your friends and family to get donations and recruit team members
  • You'll receive a link to the Virtual Community Walk that will take place via Zoom.
  • Tune-in on May 17 at 10:00 am to watch a 30 minute musical video timeline of HMEA's 5K over the past 19 years.
  • Do whatever kind of exercise you like - dance, walk, jog, march, hop to the music - and watch for photos of your friends, family and yourself!
The first 200 registered participants will receive an incredABLE 5K lunch tote and all registrants will receive an incredABLE 5K bracelet and insider info on contests, events, and more.
incredABLE Keep Moving Challenge
Just because you are stuck at home doesn't mean you shouldn't keep moving! Take a walk, do some yoga, stretch, follow an exercise video on YouTube, dance. How ever you can keep moving counts!
Here's how it works:

  • Start tracking your activity hours. You can use your favorite fitness app (examples: Fitbit, Pacer, Map My Fitness, Activity Tracker, My Fitness Pal) or we have a handy tracking sheet you can use, click here.
  • To be entered as a contestant, submit your name and accumulated activity hours from April 3 (or the date you began) to May 10 to tandryc@hmea.org before midnight May 10.
  • All contestants will be entered into a drawing to win a Fitbit® inspire HR™ Fitness Tracker Watch.

The winner will be announced during our
Live Virtual Awards Ceremony at 11:00 AM on May 17th on our Facebook page.

HMEA | 8 Forge Park East, Franklin, MA 02038
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Celebrate the Library's 220th Birthday with the Library Of Congress Collections App

To celebrate the 220th anniversary of its founding, the Library of Congress today announced the release of the LOC Collections app, the premiere mobile app that puts the national library's digital collections in the hands of users everywhere.
Library Of Congress Collections App
Library Of Congress Collections App


In addition to providing an easy, accessible way to search and explore the Library's growing digital collections, LOC Collections allows users to curate personal galleries of items in the Library's collections for their own reference and for sharing with others. Items currently featured on the app include audio recordings, books, videos, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, notated music, periodicals, photos, prints, and drawings.

"The Library of Congress collection can now fit in your pocket," said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. "The Library started 220 years ago with 740 books and three maps. Today, that collection has grown to make us the largest library in the world and a storehouse of our national history. It's been our goal to throw open our treasure chest and help every American connect to the Library of Congress. The LOC Collections app is a uniquely personal, easy new way to explore the nation's library."

Users can currently find the app for iPhone and iPad at the Library's website or the iTunes store. An Android version of the app is slated for release later in 2020.

Read the full news article online
https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-20-032/?loclr=ealn




Timeless CrossFit and Fitness: Free Workouts via YouTube Channel

FREE WORKOUTS FOR ALL!

My name is MC Alexander and I'm an owner at Timeless CrossFit and Fitness in Franklin.

We are all in this pandemic together and I want to help in my own way. I CAN HELP YOU MOVE! I'm offering FREE LIVE WORKOUTS on YOUTUBE for ANYONE who wants to join me! I have also posted and will continue to post workouts for anyone who needs them on our Channel. You just need to SUBSCRIBE to our: Timeless CrossFit and Fitness Channel and TURN ON your Notification.

We can workout LIVE together! Motivation and accountability is everything, let me help you!

Let me know what other 30 min blocks you may have open around school schedules and work and I can add in more times for you!

I'll be starting THIS FRIDAY !

WHEN: EVERY FRIDAY: 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
CLASS: Strength and Conditioning Interval Training (movements can ALL be modified, changed to meet your personal needs-always)

This class will have body weight movements, some dumbbell work. No dumbbells?, no problem!, any objects you have to work with will do. Every week will be a little different and REMEMBER: it's about moving so don't let " I don't have... " or " I can't do... "  YOU REALLY CAN!

See you this Friday-Set your Alarm/Calendar and please share this with your friends and anyone you know who could use a workout Buddy and some extra motivation!

I'm ALL IN!! ~MC ❤️ 💪🏻

https://youtu.be/DhUBWBPO5gY






Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Franklin Public Schools: Update on School Closure

April 21, 2020

Dear Franklin Families,

Update on School Closure
Earlier today, Governor Baker announced that schools will be closed through the remainder of the school year. As such, FPS will continue with Remote Learning, following DESE guidance, for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We anticipate additional DESE guidance will be issued towards the end of this week.

At the top of our minds at the moment is our graduating senior class; we are thinking of you and recognize the difficulty of hearing this news today. FHS administrators sent a message earlier today and conveyed that they are meeting with class officers and advisors later this week. We wish to emphasize excerpts from their message, which was shared with the Class of 2020 and their families:

“Even before this news we have been monitoring communication from the state as well as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We are collecting ideas and have begun exploring different options for non traditional graduation ceremonies....

● We are considering ALL options for how to keep (or reinvent) traditions to maintain the once in a lifetime atmosphere of the end of senior year. We are considering alternate locations, timelines, processes, digital events, etc...
● And MOST importantly. We miss you all, we love you, our hearts ache for what you have already missed, and we are constantly brainstorming ways to recapture the magic of your senior year!”

Indeed, we miss our students and our hearts go out to the members of our senior class and their families. We will continue to communicate with the Class of 2020 as well as the community about the developing plans and celebrations.

With the announcement of school closure, we anticipate opening the buildings again, thereby providing students with an opportunity to retrieve items. More information will be forthcoming about this.

We have received several questions about refunds of user fees, in light of today’s announcement. As mentioned at the April 14, 2020 School Committee meeting, refunds for user fees are under consideration, depending on the type of fee. More information will be coming soon about this and we appreciate your patience.

Feedback on Remote Learning
The first two weeks of Phase II of Remote Learning have concluded and the District is eager to gather system-wide feedback from our families and from our students. We will use this information to guide conversations and make adjustments, as appropriate. Please use the following link(s) to complete the surveys relevant to your family:

Elementary Parent/Guardian Survey: https://forms.gle/r9DWe819k8cFBn1L8

MS/HS Parent/Guardian Survey: https://forms.gle/sHwju4Wy9pT8EjFq9

Parent/Guardian surveys will close on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM.

Tomorrow, a survey will be sent directly to students in grades 6-12 to their @franklinps.net email addresses to learn more from them directly about their remote learning experiences. Please ask your child to check their school e-mail address.

School Lunch
Our Food Services Department has just been awarded a DESE/USDA grant, allowing for expansion of our offerings. Please see the additional attachment with an important update about school lunch being offered, Monday through Friday, from 11 AM to 1 PM to any child 21 years or younger.


Sincerely,

Franklin Public Schools

Please contact the Superintendent’s Office at 508-553-4819 with any questions. Please leave a voicemail. Although we are working remotely, voicemails are sent to email and will be responded to in a timely fashion.

Franklin Public Schools: Update on School Closure
Franklin Public Schools: Update on School Closure

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

The Town of Franklin Recreation Department and the DPW are organizing an Earth Day clean clean up this week! We have modified our traditional approach to Earth Day, and are asking volunteers to help pick up trash in key areas across town, on their own.

See Earth Day 2020 map here
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/2020_earth_day.pdf

When: 
  • Thursday, April 23, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Saturday, April 25, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 
(no bags available on Friday, April 24th due to weather forecast)

Where: 
  • Pick up bags and gloves at Franklin Recreation Department at 275 Beaver Street in the parking lot.

We ask all volunteers to practice social distancing and wear protective masks and gloves when picking up bags and collecting trash. 

Please only take 2 per family to ensure we have enough for all participants. 

Once bags are filled with trash, we ask that you tie them up and leave on the side of the curb in a visible location. 

DPW workers will be picking up bags on Monday, April 27. 

Let's help clean up Franklin safely and responsibly. For more information or to contact us, please email: franklinrecreation@franklinma.gov

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pvG-VZZfAbBa5GJOWLwb3-SItQEMg2Ng/view?usp=sharing



Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day