Town of Franklin parks and fields opening May 25; playgrounds remain closed

In accordance with the Governor's plan, we will be opening all fields & parks, & their associated parking lots, Mon. May 25th.

Playgrounds will remain closed due to the high frequency of surface touching on equipment.

Please follow all social distancing requirements to stay safe! https://t.co/G78vx00lOM

In accordance with the Governor's plan, we will be opening all fields & parks, & their associated parking lots, Mon. May 25th. Playgrounds will remain closed due to the high frequency of surface touching on equipment. Please follow all social distancing requirements to stay safe! pic.twitter.com/G78vx00lOM

— Town of Franklin, MA (@TOFranklinMA) May 19, 2020

arial view of FHS athletic fields

Community Garden (OPENING - Today) - Parks opening next week (with restrictions)

Good Morning,

Tomorrow (Weds, May 20) is the first day the Community garden will be open.  Water should be turned on this week.  Barricades should be moved from the entrance to the inside the park to block only the playground/ball field area.  For now, parks and playgrounds still remain closed, although we are making the Community garden available to you folks.  

Next Monday, we will be removing all barricades around Town and opening parks with restrictions in place.  I wanted to make sure you all received the attachment I provided last week, so I'm including it in the body of the email.  Have fun and please be safe.

Franklin Community Gardening during COVID-19

Franklin Community Gardens offer many benefits which include socialization, exercise, and the production and consumption of nutritious, fresh and locally grown herbs and vegetables.  Beginning Wednesday, May 20, we will open the Community Garden to one member per garden bed for their maintenance. 

Garden access will be restricted to no more than 5 gardeners at one time.  It is important to understand the state guidelines (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-updates-and-information) regarding social distancing and proper hygiene.  (These regulations also are subject to change amid fluid developments.)

This guide offers ideas and guidance on:

• Best practices for community garden management during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Additional cleaning/sanitation precautions to utilize in the Franklin community gardens
• Recommendations on being a safe, responsible visitor at the Franklin community garden.

Following these recommendations, along with the use of common sense and caution, can increase the likelihood that our community garden will remain accessible.

In such a public setting, the Centers for Disease Control now recommends wearing cloth face coverings. For a guide on how to create your own cloth face coverings, visit the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html). 

Best Practices for Community Garden Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Franklin Community Garden is considered an essential space; garden members should immediately implement the following practices:

• Garden members must wear masks or cloth covering at all times, along with gloves.
• DO not visit the garden if you feel ill, have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last two weeks or have had known contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last two weeks
• Leave garden gates open during hours of operation to avoid frequent contact.  No need to keep opening and closing gates, unless you are the last one to leave later in the day.
• Avoid use of public benches or picnic tables
• Limit the size of work groups to 5 people or fewer inside the fenced area
• If folks cannot police this themselves, we may be forced to stagger times for arrival and availability to reduce crowds
• Social distancing guidelines of remaining at least 6 feet apart at all times
• If members have them, please bring your own tools or make certain you wear gloves while using.  We will have cleaning supplies in the shed and we expect anyone that uses a tool will sanitize before and after use.
• We would appreciate folks helping with the following.
• Regular cleaning of contact surfaces (doors, padlocks, water spigots, gates, wheelbarrows, etc.)
• Hand-washing or hand-sanitizing regularly 

PLEASE USE COMMON SENSE TO HELP KEEP EVERYONE SAFE AND HEALTHY.

Ryan Jette
Director of Recreation
Franklin Recreation Department
275 Beaver Street
Franklin, MA 02038
Office: (508) 613-1667

Mobile:(508) 400-4099

Email:  rjette@franklinma.gov
"just for the fun of it"

Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Web

Prior notification on the Community Garden opening
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/05/community-garden-opening-may-20.html

Community Garden (OPENING - Today) - Parks opening next week (with restrictions)

Davis Thayer Facility Analysis Subcommittee - May 21, 2020

DT Facility Analysis Subcommittee

Virtual Meeting (Links in agenda)

DATE: ​5/21/2020 

TIME:​ 4:30 PM

1. Approval of past minutes
2. Discussion: 

● Update on recent conversations with Kaestle Boos 

     ○ possible recommendations and logistical implications

 Agenda doc:  https://www.franklinps.net/sites/franklinmaps/files/agendas/agenda_dt_subcom_5.21.2020.docx.pdf

little free library at Davis Thayer

Reminder: Seniors join us for a Coffee Hour - Thu May 21 - 8:30 AM

Attention Seniors! Please join us for a Coffee Hour Thursday, May 21 at 8:30 AM! The Zoom links are found below. 

A great opportunity to connect with local and state officials!

Join the Zoom Meeting here  https://t.co/a02nsyERY8 Meeting ID: 818 3989 8549 or call the # below! https://t.co/4Anb3sYZRz

State Rep Jeff Roy, Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and members of the Town Council

Shared from   https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1261364428944969728?s=03

Seniors: Virtual Coffee Hour next Thursday, May 21

CDC Guidelines for reopening are now available

From the Washington Post, we find the CDC guidelines are available

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week laid out its detailed, delayed road map for reopening schools, child-care facilities, restaurants and mass transit, weeks after covid-weary states began opening on their own terms.

The CDC cautioned that some institutions should stay closed for now and said reopening should be guided by coronavirus transmission rates.

For schools, the CDC recommended a raft of social distancing policies: desks at least six feet apart and facing the same direction, lunch in classrooms, staggered arrival times, cloth masks for staff and daily temperature screenings for everyone.

It advised that buses leave every other row empty, bars add sneeze guards and child-care centers limit sharing of art supplies.

The 60-page guidance document was posted on the CDC website over the weekend without fanfare after weeks of delay and an internal debate over whether the guidelines were too restrictive."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/cdc-guidelines-released-at-last-offer-low-key-guide-to-reopening/2020/05/19/c99eb63a-99f8-11ea-a282-386f56d579e6_story.html

Download a copy from here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15wQ1d0QP48nn6Iy7pHmFNxq_1Y5F0TnG/view?usp=sharing

or directly from the CDC page
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/php/CDC-Activities-Initiatives-for-COVID-19-Response.pdf

CDC Guidelines are now available

FM #271 Franklin Health Director - Cathleen Liberty 5/11/20 (audio)

FM #271 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 271 in the series.

Town of Franklin Health Director Cathleen Liberty took some time from her schedule to sit and talk about something other than the coronavirus. We had our conversation via conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

While we are out on trail and in the outdoors, in general during this pandemic period, Cathleen informs us on some of the precautions to take with regards to avoiding ticks and mosquitoes. The new term from this conversation is “questing”. Questing is the term for the tick looking to jump to a food source.

We review the precautions that should be part of the daily hygiene when we head outdoors and make it as frequent a part of the routine as adding sunscreen lotion.

The recording runs about 22 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Cathleen   Audio file =  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-271-franklin-health-director-cathleen-liberty-5-11-20

--------------
Town of Franklin Health Dept page https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department
Tick questing from the CDC page https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/life_cycle_and_hosts.html
EPA mosquito repellent page https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

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/

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"

adult deer tick (photo by Scott Bauer)

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities = Water-Sewer Superintendent; DPW heavy equip operator; firefighter-paramedic

Job Opportunities

To apply for a vacant position, please submit a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov.  Please put the job title in the subject line of your email.  

• Water & Sewer Superintendent - Department of Public Works

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/water-sewer-superintendent-jobposting-may2020.pdf

• Heavy Motor Equipment Operator - Department of Public Works

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/hmeo-external-posting-may182020.pdf

• Firefighter/Paramedics - The Town of Franklin's Fire Department is in the Massachusetts Civil Service system. 
  • If you are currently a Firefighter/Paramedic in a Civil Service community and are interested in working for Franklin, send a resume and cover letter to apply@franklinma.gov. 
  • Please note: new hires must have and maintain a paramedic certification and complete an Associate's Degree within 5 years of the date they are hired.   

If you do not have a resume, you may send a completed Application for Employment instead.

To receive notifications of all job opportunities in the Town of Franklin, subscribe here (https://www.franklinma.gov/subscribe) .

Shared from  https://www.franklinma.gov/human-resources/pages/job-opportunities

Town of Franklin: Job Opportunities = Water-Sewer Superintendent; DPW heavy equip operator; firefighter-paramedic