New water treatment plant for Wells 3 & 6 under construction

"The new Water Treatment Plant and reconstruction of two wells to provide cleaner and better water to residents and businesses is coming along great! The steel shell is up. Project is currently on time and on budget! Thanks Franklin DPW and the entire staff for gettin’ it done!"

New water treatment plant for Wells 3 & 6 under construction

Franklin radar picked up via Twitter
https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1281617511465791489?s=09

Other DPW projects underway at this time are shared in this Facebook post:



For additional info on the overall water supply status, if you haven't listened to the Town Council discussion on water rates, this segment of the meeting is available and provides a bunch of info
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/06/fm-308-water-rate-and-conservation.html

St John's Episcopal Church - Outdoor Worship - now scheduled for July 19

St John's Episcopal Church to re-gather for Outdoor Worship Sunday, July 19

St John's Outdoor worship postponed till July 19

We need a little more time to pull together the details. Bring your chair and mask NEXT Sunday (7/19/20) at 10 AM

Bring your own chair and mask for worship on our front lawn.
See you Sunday (7/19/20) at 10 AM. We'll still be live streaming on Facebook, as well.

St John's Episcopal Church - Outdoor Service - July 19

Senate Passes Bill to Expand Take-Out and Delivery Options in Restaurants

On Friday, July 10, 2020, the Massachusetts State Senate passed bipartisan legislation that gives restaurants more flexibility, and customers more choice, while the Commonwealth continues to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill, An Act to Expand Take-out/Delivery Options in Response to COVID-19, would allow restaurants to include mixed drinks with take-out and delivery orders. Restaurants were previously authorized by the legislature to sell beer and wine with take-out orders. The bill would authorize restaurants to serve mixed-drinks to-go until the Massachusetts' state of emergency in response to COVID-19, declared by the Governor on March 10, 2020 is lifted.

"The Senate has stood by our small business owners throughout this pandemic, and today's bill provides yet another tool to help the restaurant industry get back on their feet," stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "While the work to support our small businesses impacted by COVID-19 continues, I am proud to see this measure advance today. I want to thank Senators Diana DiZoglio, Michael Rodrigues and Joe Boncore for their advocacy and collaboration on this issue."

"The Senate's passage of this bill provides critical relief to struggling restaurants as they work to recover and remain viable in the face of economic hardship," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D - Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "Restaurants have been among the hardest-hit industries during the COVID-10 pandemic, and I am glad - thanks to the leadership of the Senate President, and the advocacy of Senator DiZoglio and others - we are able to provide restaurants with this economic lifeline during this challenging time."

"Since the start of the COVID-19 emergency, I have heard from our local restaurant owners about the revenue that to-go mixed drinks could generate to help them stay afloat and survive the impacts of the shutdown," said State Senator Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen). "While many mom and pop establishments have been able to slowly reopen in recent weeks, they still face significant challenges in their efforts to retain employees and pay their bills. While the legislature does not have a say in the reopening plan during this continued state of emergency, we still have an obligation to use every legislative tool we have to help those that are struggling due to the pandemic. The passage of this bill will greatly help our job creators in the restaurant community, as well as their employees, many of whom have faced challenges with unemployment and uncertainty over whether their jobs will be there for them in the future. I am grateful to my colleagues in the legislature for their support and continued advocacy on the issue. I hope this bill will be signed into law by the Governor as soon as possible."  

"Restaurants and bars are woven into the cultural and economic fabric of our communities," said State Senator Joe Boncore (D-Winthrop). "Allowing for cocktail sales to go will certainly aid in the economic recovery of the unique local and small businesses that make up the restaurant industry in my district, and across the Commonwealth."

Under the bill, restaurants would still be required to verify that customers are 21 or older and mixed drinks must be sold in sealed containers. The legislation requires that mixed drinks be sold exclusively with food, limited to two mixed drinks per entrée, and not more than 64 ounces in total.

The bill is the latest in a series of far-reaching actions by the Senate meant to support small businesses during the COVID-19 public health crisis. The bill now moves to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for consideration.

In the News: "the Senate passed a redrafted version of to-go cocktail legislation"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Both branches of the state Legislature have now signed off on allowing Massachusetts restaurants to sell to-go cocktails. 

The Senate on Friday passed a bill that would allow restaurants to sell mixed drinks in sealed containers alongside takeout and delivery food orders, a measure some bar and restaurant owners have been advocating for as a way to attract customers during the COVID-19 crisis that has hurt the restaurant sector. 

Unlike the broader restaurant relief bill the House passed unanimously five weeks ago -- which also included a cap on third-party delivery fees and waived penalties and interest for late meals tax payments -- the Senate’s bill (S 2812) speaks only to the issue of takeout cocktails. 

The two branches would need to agree on an approach before they could send a bill to Baker, who said last month that he supported the House’s restaurant bill. The House was not in session on Friday and meets next on Monday."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200710/senate-restaurant-aid-bill-limited-to-to-go-cocktails/1

WGBH introduces "Internet Expert" on voting

#Election2020 is only 117 days away. And today, @wgbhnews launched Internet Expert, a fast, fun game show about America’s least trivial subject: our democracy. I’m very proud of this project . 

Take a look at Episode 1 here:

https://youtu.be/T6qW0XfS5L0



Franklin radar picked up via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/lisawilliams/status/1281362249962184714?s=09

Franklin Residents: Finance Committee Vacancy

The Franklin Finance Committee is now accepting applications for a new member. The position is for a 3-year term.

Finance Committee meetings are typically held on the 1st Tuesday of every month. As a committee member, you will be involved in the finances and financial procedures of the Town of Franklin and make recommendations as a committee to the Town Council on all financial matters.

For more information on the Finance Committee visit: https://www.franklinma.gov/finance-committee

To apply visit: http://franklinmaboards.vt-s.net/newcaf.php


Note: I would add this position provides great insights into the entire operations of the Town of Franklin and could be considered a 'must' as preparation for any further elected role (especially Town Council or School Committee) that one might consider.

Franklin Residents: Finance Committee Vacancy

State Rep Jeff Roy: "We made a bipartisan appeal to the President"

State Rep Jeff Roy tweets:

"We made a bipartisan appeal to the President to reconsider and rescind the new rules barring international students from the US if their school goes online. The policy is punitive, threatens safety, and will negatively affect our economy and university system."

The letter appealing to the President:

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to respectfully request that you reconsider and rescind the new temporary final rules announced on Monday which prohibits international students from staying in the United States if they are enrolled in an American college or university that implements an online-only platform for instruction. We understand that the guidance also applies to an institution that moves to exclusively online mid-semester in response to rising COVID-19 cases

on campus, and to students who are living on campuses that are open, but offering classes online­ only to protect the health and safety of their faculty and campus community.

As you know, since March our colleges and universities have been in furious upheaval , navigating an unprecedented pandemic and formulating strategies to continue teaching students without putting them, faculty and staff at risk. Our institutions have sought to balance concerns for public health with their academic mission of teaching and scholarship. This work has been both difficult and costly, and the new rules will add more uncertainty and disruption. Moreover, the new rules leave international students with the choice of either transferring to another institution that provides in person or hybrid instruction , or to depart the country and risk not being able to return. Students who fail to comply with this guidance may face deportation.

We also note that the new rules were introduced without notice, without an opportunity for public comment, and put undo pressure on campuses to stay open when it is unsafe to do so. This comes at a time when the United States has been setting daily records for the number of new infections , with more than 300,000 new cases reported since July 1. And the policy effectively reverses course from the spring and summer, when ICE temporarily suspended pre­pandemic rules banning international students from residing in the U.S. and taking online-only courses.

More than a million international students come to the US every year to earn a degree that will help them land better jobs, and many remain in the US after graduation. They contribute to the cultural diversity of our campuses and many pay full tuition, which helps our institutions, especially in these times of economic difficulty and uncertainty. In Massachusetts there are 77,000 international students with active US study visas and another 32,000 in the rest of New England. Our state ranks fourth nationwide for its number of international students, and Northeastern University, with 16,000, ranks third in the country. Nationwide, international students contribute a $41 billion economic impact that supports more than 450,000 jobs. As one of our University Presidents observed, no public good is served by these efforts to deprive international students from continuing to make valuable and necessary contributions to the prosperity of the nation and the impact on the economic interests will be negative and potentially irreversible.

This policy is not only punitive to these international students, it also threatens the safety of other students and the communities surrounding college campuses. Additionally, transporting international students who may have been exposed to the coronavirus to other campuses or to airports to fly back to their home countries poses a myriad of health risks.

Finally, we understand that both Harvard University and MIT filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction this morning and I am sure others will follow. This litigation will be costly, will take time, and will waste precious judicial resources at a time when we should be focusing on rebuilding our nation.

Accordingly, we request that, in the best interest of our nation, you reconsider and rescind the temporary rules to help preserve our higher education system which is, indeed, the envy of the world.


Most respectfully,

Robert A. DeLeo 
Speaker of the House


Karen Spilka
Senate President

Jeffrey N. Roy 
House Chair, Committee on Higher Education

Anne Gobi
Senate Chair, Committee on Higher Education

Claire Cronin
House Chair, Committee on Judiciary

Paul McMurtry 
House Chair, Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development

Patricia A. Haddad 
Speaker Pro Tempore

Bradley H. Jones, Jr. 
House Minority Leader 20th Middlesex District

Alice H. Peisch 
House Chair, Committee on Education

Joanne M. Comerford
Senate Chair, Committee on Public Health

William H. Straus
House Chair, Committee on Transportation


Find the full PDF copy of this document
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NJGsarPjRlHNP6A5bLFVAAhP2Y5A95l5/view?usp=sharing