VIRTUAL Veteran's Coffee Social - August 5

VETERANS AUGUST VIRTUAL COFFEE SOCIAL

Wednesday, August 5th at 10:00 AM

Here is the log-in info:
Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87169235196
Call-in number: 1-929-205-6099
Meeting ID: 871 6923 5196

If you haven't joined us for the last three Zoom Socials, you'll need to download the Zoom app if it's not already on your device.

If you have any questions, please send an email to: veterans@franklinma.gov
Put "Coffee Social" in the subject line.

We'll provide updates and conversation, you'll need to supply your own coffee :-)   We hope to "see" you on August 5th!

VIRTUAL Veteran's Coffee Social - August 5

Franklin Public Library: curbside pickup hours changed slightly

We adjusted the hours slightly, so now Curbside Pickup is available 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Saturday!

Franklin Public Library: curbside pickup hours changed slightly

Franklin radar picked up via Twitter
https://twitter.com/FrkPublicLib/status/1285284490475175937?s=09

“Massachusetts has a historic opportunity to lead on this issue"

From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin. The article provides a comparison of the police reform legislation currently in process at the State House highlighting the common points and differences between the Senate and House versions.

WITH THE END OF the legislative session fast approaching, the House and Senate are trying to hammer out a bill dealing with police reform. In the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, there is tremendous momentum to pass a bill, but significant differences are emerging between the two branches. 

The Senate passed its bill last week and the House is scheduled to take up its version on Wednesday. Both measures share common ground. They require fellow officers to intervene in situations of excessive force. They ban chokeholds, the use of tear gas, and most no-knock warrants. The latter became a spotlight issue following the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a woman who died when Louisville, Kentucky, police executed a no-knock warrant at the wrong address, killing her in her own home.

The two branches also appear to be in general agreement on eliminating the municipal police training committee – a little-known entity within the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security – and replacing it with a new Massachusetts Police Standards and Training Commission with the power to investigate misconduct claims against police officers and decertify those officers found to violate standards. The decisions of the commission would be open to the public and shared with a national database of decertified police officers. 

The House and Senate are not totally on the same page with regard to the commission. They differ on who would serve on the commission and the House bill would require that complaints about police misconduct not include a nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreement unless the complainant requests that provision. That would mean that police officers couldn’t ask their accusers to avoid speaking publicly about their conflicts if settlements are reached.

Continue reading the article online
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/police-reform-big-momentum-little-time/

In the News: MA House has its own police reform legislation; Marlboro lab to use new testing process

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

"The Massachusetts House released its own police reform bill that includes a police certification process, standardizes training across the state and makes officer discipline records more readily available to the public. 

The House bill unveiled late Sunday comes about a week after the state Senate passed its own police accountability bill that would place limits on the “qualified immunity” shielding officers from civil prosecution and limits the use of force by officers. 

The 129-page bill includes the establishment of a seven-person Massachusetts Police Standards and Training Commission that would serve as the “primary civil enforcement agency” in the state. 

“In keeping with our commitment to debate a bill to address structural inequalities that contribute to and are also a result of racial inequities, this bill creates a new Massachusetts Police Standards and Training Commission that is truly independent and empowered,” Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo said in a statement."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200720/mass-house-reveals-own-police-reform-bill?rssfeed=true

The Boston Globe posted a copy of the proposed House bill. 
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/07/20/metro/read-text-houses-police-reform-bill/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link

"By the end of the week, one of Massachusetts’ most prolific COVID-19 testing labs will deploy a newly-approved method designed to allow them to test more samples. 

The announcement from New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics comes about a week after the company announced “soaring demand” for COVID-19 molecular testing was slowing turnaround time to a week or more for most patients. 

Quest Diagnostics announced Friday that the company’s lab in Marlborough will be one of two facilities to begin pooling specimens for testing in a procedure approved by under an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this procedure, samples are collected individually but combined into a small batch for testing. 

“A negative result for a batch means that all patients in that pool are considered negative (If a positive result occurs for the batch, each specimen is retested individually). The technique is an efficient way to evaluate patients in regions or populations with low rates of disease,” company officials explained in a statement."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200720/marlborough-lab-to-be-among-first-to-use-new-pooled-testing-method-for-coronavirus?rssfeed=true

Town of Franklin: Market Study

The Market Study is on the listing of Presentations scheduled for the Town Council meeting on July 22, 2020. Link to the full agenda can be found below. 

From the MAPC Market Analysis 
for the Town of Franklin:

"The Town of Franklin, its community partners, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, through research, outreach, and analysis, have worked to create the following Market Study. Within this study, the input of residents, businesses, and students and staff from Dean College were incorporated. The three focus areas of the study were Downtown Franklin, the Mixed Business Innovation District, and the Crossing, as well as the Franklin Cultural District. 

Research included demographic, housing, transportation, and business data, with consumer spending habits, and market potential, and expenditures incorporated within the study. Additionally, the Town of Franklin Market Study held multiple community engagement sessions, with a town-wide open house, a Business Roundtable, a Dean College Roundtable consisting of students and staff, and a town-wide survey, in addition to the Cultural District Roundtable already mentioned. Furthermore, a town Economic Development Survey was provided, with over 700 responses. 

Through research, interviews, and public outreach, a list of eleven recommendations were created in ranked order. These recommendations build upon the strengths of Franklin’s history, its arts and culture community, its active boards and committees, its inspiring college, and its distinctive neighborhood businesses. A full breakdown these recommendations can be found at the end of the study.

...
Based on results from the market study, along with input from the community (through the Open House, Business Roundtable, Arts & Culture Roundtable, Dean College Roundtable and Economic Development Survey), a set of recommended goals, strategies and actions were developed. Recommended goals, strategies and actions focus on marketing Franklin’s existing and potential future amenities to attract more business activity; concentrating development in the existing economic corridors of Franklin Center, The Crossing, and the Mixed Business Innovation District; and growing industry sectors identified in the market study as holding the potential for growth."

Read the full report on the Town of Franklin page or the copy below
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/town-franklin-market-study

Agenda and documents released for the Town Council meeting July 22, 2020
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/agenda/july-22-town-council-meeting

Town of Franklin: Market Study

Zooming into the Future, Part 2: Something, Best Laid Plans, Something, Something.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 07/19/2020

Last week I mentioned that Zoom connectivity is being installed for government meetings in Town Chambers as a permanent capability. Beyond just watching, citizens who can’t travel or are unable to attend in person will be able to participate and interact with the proceedings. A new good thing.

Technologist Paul Saffo once quipped, “Never deny a clear vision its long journey”. We know what we want. Getting there? Quite another matter. But, get we must.

Live! On Wednesday July 22nd– It’s our first Zoom meeting from Town Chambers.
So much for fanfare. Now we have to make it happen.

This past Wednesday we began our installation. The plan was solid. The outcome; not so much. Some of our newly installed digital widgets, adapters, gewgaws and the like were not cooperating. Note: There are at least a hundred-ish digital media devices stuffed into a TV control room. All must do their part to make our meetings happen. The new ones weren’t getting on well with the old ones, even after a stern lecture. On Thursday, more of the same. We pressed on. On Friday; worse still. After a 3-hour power failure, most of them had stopped working entirely. Disaster.

After several hours of digital resuscitation, we managed to get enough of our systems working to be back in operation. After 3 days of digital frustration we also managed to get our Zoom systems to work. Some refinements are planned, but Zoom connectivity is working, So far, so good. Come Wednesday – fingers crossed.

And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. And, thank you for watching.


Note that we at Franklin TV are holding our own Zoom remote open annual meeting on August 3rd at 7 PM. All are welcome to participate and learn about Franklin●TV and Franklin Public Radio, wfpr●fm.

For the full program guide  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf
or the Franklin Matters copy (effectively the same thing)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YLdtVKDhcEOj2OfRJUporkqDbSqycPaf/view?usp=sharing

Zooming into the Future, Part 2: Something, Best Laid Plans, Something, Something. 

FM #315 FHS Class of 2020 Graduation Shout Outs (audio)

FM #315 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 315 in the series.

This session shares the FHS Class of 2020 Graduation Shout Outs collected as the graduates and family members arrived to record their walk across the stage in June. Some of these shout outs were used in the broadcast of the parade. This recording makes all of the shout outs available.

The statement runs just about 30 minutes, so let’s listen to FHS Class of 2020 Shout Outs.  Audio file = https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HZyFFgtK




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FHS Graduation - Class of 2020 - https://youtu.be/TWHQVJgffQk
FHS Parade - https://youtu.be/A891JM1TwGU

These three programs freely available for Video On Demand

We have recently completed the final release versions of programs for the FHS 2020 Graduation. They will be shown on our cable channels for several weeks according to our weekly schedule. These TV Program files are also available for downloading in high-definition at these links.

• Senior Awards = http://tbf.me/a/BwXVZ5 (4 GB)
• Car Parade = http://tbf.me/a/BVmlpJ (5 GB)
• Graduation = http://tbf.me/a/CFR8yf (12 GB)

Just enter these links into your browser and download/save the files to your computer. These are lengthy TV programs, and downloading may take some time, depending on your internet speed. These programs will remain available for free downloading until July 23rd.


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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/
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"

FM #315 FHS Class of 2020 Graduation Shout Outs