Franklin's Weekend - Sep 25, 26, 27
From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin:
"FITCHBURG MAYOR Stephen DiNatale’s office bears all the markings of the workspace of a small-city Massachusetts leader working hard to pull up his community, a place that has struggled for years following the exodus of industries that once made mill towns like this hum with economic vigor.
There are sketches of planned development projects, a big photograph showing downtown Fitchburg back in its pre-World War II heyday, and in one corner a group of shiny ceremonial shovels standing against the wall, mementos from recent groundbreaking celebrations that DiNatale is anxious to replicate. The affable 68-year-old former state representative is laser-focused on economic development, and in a hurry for it to happen. “I’m not a patient guy,” said DiNatale.It’s easy to see why. Median household income is $55,000 in Fitchburg, $22,000 below the statewide average. Meanwhile, the pandemic has hit the city hard, with its 15.5 percent unemployment rate in August the eighth highest in the state."
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| Listening Sessions start on Weds, Sep 30 - How can we help Franklin determine its future? |
Downtown decorated for Fall
"On September 16, members of the Franklin Downtown Partnership, Franklin Garden Club, resident volunteers and DPW decorated the downtown area with mums, pumpkins, and other autumnal decor from Hillside Nurseries and Franklin Agway.
“This year, we feel it’s more important than ever to roll out the red carpet to our downtown by beautifying it with autumn decorations,” said Roberta Trahan, vice president of the FDP. “We want to encourage people to shop local and support Franklin businesses.”
Long-time chair of the beautification efforts in downtown, Eileen Mason, said all the volunteers maintained appropriate social distancing and wore masks while installing the fall decorations.
“We wanted to make sure we beautified the downtown in the safest way possible,” said Mason. “Many thanks to our volunteers, Hillside Nurseries, the Department of Public Works and Franklin Agway for making this possible.”
"Franklin Downtown Partnership, Berry Insurance and other local volunteers are spreading kindness and positivity by breathing new life into the Kindness Rocks Garden located in the green space next to Rockland Trust in downtown Franklin.Originally installed in the summer of 2018, the Kindness Rocks Garden was a huge hit with people who took rocks painted with inspirational messages and pictures. Now, a new push is on to create more painted rocks to place at the Kindness Rocks Garden.
“We’re excited to continue the new tradition of a Kindness Rocks garden in downtown Franklin. Together we can help spread more kindness one rock at a time.” said Kaitlyn Pintarich of Berry Insurance.
The project is an extension of a popular national initiative called The Kindness Rocks Project that has a mission of promoting random acts of kindness to unsuspecting recipients by painting and dropping inspirational rocks."
Additional qualifications can be found in the following information regarding the Micro-Enterprise Grant Program attached here:
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| Micro-Enterprise Grant Program Overview and Application |
"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Thursday continued to push schools to bring students back in person while denying allegations by the state’s largest teachers union that his administration is “bullying” local districts.
“If you are a low-risk district, and you’ve been a low-risk district for eight weeks, and you have no plan to return to in-person learning when most people in education and public health and the pediatric communities all believe that in-person learning, especially for young kids, is a critical part of their educational and social development, we want to know what your plan is to get back,” Baker said. “I don’t think that’s bullying. I think it’s a perfectly appropriate question to ask on behalf of people in those communities and particularly the kids.”
In August, Baker released a color-coded map indicating levels of COVID-19 transmission in each community, and he has been pushing communities with low levels of transmission to open their schools. But teachers’ unions have pushed back, saying many schools are not prepared to safely reopen."
Carlene Pavlos of @MAPublicHealth says they didn't endorse or weigh in on in-person learning, despite @MassGovernor's comments: "Since March we have repeatedly asked to meet with Governor Baker or a staff member from the Governor's office, but we have received no reply."
Carlene Pavlos of @MAPublicHealth says they didn’t endorse or weigh in on in-person learning, despite @MassGovernor’s comments: “Since March we have repeatedly asked to meet with Governor Baker or a staff member from the Governor’s office, but we have received no reply.” pic.twitter.com/z6mPKXnMcZ
— Steph Solis at #IRE20 (@stephmsolis) September 24, 2020
Here’s Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove’s response to Commissioner Riley...well done, Mayor Gove. @TracyNovick @MASCSchoolComm pic.twitter.com/LwB7L7RvUS
— Mel (@MelWebster) September 24, 2020
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| Image from Commonwealth Magazine |
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin: "Baker balks at Trump comments on power transfer"
"Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday that he and other public officials “will do everything we can to make sure that the people’s will is followed through” after this fall’s election.
“A huge part of this nation’s glory, to the extent it exists as a beacon to others, is the peaceful transfer of power based on the vote of the people of this country,” Baker said. “Mail-in balloting has been with us forever, and that peaceful transfer of power is what the people of this country rely on when they go to vote. It is appalling and outrageous that anyone would suggest, even for a minute, that if they lose an election, they’re not going to leave. Period.”
The governor’s impassioned comments came in response to a question about President Donald Trump’s refusal on Wednesday to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the Nov. 3 election."
From CommonWealth Magazine we share an article of interest for Franklin: "Baker rebukes Trump power transfer remarks"
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER rebuked President Trump on Thursday for refusing to say whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power in the wake of the November 3 election.
In response to a question at a State House press conference, Baker criticized Trump without ever mentioning his name. The Republican governor said the peaceful transfer of power is what Americans rely on when they vote. “It is appalling and outrageous that anyone would suggest for a minute that if they lose an election they’re not gonna’ leave,” he said.
