Heath Nisbett to perform at the Franklin Farmers Market

Via Franklin Farmers Market: 

"We are excited to have Heath Nisbett with us this week performing from 2-4 PM. Sponsored by Ted Cormier-Leger, Realtor" (https://www.facebook.com/TCLRealtyMass/)

Shared from Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/533086900084632/posts/4465958940130722/

visit Franklin Farmers Market on Facebook to find out what is happening each week of the market season   https://www.facebook.com/FranklinFarmersMarketMA/

Heath Nisbett to perform at the Franklin Farmers Market

Franklin Annual Report - 2020: OPEB Board of Trustees

The OPEB Trust was established to help meet the town’s obligation of funding current and future retiree’s health Insurance. The town provides health Insurance for both active and retired employees by generally paying 68 percent of the active and retiree health insurance plan while the employee pays 32 percent of the cost. There are a few employees and retirees that share the cost of a 50/50 split and some retired teachers that are “grandfathered” that the town pays 85 or 90 percent of the cost.

When a retiree reaches age 65 they enroll in Medicare and town provides a supplement plan at the same ratio as mentioned above.

Every two years we have an actuarial study to determine our unfunded obligation
As of 6/30/19 the unfunded liability was $68.55 million dollars. As of 6/30/19 the amount of funds set aside in the trust is $5,706,986. Currently the town appropriates approximately 10% of its annual Free Cash plus as an annual appropriation in the budget of $600,000. We have asked the Town Council to increase the annual appropriation by $50,000 per year.

These efforts are a good faith attempt to meet our obligations without compromising all the other services provided to the citizens of Franklin. Once our unfunded pension obligation is paid off in 2032 we should be able to commit several million dollars a year to meet our underfunded OPEB obligation.

Respectfully submitted, 

Jamie Hellen
Chair OPEB trust 

OPEB = Other Post Employment Benefits

For additional information on OPEB visit the Trustees page on the ToF web

https://www.franklinma.gov/opeb-board-trustees

For the full Annual Report for 2020

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

Prior Annual Reports can be found online

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2020:  OPEB Board of Trustees

COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Clinic - Aug 25 - Register now

COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Clinic

August 25, 2021 - Davis Thayer Parking Lot, 137 W. Central St.

The Town of Franklin will hold a mobile vaccination clinic on August 25, 2021 from 10:00am-3:00pm at the Davis Thayer Parking Lot (137 W. Central Street)

To Register for this clinic please click HERE 

Hey Franklin, a COVID-19 vaccine clinic scheduled for Aug 25

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 024 - Reparations and Evanston

"In this episode, Frank and the group discuss the recent passing of legislation in Evanston, Illinois, the positive impact it will have for POC, and the importance of reparations for African Americans"

Direct link -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/2982c50b-3ab5-4d2e-8afc-18038e6a307d

wfpr.fm: More Perfect Union - 024 - Reparations and Evanston

 

Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) Releases Position Statement on K-12 Curriculum and Critical Race Theory

The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) Releases Position Statement on K-12 Curriculum and Critical Race Theory https://t.co/7o2DKdHo8b

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/massupt/status/1424759054858080256?s=03

Across our Commonwealth, the issue of Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been discussed, debated, and questioned. CRT has become the new, “challenge” in education, threatening to distract and derail racial equity, diversity, and inclusion work that is fundamental to strengthening and improving the future of our public schools for all students and families across our State. In the following position statement, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) seeks to clarify What CRT is, and What it isn’t; we seek to state definitively WHAT we actually do teach, and WHY we teach it. Ultimately, M.A.S.S. seeks through this position statement to open a broader conversation with all– around race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

What is Critical Race Theory? Do we teach it?

 The simple answer is, “no,” we do not teach CRT.  CRT is an analytical framework and process that had its beginnings in the 1970s. It is used in higher education to examine structures in society. It is not a curriculum for PreK-12 and we do not teach it in Massachusetts. Rather, we teach the MA Curriculum Frameworks for History and Social Science. But there is a more complex answer to this question and it involves the character of who we are as a society and who do we want to be.

Continue reading the full statement

https://www.massupt.org/2021/08/09/the-massachusetts-association-of-school-superintendents-m-a-s-s-releases-position-statement-on-k-12-curriculum-and-critical-race-theory/

Download the statement in PDF format

https://www.massupt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/MASS-CRT-Statement-Monday-August-9-2021-1.pdf

Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.)

Voices of Franklin: Ted McIntyre on "For The People Act"

The Insurrection of January 6th was an attempted coup, a brazen assault intended to interrupt the functioning of the American democracy. But the coup attempt did not end on January 6th. In fact it is ongoing. The GOP is even now laying the legal foundation for a second coup attempt, this one conducted under a pretense of respectability.
 
Voter suppression laws are being passed in states across the country. Those laws not only selectively suppress voting by people the GOP dislikes, but they also provide means to reject the result of an election in favor of one the GOP legislatures like better. For example, the state of Georgia is attempting to take responsibility for the certification of election results in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta's largely black population.
 
If these state level  laws are not preempted by Federal legislation, the GOP will have two different paths for a new coup attempt, this time under the cover of law. The first path is through the impeachment of Joe Biden. If the GOP retakes the House and Senate in 2022, they could elect Donald Trump Speaker of the House. While according to tradition, the Speaker is always a Member of Congress, the Constitution does not forbid Trump's selection. Given the cult like devotion already accorded the former guy, it is not implausible to think the GOP would make this choice. Once Trump is Speaker, he is third in line to the Presidency. The House could impeach both Biden and Harris- truth and evidence be damned- and make Trump President.
 
The second pathway for the GOP's 'legal' coup is through the Electoral College. The Supreme Court, in the infamous 'Bush v Gore' decision of 2000, said that- unless there is a Federal law preventing it- the state legislatures hold the power to determine the Electoral College members. This is a nightmare scenario, since legislators are right now giving themselves the authority to challenge election results on flimsy grounds and then override the voter’s choice by installing electors they prefer. Does anyone think, if given the opportunity in 2020, that the legislatures of GA, PA, WI and AZ would not have chosen Trump electors for  the Electoral College? In 2024, those state legislatures will have granted themselves that opportunity.
 
We should not think that the GOP is too high minded or patriotic to do these things. Five years ago, who would have thought that Trump's  contempt of norms  and open corruption would be accepted? The recent testimony of Trump’s complicit DOJ employees is chilling. Who would have thought the GOP could install a Supreme Court Justice just before an election? Who would have thought Members of Congress would support a violent assault on the Capitol? The scenarios outlined above are shocking and nearly unthinkable. But the time had come to think about the unthinkable. The GOP has forfeited its status as a legitimate participant in a democratic process, and now represents an authoritarian power grab threatening our very democracy. There is no bottom, no ‘bridge too far’ for them in pursuit of power.
 
It is essential that the Senate, now under Democratic control, passes the For The People Act to protect the election process from the GOP plans. Time is of the essence. If the bill does not pass this summer, there will not be enough time to implement its protective measures before the 2022 election. What can be done to get the For the People Act through the Senate? There are many ways to help, but the simplest is to call your US Senator. Here in Massachusetts, both Senators Warren and Markey are outspoken in support of the bill.  They need to know that you support passing the bill and that you encourage them to do whatever it takes to get it passed. It is easy to reach the Senators. A brief phone call to 202-224-3121 will suffice. Simply leave a message saying "My name is ___ and I live in Franklin. Please do everything you can to abolish the filibuster and pass the For the People Act.  I think Joe Biden should speak forcefully. The Senate should cancel its August recess.  The Senate must pass these bills.”

The time to act is now.

Ted McIntyre

Franklin resident

Voices of Franklin: Ted McIntyre on "For The People Act"

Town of Franklin, MA: COVID-19 Vaccine and the Delta Variant (video)

Here is some useful information on the COVID-19 Vaccine and the Delta Variant:

Video link on YouTube -> https://t.co/qTKw1FIT0P 

Shared from Town of Franklin Twitter: https://t.co/hALPxpKHWF