In the News: Kennedy talks health care; new director at Voices Against Violence

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

"Calling the Republican-backed health care bill a piece of “zombie” legislation that will not die, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III told the Franklin Chamber of Commerce at Dean College Wednesday that this legislation if passed would have a devastating effect on Massachusetts. 

He said that some of the mandatory protections put into place by the Affordable Care Act will be made optional instead. He estimates that there will be a 20-percent spike in premiums that first year, and that 30 to 32 million people will lose healthcare coverage altogether. 

“Pre-existing condition coverage, they might cover you, they might not,” he said of the repeal vote in the Senate slated to take place in 10 days. “The cost of getting covered for pregnancy could go up about roughly $20,000. Substance use disorder similarly would have about a $20,000 increase.” 

Kennedy, D-4th, mentioned that the new bill will essentially leech from states such as Massachusetts, New York, and California, whom have been investing in statewide healthcare for a number of years, and re-distribute those funds to states that haven’t been saving as much or at all."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170920/kennedy-talks-healthcare-at-dean-college

"After a few months on the job, Patricia Hohl finds every day both rewarding and challenging. 

As the new director of Voices Against Violence, a Framingham-based nonprofit that serves victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, she listens to tough stories each day. Then she and her staff figure out how to help and protect their clients. 

“It sounds like a cliché, but it truly means a lot to me to make a difference in my own community. It’s just something I believe in as a human being,” said Hohl, who took over as director in June. She replaced Mary Gianakis, who led the agency for two decades. 

The goal of the agency is to prevent domestic violence and sexual abuse, and help survivors forge a new life. All services are free and confidential."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170920/voices-against-violence-welcomes-new-director

Voices Against Violence, a Framingham-based nonprofit that serves victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence

Clothing Drive Fundraiser for the FHS Music Dept

Help send the FHS Music Dept. to Washington, DC to compete at the Festivals of Music Performance with a Cash for Clothes Drive.

Acceptable Items Include:
• Clothing, Shoes
• Accessories (handbags, scarves, belts, ties)
• Blankets, sheets, comforters
• Potholders, dish towels
• Tablecloths, cloth napkins
• Towels, Curtains or Chair covers
NO Electronics or appliances please


Drop Off:
Home Football Games: from 6 to 7 pm
• September 22nd
• October 6th
• October 13th

Saturday Morning from 9 to 11 am
• September 23rd and 30th
• October 7th and 14th

Thank you for your support!

Clothing Drive Fundraiser for the FHS Music Dept

Franklin Garden Club: Perennial Plant Sale - Friday, Sep 29

The Franklin Garden Club will hold a perennial sale on Friday, September 29 at the Franklin Farmers Market, which takes place at the Town Common. The sale will include a variety of divided perennials from the gardens of members, as well as the Town Common. Plants will be sold for $3.00 and $5.00, a significant savings over the retail cost of perennial plants. Also available for sale will be some dried flowers and decorative moss balls.

“Fall is an excellent time to plant perennials,” noted Deb DeGrazia, Club Treasurer and one of the sale organizers. “The weather is cooler and plants have several weeks to acclimate in the garden before the winter.“

Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Club’s community activities, which include an annual scholarship and the distribution of pine tree seedlings to all Franklin first graders to celebrate Arbor Day and promote environmental awareness.

The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.

two rows of vendors at the Franklin Farmers Market in July

Tri-County Medical Careers Students Raise $1,125 by Participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer's

The Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School Medical Careers students raised $1,125.00, on behalf of the residents at Compass Memory Support at Cornerstone in Milford, in the Walk to End Alzheimer's®. The students initiated this act of kindness and compassion on their own accord.

Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease.

Members of the Medical Careers Program Class of 2020 participated in the Walk which was held this past Saturday, September 16, 2017, in Foxborough, MA. Students receive their clinical experience through working with residents at Compass Memory Support in Hopkinton. Through working with the residents, Medical Careers students decided this would be a great opportunity to help to give back to the community.

“We are so proud of our Medical Careers students who took the initiative to not only be a part of the Alzheimer’s walk, but to get donations as well, said Jean George, Director of Vocational Education at Tri-County. “When the opportunity arose for the students to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s, there was no hesitation in their decision to slip on their sneakers, get active, and walk for the cause.”

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole, and Wrentham.

Pictured from Left to right are: Halle Gavel of Franklin; Jessica Catalano of Millis; Kiara Dempsey of North Attleboro; Julia Hutchinson of North Attleboro; Hayley Hanifan of Norfolk; Alyssa Power of Franklin; and Jillian Young of Franklin.

FHS post wins vs. Taunton in soccer, cross country and volleyball on Tuesday

From Hockomock Sports we share the results of the FHS fall sport results on Tuesday, Sep 19.


Boys Soccer = Taunton, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final
– One senior and three juniors each recorded a goal for Franklin in the Panthers’ win at home. Senior Liam Kapples along with juniors Nitin Chaudhury, Nasir Brahimi and Sam Molloy each found the back of the net once for FHS.

Girls Soccer = Franklin @ Taunton – Postponed to 9/20 at 4:00.

Volleyball = Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final
– Franklin’s Ellie Wisniewski had a strong well-rounded game, leading the Panthers to a sweep at home. Wisniewski had seven kills, five aces and two digs while Meaghan Maguire added eight kills and Lauren McGrath finished with 24 assists, three digs, three aces and two kills.

Golf = Foxboro @ Franklin – Postponed to 10/18 at 3:00.

Boys Cross Country = Taunton, 50 @ Franklin, 15 – Final

Girls Cross Country - Taunton, 32 @ Franklin, 22 – Final

For all the results around the Hockomock League on Tuesday
https://hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-091917/

FHS Panthers

Reminder: A Favorite Poem Project - Oct 25

The Franklin Senior Scribblers' Writers' Group is hosting A Favorite Poem Project. It is scheduled for October 25 at 10:00 AM at the Franklin Senior Center.

My Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating and encouraging poetry's role in the lives of Americans. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, started the project in 1997. 

He believed that poetry needs to be read aloud. "Reading a poem silently is like staring at a sheet of music." The reader of the poem does not need to be the poet or a skilled performer. "One of the beautiful things about poetry," says Pinsky, "is that the medium is a voice, not necessarily the poet's voice. When you read a poem by Shakespeare, Dickinson or Langston Hughes, your voice is the artist's medium."

Robert Pinsky believed that contrary to stereotype, Americans do read poetry; that the audience for poetry is not limited to professors and college students; and that there are many people for whom particular poems have found profound, personal meaning. This project seeks to give voice to American poetry lovers.

In April 1998, the My Favorite Poem Project was launched with a series of public poetry readings. In Boston, twenty-five Bostonians read their favorite poem. The readers included the President of the Massachusetts State Senate, a homeless Boston resident and a third grader. The audience was packed into the Boston Public Library. The Library President dressed as a cowboy to read a cowboy poem. Some readers recited poems in Spanish, Vietnamese and American Sign Language. As you see, Americans do read poetry.

A Favorite Poem Project - Oct 25

For more information on the Favorite Poem Project  http://www.favoritepoem.org/index.html

Hockomock Area YMCA Counselors Share Impact Summer Camp Has On Participants

Across the 15 communities the Hockomock Area YMCA serves, there are many opportunities for young people to work and contribute to the community. The Y summer camps are one such opportunity. In fact, across the five summer camps of Bellingham, Foxboro, Franklin, Mansfield, and North Attleboro, the Y employed 301 camp counselors this year – many of whom are former campers themselves. These valuable members of the Y community are vital to the success of each of the 1,300+ campers that participate in the Hockomock Area YMCA camps each day.

Sam Taggert, a counselor at Camp Elmwood

Sam Taggert, a counselor at Camp Elmwood at the North Attleboro Y since the age of 16, cites her own experiences as a former camper and the importance of camp to the kids as her reasons for becoming a Camp Elmwood counselor.

“I knew I wanted to have this job because I looked up to my counselors so much,” said Taggert. “Camp’s changed my life. It made me realize how important it is, how important this job is to the kids, to everybody. Kids come here to have a good time, to not worry about what’s going on at home, and it’s so important to me to give them a fun opportunity to spend the day having fun and playing outside.”

Carlos Jeri, a counselor at the
Invensys Foxboro Y’s Camp Wapawca

Carlos Jeri, a counselor at the Invensys Foxboro Y’s Camp Wapawca, talks of a personal connection with one of the campers to whom camp served as a safe haven.

“We have campers who come in from orphanages or homes where they really don’t have parents,” said Jeri. “There was one camper who was having a particularly rough time, and he and I started talking and we formed a connection. He started telling me about his life and how camp was his escape from everything. We started to create a connection and I found out how much of an actual impact we made.”

Throughout their time at camp, each counselor wears a t-shirt which bears the words “role model.” Colin Maximiuk, a counselor at Camp Wiggi at the Bernon Family Y, considers what the term means to him.

Colin Maximiuk, a counselor at
Camp Wiggi at the Bernon Family Y

“The idea of a role model to me means that I’m this figure that kids look up to,” said Maximiuk. “So throughout every day I’m acting the best that I can, so that the kids can learn to not only be as good as me, but better than me.”

Joe Milosh, a counselor and former camper of the North Attleboro Y’s Camp Elmwood, speaks on what he believes to be the importance of imparting the YMCA’s values to campers.

“It means a lot about how you’ll be when you grow up, and the type of person you want to be,” said Milosh. “I want to make sure that all the children are learning how to carry themselves in a respectful, kind way. And I think that’s what the core values do – they show children a way to act, and set guidelines for how you should be when you grow up.”

Joe Milosh, a counselor and former camper
of the North Attleboro Y’s Camp Elmwood

Hundreds of young people take part in the camp programs every summer, and whether they are already counselors or are working to become counselors, they contribute greatly to the Y. Through the Counselor-in-Training program, the Leader-in-Training program, and the Cadet program, there are many ways to join the Hockomock Area YMCA camps and forever positively influence the lives of kids in our communities.

For more camp information, visit www.hockymca.org/camp/

About Hockomock Area YMCA:

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility. 

Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit hockymca.org.