Franklin Matters

Monday, March 16, 2020

MA Senate President Karen Spilka: Coronavirus Update as of March 15, 2020

From Senate President Karen E. Spilka:

"Greetings,

As you are undoubtedly aware, Governor Baker announced a number of emergency measures this evening. I have been in touch with the Governor and the Administration about a number of the issues he addressed, and I would like to thank everyone who has contacted my office to let me know the questions and concerns residents have in their communities. It has helped my discussions with state and local leaders immensely.

I am particularly glad to see that the Governor took strong action around school closings, social distancing and telemedicine, which I have persistently pushed for this week. The measures we are taking now are in the best interest of preserving public health & our healthcare system. But we know they will have an impact on our residents, communities & businesses. That's why the Massachusetts State Senate is working now to tee up legislation to help with these impacts. "

Continue reading the update
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Coronavirus-Update-as-of-March-15--2020.html

Encore Music: COVID-19 Announcement

Dear Valued Encore Families:

We here at Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios have been very closely monitoring the rapidly changing developments globally, nationally, and locally surrounding COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. With the health and safety of our students, families, faculty, and staff our highest priority, we have made the unprecedented decision to shift all private music lessons to an online platform.

The facility at 3 Bent St. will be closed as of March 13, for all in-person lessons and classes. We are currently working around the clock to move all private lessons to an online format, and it is our expectation that regularly scheduled lessons can begin to occur online as early as Monday, March 16.

Classes will cease for the interim, but resume once our facility is again open at 3 Bent St.

We are in direct communication with all of our families to ensure a smooth transition to the online format, so we urge everyone to keep a close eye on their email for further instructions. We ask for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we move forward, and we pledge the same to you.

Online private lessons can offer many benefits to our students. Our philosophy at Encore has always been not only to teach students how to play an instrument, but to teach students the language of music, thereby ensuring that we are developing well-rounded musicians literate in the language of music. This temporary shift to online education will not only permit students to continue with the study of their instrument, it will also open the door for increased creativity between student and instructor as they explore ear-training, rhythm, composition, music theory, and sight-reading concepts.

Please contact us with any questions you may have: (508) 533-7700, ext. 101.

It is our fervent hope that we all can return to routine in the near future, but until then, we wish everyone to stay healthy, stay safe, and stay in touch!!

Thank you for your continued support of Encore.

Sincerely,

Lisa Ostrow

----

Laura Ostrow
Director of Marketing and Development
Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios and Encore Music Education Foundation, Inc.
www.encoremusicacademy.net./ www.wesupportmusic.org
3 Bent St. Franklin | 508-533-7700
lauraostrowencore@gmail.com

"testing capacity at the state lab will increase to approximately 400 patients per day"

From the Milford Daily News, an article of interest for Franklin:

"Gov. Charlie Baker said there are currently no plans for a statewide shelter-in-place order, but he has put a number of unprecedented measures in place across Massachusetts.

Just after 6:20 p.m. Sunday, Baker ordered a more restrictive public gathering plan, banning all gatherings of 25 or more people. The governor’s initial ban was on gatherings of 250 or more people, which was put into place on Friday.

“These gatherings include all community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based events, sporting events with spectators, concerts, conventions and any similar event or activity that brings together 25 or more people in single room or a single space at the same time. This includes venues like fitness centers, private clubs and theaters,” Baker said.

Baker also banned bars and restaurants from serving food and drinks on site, but will allow them to serve food via takeout and delivery services. The on-site service ban begins Tuesday and is scheduled to last until April 17."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200315/gov-charlie-baker-bans-gatherings-of-over-25-people-orders-school-closure-restaurants-take-out-only

The page with all of Governor Baker's emergency orders on coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-state-of-emergency

The page with all of Governor Baker's emergency orders on coronavirus (COVID-19)

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Franklin: Urgent: Coronavirus Information Portal (Updates Here)

March 15, 2020 Update (8:15 PM)

Based on the information provided in Governor Baker's press conference this evening, effective tomorrow, March 16, 2020, the Franklin Town and School Administration offices, as well as all Franklin public buildings will be closed to the public.

While the Municipal Building and other departments are closed for direct, in person service, staff will be available for all regular business activities via phone, email and our online services center at www.franklinma.gov. For an emergency, please continue to dial 911.

Employees are expected to report to work tomorrow for a regular work day. More information will be forthcoming in the days ahead.
-- Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator and Sara Ahern, Suprintendent of Schools

Letter from Town Administrator, Jamie Hellen and the Superintendent of Schools, Sara Ahern regarding Coronavirus

A letter from the Superintendent of Schools, Sara Ahern Regarding Caronavirus and School closings

* Residents please be informed that the over 1.3 Million square feet of municipal facilities (ie. Schools, Town Hall Building, etc.) are being sprayed every weekend with commercial grade disinfectant to help mitigate the spread of germs. This practice will continue for the foreseeable future.

The Town of Franklin is keeping up to date with the latest information related to the novel Coronavirus as it becomes available. This site will be updated regularly with information from State and Federal agencies. Please check back frequently.

The Town of Franklin will be cleaning and sanitizing all public buildings every weekend.

There are many things you can do to prevent the transmission of COVID - 19 and other of viruses. Please follow the tips found here:

Keep a distance of 6 feet from people, especially individuals who are showing signs and symptoms of upper respiratory infection.
Keep a small bottle of alcohol based (60%) hand sanitizer for travel. Rub over entire hands until hands are dry.
Wash hands with warm or hot water and soap for 20 seconds.
Try as hard as possible to not touch eyes, ears, nose, mouth, especially if you one has not washed hands recently.
Sneeze or cough into a tissue, discard tissue and wash hands thoroughly.

The following links provide up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Frequently Asked Questions

Best Practices for Prevention and Treatment

Steps to prevent illness

Messages from Superintendent Dr. Sara Ahern (March 8th, Feb 28th)

Franklin Police Response to COVID-19 (March 13, 2020)

Council on Aging COVID1-19 update (March 10, 2020)

How to clean your smartphone (and other computer hardware)

Please follow this link for information from Monica Bharel MD MPH, Commissioner of the Department of Health: https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/pages/corona-virus-information

Franklin: Urgent: Coronavirus Information Portal (Updates Here)

Franklin Public Schools: Governor’s Announcement -- Updated Duration of Closure

March 15, 2020

Dear Franklin Families,

Governor’s Announcement -- Updated Duration of Closure

Earlier this evening, Governor Baker announced that public and private schools in Massachusetts will be closed for three weeks, through April 6. Therefore, Franklin Public Schools will be closed until April 6, planning to resume operations on Tuesday, April 7. This may be revisited in the coming weeks.

Our last day of school is still expected to be Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

A key emphasis of the Governor is that this measure is designed to promote the slow of the Coronavirus infection through the practice of social distancing. This article may be helpful to you in understanding what behaviors help to support this measure:

“Social Distancing: This is Not a Snow Day” by Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, https://medium.com/@ariadnelabs/social-distancing-this-is-not-a-snow-day-ac21d7fa78b4

To summarize the article, the author advises no playdates, no movie theaters, no parties, no sleepovers, among other social behaviors. The author suggests taking care of yourself and family members and, although challenging, that everyone practices social distancing.

Food Services
During this period of closure, families who feel that their student would benefit from having a grab-and-go lunch or breakfast may pick up meals via the back driveway of Franklin High School between the hours of 11:30 AM and 1 PM, Monday through Friday. If transportation is a concern, please reach out to the Student Services Office at (508) 553-4811 who will assist you.

We also wish to share the following message from Franklin Food Pantry:

“The Franklin Pantry will be open regular hours next week, March 17 – March 20. We will be open to our current neighbors or anyone who needs us including families who count on the breakfast and lunch options provided by the Franklin area schools. We will provide a prepackaged bag full of nonperishable items to help you through this time. You can visit us daily if needed. We will reopen on March 24 with our regular shopping hours and procedures.

How can you help?

We are so grateful to our community and have received many questions on how you can help us during these uncertain times. If you are able, the best way to support The Pantry is through a monetary donation. Monetary donations allow us to purchase the items we need at a cheaper price through the Greater Boston Food Bank. If you are interested in donating items, please visit our current needs list. Check back regularly as we update frequently. Thank you for your continued support of the Franklin Food Pantry.”

Learning Opportunities
We will be sharing more information with families in the coming days about ways in which we will keep students engaged in learning and connected to school during the closure.

Building Access
Be on alert for messages from your building principal(s) about when students can come to the building to retrieve books, Chromebooks, instruments and other personal items.

SPAM Folders
Some recipients of our messages have noted difficulty in receiving our e-mails. Please check your SPAM folders and be sure to mark our messages as “not spam” so that they may be delivered directly to your inbox.

Coronavirus Portal
We wish to remind you that the Town of Franklin has developed a portal for the public to access the latest information on Coronavirus: https://www.franklinma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/coronavirus-information-portal

Kind regards,

Sara E. Ahern
Superintendent of Schools

Download a PDF of this announcement
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MHQDph06Gga7AIrZ9E-AGf0hLi1K_rKM/view?usp=sharing

Coronavirus Information Portal

Mutual aid networks for 350 Mass during Coronavirus

"We hope you are staying healthy and finding support during these disorienting times.

As climate activists, we know that as climate change worsens, we will see increasingly frequent and dangerous crises like this one.

This is a grim thought, but I also find it a powerful one: the structures, connections and resources we develop to support each other now, will leave us better prepared to support each other during future climate crises and disasters.

We know that climate change disproportionately harms people already marginalized by society, and this public health crisis is no exception: my heart is particularly with people who have compromised immune systems; people without health insurance or access to treatment; those who cannot afford to stay home from work and do not have paid sick time; kids who rely on free school lunch; and many others.

Tuesday’s weekly newsletter will focus on resources and best practices for responding to coronavirus. But while that is still a work in progress, we wanted to send one resource out without delay.

In the spirit of support and solidarity, I want to introduce a new tool: 350 Mass and Community Mutual Aid form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch5YoXLpT-mfRmYyocdCYJ98flZOK2WFOhhe_khamR-Uv-Eg/viewform

While a certain administration in DC is not going to take care of us or our people, we have many resources to care for each other.

Do you have resources to share with someone in need--extra food to share with a neighbor? A room someone forced to leave campus housing could stay in? A Netflix password?

Do you have needs the community could help meet--someone to look after your kids? Someone to drive you to the grocery store so you can avoid public transit?

Please fill out this Google form with your needs and offerings:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch5YoXLpT-mfRmYyocdCYJ98flZOK2WFOhhe_khamR-Uv-Eg/viewform

The results will be on a survey you can access to connect with each other. I’m excited to use this tool both to help support our friends and community within the 350 Mass network as well as to share it with frontline community partners, and I encourage you to share it with your community (on a neighborhood forum, Facebook group, or just with family and friends), especially those whose needs might be higher or access to resources lower.

(Note: many communities are putting together local mutual aid networks as well--we encourage you to participate if your community has one, or consider forming one if not!)"

With love and power,
Jon Wishnie for 350 Mass

350ma.org