Franklin Matters

Friday, March 20, 2020

Lifelong Learning UPDATE: Covid-19 Impact

A Note To Our Lifelong Learning Friends

As the coronavirus (COVID–19) continues to unfold and impact our communities, we're committed to doing what's best for our Lifelong Learning neighbors. Though Franklin Schools and Lifelong Learning are temporarily closed, please be assured our classes will resume once the schools reopen to the community.

During this uncertain time you can continue to find information about our future class activities at www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com, and we hope that can bring you a little distraction and some fun.

If you haven't already taken a look at our Online Learning options, perhaps you would like to check them out now. There may be a course or a series that interests you and/or captures your imagination. Choose the Online Learning picture from the Lifelong Learning home page.

As things evolve, we will make sure you are informed. Stay safe, stay connected, and together we will get through this.

Helpful coronavirus Update Links:

Town of Franklin
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/urgent-alerts/coronavirus-information-portal-updates-here

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

Lifelong Learning UPDATE: Covid-19 Impact

A COVID-19 Update from SSA Commissioner

A COVID-19 Update from the

Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner

03/19/2020 11:22 AM EDT

I want you to hear directly from me how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our services. The first thing you should know is that we continue to pay benefits. Be aware that scammers may try to trick you into thinking the pandemic is stopping your Social Security payments but that is not true. Don’t be fooled.

To protect you and help stop the spread of this coronavirus, we cannot accept visitors in our offices at this time. There are several other ways you can get help. Many services are available online. If you have a critical need that you cannot address online, we can help you over the phone.

Please visit our Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) page to find out what services we are continuing and which ones we are suspending, how to contact us, and important information about deadlines we are extending to ease the burden on you and medical providers during this pandemic.

Continue reading the update
https://blog.ssa.gov/a-covid-19-update-from-our-commissioner/#more-4658

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update page https://www.ssa.gov/coronavirus/

Andrew Saul, SSA Commissioner (SSA Photo)

Stormwater Information Session Recordings

The Town of Franklin held two storm water information sessions to share information with residents on the facts of storm water and the financial impact.

Due to the pandemic and social distancing policies being enforced, the event scheduled for Saturday (March 21) at the Library is NOT happening.

As soon as a new date is determined it will be shared.

You can listen to each of the first two session recordings

FM #223 - Stormwater Utility Fee Info Session 1 - March 6, 2020 (audio)
https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-223-stormwater-session-1-3-5-20

FM #225 Stormwater Utility Session 2 - March, 11, 2020 (audio)

https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-225-stormwater-utility-session-2-3-11-20

The presentation doc was updated for the second session and available here.
https://www.slideshare.net/shersteve/town-of-franklin-stormwater-info-session-2

Town of Franklin: Stormwater Info Session #2 from Franklin Matters

The second session was held at the Franklin TV studio

"He is not worried to take public transportation"

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

The normally bustling downtown Framingham train station resembled a ghost town at rush hour Thursday morning.

Only 20 or so passengers boarded a double-decker train after it pulled into the Waverly Street station shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Framingham’s Bryce MacIver was one of the handful of passengers making the trek to Boston via the commuter rail. It was his first trip on the train this week, but he rode it all last week and noticed a substantial drop in ridership as the week went on.

“The parking lot on Friday was a quarter full,” he said as he waited to board.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200319/train-stations-across-framingham-worcester-franklin-lines-ghost-town-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

a black and tan themed photo for the snowy St Patrick's day this week.

Artist Reception - rescheduled to April 26

The previously scheduled art reception hosted by The First Universalist Society in Franklin for Franklin artist Chris Blue Lamb Toubeau has been postponed from March 29 to Sunday, April 26, 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Please join the artist and learn about her series of paintings called "Future Awash"

Ms. Toubeau (www.chrisbluelamb.com) uses art as a vehicle to communicate about the current climate change crisis, and how humans are complicit.

The exhibit will run from March 9 - May 3 at the First Universalist Society in Franklin, 262 Chestnut Street, Franklin. www.fusf.org.

1 of a series of paintings "Future Awash"

Audible: While school is on pause, kids listen free.

"As all of us around the world confront this difficult new period, we recognize the importance—and the challenge—of staying relaxed and entertained, especially for kids at home who are missing the stimulation of the classroom. From the beginning, Audible has served as an antidote to loneliness and even isolation, as a way to hear words that inspire and transport and for many – words that teach and entertain in deeply intimate ways.

With all of us experiencing varying degrees of social distancing and school closures, we have created something that we hope makes our customers' lives a little easier. At stories.audible.com, you will find hundreds of our titles available completely free. The collection has been handpicked by our editors and is a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18.

These stories offer a screen-free option that we hope may help break up the day for families with students home from school.

There are selections for our listeners in English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian.

To access the free titles, just visit stories.audible.com from any web browser.

The experience is completely free – no log-ins, credit cards, or passwords required. Just click, stream and listen.

We wish you and your loved ones good health, and we hope that listening to a good story will offer some respite during these unsettling times.

All of us at Audible