Hockomock League Class of 2020 Scholar-Athletes - FHS - Sarah Spanek and Rohan Herur

The Hockomock League Principals and Athletic Directors proudly announce the Class of 2020 Scholar-Athletes. The global, national, and local struggle against COVID-19 continues, but our persistence and resilience grows in that fight. The unique social situation in which we find ourselves pushes us to find new ways to publicly recognize and salute our heroes. The Class of 2020 will have much to remember about this unprecedented year, and we salute all of our athletes who lost this Spring season.

This week the League would have celebrated its 30th Annual Hockomock League Scholar Athlete Awards Dinner. Today, we are proud to celebrate each of the twenty-four athletes that have earned this League’s honor. Each scholar-athlete has been selected by the Administration of their respective schools and represent the top student-athletes in the Hockomock League based on academics, athletic participation, sportsmanship, leadership, and citizenship. They have all successfully balanced a demanding academic schedule along with participation in athletics as well as many other extra-curricular activities during their high school career. To be selected for this award represents four years of dedication and commitment, and we are proud of all their accomplishments.

We hope that these student-athletes will put all of their experiences over the past four years to good use and that those experiences will help guide them through the challenges ahead. We congratulate the parents and guardians, too, for your contributions and guidance as you have enabled your child to reach this level of excellence. We are certain that the foundation you have given them will carry them through future endeavors.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2020 SCHOLAR-ATHLETES:

• ATTLEBORO: Jacqueline Lynch-Bartek AND Nicholas McMahon
• CANTON: Caroline Tourgee AND Nathan Quan
• FOXBORO: Jaime Notarangelo AND Ryan Proulx
• FRANKLIN: Sarah Spanek and Rohan Herur
• KING PHILIP: Samantha Robison AND Jack Cannon
• MANSFIELD: Eliz Healy AND Peter Oldow
• MILFORD: Annie Flanagan AND Maxwell Manor
• NORTH ATTLEBORO: Abigail Gallagher AND Owen Harding
• OLIVER AMES: Allison Kemp AND Sam Stevens
• SHARON: Eliana Boxerman AND Cameron Baker
• STOUGHTON: Emma McSweeney AND Joshua McNamara
• TAUNTON: Kamryn Li AND Nolan Melo

Class of 2020 Scholar-Athletes - FHS - Sarah Spanek and Rohan Herur

Shared from
https://hockomocksports.com/hockomock-league-honors-2020-scholar-athletes/

Leaping Into Kindergarten Event - May 20

Our Leaping Into Kindergarten event has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 20th at 6 PM. 

It will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel, which is available here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr0pe33QnCdA2FI045LADwg

Leaping Into Kindergarten Event - May 20

 

In the News: Baker announces $1B budget bill at visit to Ashland biotech firm

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

"With the cost of the bill expected to be covered by the federal government through reimbursements and other federal funding sources, Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday filed a $1 billion supplemental budget bill to help cover COVID-19-related expenses.

Baker announced that Tuesday afternoon after touring MatTek Life Sciences, a biotechnology company headquartered in Ashland that has been developing coronavirus testing materials and hand sanitizer.

“We remain, as we said before, one of the hardest hits states by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we still have a lot to do, and a way to go to contain the infection rate and reduce the number of people that need serious hospital care,” Baker said.

As of March 12, the state has conducted 401,496 tests. Of those tested, 79,332 have tested positive and 5,141 people have died, according to the Department of Public Health. On Monday, the state conducted 6,768. Of those tested, approximately 13% tested positive."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200512/baker-announces-1b-budget-bill-at-visit-to-ashland-biotech-firm-working-on-coronavirus-testing-materials

https://youtu.be/KvGAFPIYPP0

HMEA IncredABLE 5K - Time is Running Out!

Do Something incredABLE TODAY!

Having trouble viewing? Open as a webpage. Hurry, Time is Running Out! Do something incredABLE TODAY! GET TICKETS Jukebox Virtual Bingo May 15th @ 7 PM online $15 per player https://www.hmea.org/jukebox-bingo/ Photo Contest 1 vote = $1 donation ENTER OR VOTE ENTER OR VOTE Video Contest 1 vote = $1 donation Hurry, contests end at midnight May 15th!!  https://www.hmea.org/incredable-contests/ REGISTER Virtual Community Walk $10 per person Registration closes at midnight May 14th!! Dream Raffle $5 for a book of 6 tickets Quik Pik 50/50 $25 per ticket GET TICKETS Hurry, tickets sales end at noon May 16th!!  https://www.hmea.org/incredable-raffles/ VIEW AUCTION Virtual Auction May 10 - May 24th one week vacation, electronics, concert tickets, and more! Do Something incredABLE TODAY!  https://www.hmea.org/incredable-5k/ Get Involved   ‌  ‌  ‌  ‌

HMEA | 8 Forge Park East, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by hmea@hmea.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!

Massachusetts RMV sets limited appointment service

"Appointment only reservation system for limited in-person transactions at select RMV sites.

Visit https://t.co/rPSU5Qg3e9, select Online Service Center, then select Make/Cancel a Reservation.

Please visit https://t.co/zDf6FF7VJL for more detailed info."

Shared from Twitter
https://twitter.com/MassRMV/status/1260245897398620160?s=03

Appointment only reservation system for limited in-person transactions at select RMV sites. Visit https://t.co/rPSU5Qg3e9, select Online Service Center, then select Make/Cancel a Reservation. Please visit https://t.co/zDf6FF7VJL for more detailed info.

— Massachusetts RMV (@MassRMV) May 12, 2020

Massachusetts RMV sets limited appt service

FSPA Introduces Broadway Faculty

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) has announced a new roster of FSPA Broadway Faculty. The nine Broadway professionals are available to enrolled students for private coaching via Zoom. Coachings are available for singing, acting, dance, and self-marketing in the theater industry. When classes resume in person, the Broadway faculty will be featured in FSPA’s master class programs in Franklin and New York City.

Ben Cameron from the original Broadway cast of WICKED, Footloose, and Aida will coach students in Voice and Dance. Sara Jean Ford, a former Christine in Phantom of the Opera who also appeared in Finian’s Rainbow, CATS, How to Succeed…, and A Little Night Music will offer Voice and Acting coachings. Tyler Hanes, most recently seen on Broadway as the Rum Tum Tugger in CATS as well as Oklahoma!, Hairspray, The Boy from Oz, and more will coach Voice and Dance students. Jim Hogan of the national tours of Waitress, Phantom of the Opera, and Spring Awakening will offer Voice and Acting Coachings. Emily Koch who starred as Elphaba in WICKED and Jenna in Waitress will also coach Voice and Acting students. FSPA welcomes Kara Lindsay who originated the role of Katherine in Disney’s Newsies and appeared as Glinda in WICKED and Cynthia Weil in Beautiful to coach students in Voice and Acting. Kevin Massey, star of Disney’s Tarzan, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and more will also coach Voice and Acting students. Christopher Rice from the Broadway companies of The Book of Morman and Pretty Woman and of #TAPPY fame will offer coachings in Voice, Dance, and self-marketing in the theater industry. Closing out the roster, Clay Thomson from Disney’s Newsies, Matilda, WICKED, and KING KONG will coach Voice and Dance.

Relationships with the Broadway community have been developed through programs in Franklin including FSPA’s Broadway Boot Camp, the annual Broadway Weekend, and classes offered in conjunction with THE BLACK BOX Broadway Series. “We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity to our students,” says FSPA Director Raye Lynn Mercer. “It is very exciting that these acclaimed performers have taken a special interest in our students and our school’s curriculum.” Five of the nine teaching artists performed at FSPA’s 35th Anniversary concert at The Green Room 42 in New York City this past January.

To coach with the FSPA Broadway Faculty, students must be enrolled at FSPA in the corresponding disciplines. For more information about the offerings at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, call 508-528-8668 or visit www.FSPAonline.com.

 

Top Row (L to R): Ben Cameron, Sara Jean Ford. Tyler Hanes. Middle Row: Jim Hogan, Emily Koch, Kara Lindsay. Bottom Row: Kevin Massey, Christopher Rice, Clay Thomson

Gov. Baker outlines a 4-phase reopening strategy

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

"Reopening swaths of public life in Massachusetts will play out across four distinct phases and involve new widespread and mandatory safety regulations for all businesses.

The approach, announced by the Baker administration on Monday, could launch as as soon as next week with an initial phase applying to businesses that are best able to limit the type of person-to-person contacts that have fueled the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The broad-stroke framework that Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito outlined would ease forced shutdowns of non-essential businesses gradually over a timeline yet to be determined, building up to a “new normal” once a vaccine or other treatment for the highly infectious disease is available.

Many details about the process are still in the works and will depend on the recommendations an advisory panel will file in one week and on the trajectory of trends in the state’s COVID-19 outbreak. If public health data shows a new spike in cases or increased risks, the administration could order a return to an earlier phase."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200511/updated-gov-baker-outlines-4-phase-reopening-strategy-for-massachusetts-to-move-to-new-normal-with-coronavirus-outbreak

4-phase reopening strategy

The 4 phase overview
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-four-phase-approach

The mandatory workplace standards for Phase 1
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-mandatory-safety-standards-for-workplaces


Video link = https://youtu.be/QNIKD9DccVU

FM #267 Joint Budget SubComm Mtg - 5/11/20 (audio)

FM #267 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 267 in the series.

This session of the radio show shares the Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting of May 11, 2020. The subcommittee is composed of members of the Town Council, School Committee, and Finance Committee. The meeting was hosted on the “Zoom” Platform. The ‘normal’ disclaimer per Gov Baker’s Executive Order was not disclosed during the meeting by the Chair.

Each speaker is announced so you can follow along. The show notes include my notes via Twitter for this meeting as well as the agenda document.

The recording runs just about one hour, so let’s listen to the Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting discussing the FY 2021 budget. 

Audio file =  https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HDFJPBT7



--------------

My real-time reported notes
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/05/real-time-reporting-joint-budget.html

Agenda document https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/05/joint-budget-subcommittee-meeting-may-11.html

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

FM #267 Joint Budget SubComm Mtg - 5/11/20 (audio)

Once Upon A Town: The "New" Morse Block - Franklin, MA

Join Eamon McCarthy Earls and Joe Landry as they talk about the "New" Morse Block, which is not to be confused with the Morse Opera House Block of Franklin, MA. They were separate blocks that were constructed in the late 1800's

https://youtu.be/73Wt0YCeZTI

Please Respond Today to the 2020 Census

We have reached a 74.6% response rate for Franklin, there is still time to get beyond 80% (Franklin actually did 79.9% in the 2010 Census).

"The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Over 70 million households have responded to date, representing 58.6% of all households in America. Make sure that you and your friends and family are included in this once-a-decade count.

Help us spread the word: Everyone can respond to the 2020 Census online in one of 13 languages, with assistance available in many more.

Please note: About 64 million households across the nation will receive a paper questionnaire in the coming days. If you receive mail after you have responded, you should disregard it. It was sent before we received your response."

https://2020census.gov/en.html

Visit the 2020 Census response rate map
https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html

The current results for Franklin (as of Sunday, May 10, 2020):

 

We have reached a 74.6% response rate for Franklin

In the News: Eversource plan unnecessary; Polar Park construction resumes

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

"Citing a lack of evidence and need, an independent consultant hired by the Select Board has concluded that Eversource’s plan to replace a 3.7-mile natural gas line that runs through Hopkinton and Ashland is severely flawed.

Eversource is looking to decommission about 4 miles of underground piping that runs through Ashland and Hopkinton and place new 12-inch pipes alongside them.

In Ashland, the gas pipeline runs for 2.5 miles and intersects through more than 80 residential parcels, the Chestnut Tree Apartments and a number of environmentally sensitive areas, including portions of the wetlands and the conservation-restricted Great Bend Farm Trust. The company says the project is needed to address pressure drop problems and provide a more reliable and consistent flow of natural gas to customers in Greater Framingham.

In June 2018, Eversource filed an application with the state’s Energy Facility Siting Board, an agency that reviews large scale energy projects. In its application, the company also included preliminary information about an alternative under-street route should the Siting Board deny its request to place the new pipes on the existing easement."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200511/ashland-consultant-says-eversource-pipeline-project-is-unnecessary

"City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. has given the OK for work to resume this week on some construction projects here, Polar Park being one of them. What happens next, what does the resumption of work mean for the immediate and longer range future?

That’s a different story.

In a prepared statement, Worcester Red Sox chairman Larry Lucchino said this:

“While we look forward to resuming the construction of Worcester’s new ballpark, we recognize that precautions, health, and safety remain paramount. We will support our local construction workers, and we will abide by the conditions set forth by our leaders to ensure an environment that complies with their public policy and expert medical recommendations."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200511/polar-park-construction-set-to-resume-but-impact-of-six-week-delay-remains-uncertain