Franklin Matters

Saturday, August 15, 2020

MIAA waiting on DESE after receiving guidance from EEA

Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612) tweeted at 11:05 AM on Thu, Aug 13, 2020:

"The MIAA releases a statement noting how the Board of Directors won't meet until the accompanying DESE guidance is released. DESE is expected to release that guidance no later than Monday, meaning the Board will likely meet by next Thursday (8/20)."

(https://twitter.com/mattyfeld612/status/1293926720102379520?s=03)

MASC-SchoolCommittee (@MASCSchoolComm) tweeted at 0:45 PM on Thu, Aug 13, 2020:

"For the avoidance of doubt, this guidance applies to K-12 school and other youth sports activities." #MAEdu

(https://twitter.com/MASCSchoolComm/status/1293951865193926656?s=03)

Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612) tweeted at 5:02 PM on Fri, Aug 14, 2020:

Certainly appears that DESE will not be releasing it's K-12 athletics guidance today, leaving Monday as the likely day of its release. No Friday afternoon news dump is probably overall a good sign. Enjoy the weekend ✌️

(https://twitter.com/mattyfeld612/status/1294378851884310531?s=03)

The guidance doc released by Massachusetts Executive Office Of Energy And Environmental Affairs https://www.mass.gov/doc/safety-standards-for-youth-and-adult-amateur-sports-activities-phase-iii-step-1/download

MIAA waiting on DESE after receiving guidance from EEA

A FHS boys soccer team member tested positive for COVID-19

August 14, 2020

Dear Franklin Community,

Our Athletic Department was informed that a Franklin High School student who had been engaged in out-of-season workouts with members of the boys’ soccer team tested positive for COVID-19. Per MIAA rules, our athletic coaches and athletic department are not involved in these types of out-of-season summer workouts. These out-of-season summer workouts do not occur within our school buildings.

We think it is important to inform you, however, of this information as a reminder of the health and safety practices that should be followed. Close contacts of anyone testing positive for COVID-19 should stay at home and be tested 4-5 days after exposure. Individuals who test positive should remain home (except to get medical care), monitor symptoms, notify the school, notify personal close contacts, and answer the call from the MA Community Tracing Collaborative. Most people who have relatively mild illness will need to stay in self-isolation for at least 10 days and until at least 3 days have passed with no fever and improvement in other symptoms. If an individual is not tested, they should remain home in self-quarantine for 14 days from exposure.

We wish to remind you of the importance of universal health and safety practices including mask wearing, physical distancing, and good hand hygiene. Additionally, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs recently issued guidance on safe activities for low, medium, and high risk sporting activities of which you may wish to be aware: https://www.mass.gov/doc/safety-standards-for-youth-and-adult-amateur-sports-activities-phase-iii-step-1/download

I also wish to assure you that in the event of a positive case within the school setting, additional measures would be followed depending on the facts of the situation. Most specifically, the pertinent spaces within the building would be promptly closed off and promptly cleaned and disinfected. Close contacts would receive a communication with instructions on steps they should follow including isolation and testing or a 14-day quarantine.

We recognize that news like this can be scary to learn about. By working together collectively, we can take steps and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our community.

Sincerely,

Franklin Public Schools

Please direct any questions to 508-553-4819

A PDF copy of this can be found online https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QkjlyEKBW6Dv0aGdIBEFgedSZgQww8Ds/view?usp=sharing

A FHS boys soccer team member tested positive for COID-19

Harvest Festival 2020 Canceled - New Initiatives Coming Soon

Due to the ongoing pandemic and its social distancing guidelines, the board of the Franklin Downtown Partnership (FDP) has canceled this year’s Harvest Festival originally scheduled for Oct. 3. Instead, the FDP is planning to have smaller events during the holiday season to encourage residents to shop downtown Franklin.

“These are challenging times for our local businesses,” said Lisa Piana, executive director of the FDP. “We are eager to help those businesses in whatever way we can. We have a list of exciting new initiatives for the coming fall and holiday season including our Holiday Happenings.”

On its website, www.franklindowntownpartnership.org, the FDP has a list of local business updates so residents can easily access information about those businesses, such as which ones are offering outside dining, curbside pick-up and gift certificates. Businesses who would like to be included in that list can email the FDP office at downtown.Franklin@yahoo.com.

“We encourage residents to support Franklin businesses and to shop local whenever possible,” Piana added.

The next general meeting of the FDP will be Thurs., Sept. 10 at 8:30 AM. Anyone interested in joining the Zoom meeting is welcome. Please email the Partnership for sign-in information.

To help fund Holiday Happenings, as well as other fall and winter projects, the FDP is seeking sponsorships. Please contact the FDP for specific sponsorship information.

Residents can support the Partnership and our local businesses by becoming FDP resident members for only $25. Membership is tax deductible. Join online through the Partnership’s website.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership is a nonprofit, 501©3 organization made up of nearly 300 businesses, community leaders and residents working to stimulate economic development downtown and create a positive impact throughout the area. Visit www.franklindowntownpartnership.org for more information.

Harvest Festival 2020 Canceled - New Initiatives Coming Soon

“I kind of got hooked on the idea of using an emoji”

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

"Jami Pandiscio’s warning against texting while on the road will be hard for drivers to miss.
The Franklin teenager’s public service announcement design will be on billboards nationwide through the end of the year, after she won a national contest through Project Yellow Light.
“I saw some texting and driving ... in high school,” said Pandiscio, 18, in explaining why she entered the contest. “I’d constantly remind people to put their phones down, and I wanted to make a real difference, nationwide.”
Project Yellow Light was started to honor Hunter Garner, after the then-16-year-old and his friend died in a car crash in 2007, according to the program’s website. This is the ninth year of the contest, which is aimed at cutting down on distracted driving."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200814/franklin-teens-psa-against-texting-while-driving-to-be-on-thousands-of-billboards?rssfeed=true

“I kind of got hooked on the idea of using an emoji”

"it has been the greatest honor to serve for and with you"

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

"After nearly three years on the Town Council, Eamon McCarthy Earls has resigned from his role as a town councilor.
“Drawing inspiration from my experiences helping to craft bylaws and policies for Franklin, in the examples set by some of our leading citizens who work in law, among them state Rep. Jeff Roy, School Committee member Judy Pond Pfeffer or former state Rep. James Vallee, I’m embarking on the process of becoming an attorney,” said Earls, 26, during Wednesday’s council meeting.
His resignation is effective Sept. 6, he said, as he plans to attend the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Virginia starting next month. He told the Daily News that time will tell which area of law he chooses to focus on, but said he’s interested in public policy and municipal law.
According to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 ranking of the nation’s best law schools, the Antonin Scalia Law School was ranked at No. 42 overall out of 198 schools, and fourth for part-time law programs."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200814/eamon-mccarthy-earls-to-step-down-as-franklin-town-councilor-special-election-will-be-held-in-december?rssfeed=true

Additional info from the Town Council meeting where this announcement was made can be found in this recap https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/town-council-recap-special-election.html

Level 2 - Significant Drought declared for MA

MAEnergy Environment (@MassEEA) tweeted at 4:25 PM on Thu, Aug 13, 2020:

With above normal temperatures throughout July and early August and more than three months of below normal rainfall, @EEASecretary today declared a Level 2 - Significant Drought in all regions across the Commonwealth.

🔗 More: https://t.co/YT4KHN2EOV https://t.co/4nQQnHlPVR
(https://twitter.com/MassEEA/status/1294007207282057217?s=03)

And from the US Drought Monitor, the map of the Northeast

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?Northeast