Here is a link to our FHS weekly video. I hope you all are able to have a peaceful weekend. https://t.co/IaSTJ8iyuO @FranklinPSNews @FranklinMatters @FranklinHS #PantherPride
YouTube link = https://youtu.be/P8n8lZxc0v0
Saturday, August 22, 2020
FHS Joshua Hanna video update For Aug 21
YouTube link = https://youtu.be/P8n8lZxc0v0
Commonwealth Magazine: delays in childcare licensing; "A color coded map is not a plan"
From CommonWealth Magazine we share two articles of interest for Franklin:
"NICOLE MCCORMACK, a hairstylist from Haverhilll, always dreamed of opening a home daycare. So with her youngest son entering kindergarten, she started applying for a license in March.
Five months later, she has not been able to take the training courses required by the Department of Early Education and Care, and her licensing process is stalled. The delays have left her and several families who are interested in her daycare, either neighbors or people who saw her website, in limbo.“There’s people that are calling, and I don’t know what to tell them, when I’ll be able to accept them,” McCormack said.As many existing childcare providers struggle with the decision about whether to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a crop of potential new providers have been prevented from opening by pandemic-related delays in the state’s licensing process."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
"EVERY CITY AND TOWN in Massachusetts has spent months trying to figure out how to return to in-person schooling. We all know the social, emotional, and educational benefits for our children. We all know a fully functioning school system also primes the pump of our economy because it allows everyone to go to work. I recognize the importance not just as a mayor, but as a parent of four school-aged children. However, the stark reality is we’re in the midst of a pandemic with COVID-19 cases still cropping up all over our state.
What we have needed from the start is a real plan from the state and the support needed to implement it. We need pervasive surveillance testing so we can catch and isolate new cases before we suffer general outbreaks. We need robust contact tracing. We need to re-outfit ventilation systems in our schools and reorganize our classrooms. We need to have a rational understanding of how many other things in our society we can have open before we attempt to bring back our schools full-time. Instead, what we got last week was a color-coded map that provides no new information for those of us working on these issues.
I appreciate the bind in which Gov. Charlie Baker finds himself. Much of what we need to develop a sustainable reopening plan relies upon federal funding and support, and that’s a black hole from which no help is likely to emerge. However, a map is not a plan.
Municipal officials already are well aware of our local numbers. Yet it means very little that our community ranks as low risk of transmission when we have two extremely high risk communities, Everett and Chelsea, on our border and a school workforce that resides throughout the region. What happens in Everett and Chelsea happens in Somerville. Coronavirus doesn’t recognize city lines. If we’ve got an outbreak on our doorstep, then we need to respond like we’ve got an outbreak."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
In the News: police alert residents to lock cars; unemployment in MA is highest in USA
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
A ring of criminals who steal belongings from cars and trucks has swept through several local communities in the last two weeks, and police are telling residents there’s one huge way they can protect their vehicles — by locking them.
From Wednesday through Saturday last week, vehicle break-ins were reported in Dover, Needham and Sherborn, said Medway police Lt. Matt Reardon. On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, he said Hopedale, Holliston, Franklin, Medway and Millis were hit.
“We believe it’s the same organized crew responsible for all the break-ins both nights,” Reardon said. On Tuesday night there were eight break-ins reported in town, he said, with West Street and the lower Village Street area targeted.
The thefts happened late at night into the wee hours of the morning, and all vehicles hit were unlocked, said Reardon. That’s why Medway police, along with more than five other local departments, are urging residents to lock their vehicles at night, with some advocating for the “9 p.m. routine.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
"The state’s unemployment rate, which soared during the coronavius pandemic, fell to 16.1% in July, yet remains the highest in the nation, according to numbers released Friday by state and federal labor officials.The July rate is down 1.6 percentage points from the adjusted June rate of 17.7%, according to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.The national unemployment rate in July was 10.2%. The Massachusetts unemployment rate in July 2019 was 2.9%.Massachusetts added more than 72,000 jobs last month after adding nearly 95,000 in June as the state continues to recover from the economic shutdown prompted by the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
Friday, August 21, 2020
Big day Saturday: Last Day to Register to vote; First day to Early Vote
Last Day To Register To Vote:
August 22, 2020
First Day for Early Voting
Vote Early In Person: FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL GYM
(1 week) starting Saturday, Aug. 22nd through Friday, Aug. 28th
(1 week) starting Saturday, Aug. 22nd through Friday, Aug. 28th
- Saturday, Aug. 22 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Sunday Aug. 23 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Monday, Aug. 24 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Tuesday, Aug. 25 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Wednesday, Aug. 26 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday, Aug. 27 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- Friday, Aug. 28 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
For additional information on voting visit the Town Clerk page
For the Franklin voters "election collection" visit
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| Big day Saturday: Last Day to Register to vote; First day to Early Vote |
THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series: Sonya Rae Taylor - Aug 22
THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series presents Sonya Rae Taylor on Saturday, August 22 at 8:00 PM!
Sonya is part of the new breed of blues and soul musicians, always searching for new ways to revitalize the form. A triple threat, Sonya is a fiery guitar slinger, soulful blues belter, and a songwriter of depth and craft beyond her years.
She is joined by her husband Ryan Taylor to form a powerful guitar duo. The couple has logged many miles in their young careers, from Boston to Austin then Nashville, where Sonya was signed by BMG Chrysalis. The two have worked with or shared stage with artists ranging from Austin queen of soul, Tameca Jones, Gary Clark Jr, John Popper of Blues Traveler, John Medeski, and Derrico Watson of the Victor Wooten Band and have made TV appearances on shows such as the the ABC series "Nashville".
They are two of the finest young guitar players in the scene today and continue to provide audiences with high energy and soulful performances up and down the east coast and beyond.
Get tickets online or call the box office https://www.theblackboxonline.com/events.php?id=1394&month=08&year=2020
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| THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series: Sonya Rae Taylor - Aug 22 |
Hockomock League statement regarding the upcoming Fall 2020 season
Below is the official statement from the Hockomock League regarding the upcoming Fall 2020 season.
August 20, 2020
We have all patiently, yet eagerly, awaited the Massachusetts DESE guidelines pertaining to Interscholastic Athletics for the 2020-21 school year. Late Tuesday we received those guidelines and the MIAA Board of Directors have voted to approve those guidelines. Very importantly, there is still a lot of work to be accomplished before a Fall 2020 sports season is permitted. The earliest date to begin any practices is Friday, September 18.
Each school district was tasked over the last several weeks to develop a detailed DESE-approved plan for the return-to-learning this school year. Rightly so, each district’s School Committee and Superintendent’s office is now focused on implementing that approved learning plan. Some districts have opted for a full-remote start while others have approved a hybrid model. Both come with their own obstacles that each district is aiming to overcome. Both plans will impact how Fall sports may look for that district.
We do know under these DESE-approved guidelines that the high-risk sports, Football and Competitive Cheer, have moved to a “Fall II” season with a start date of February 22, 2021. The low-risk sports, Cross Country and Golf and the moderate-risk sports, Field Hockey, Soccer, and Girls’ volleyball must undergo modifications, some significantly changing the look of the game, to adhere to the EEA/DESE guidelines. Those MIAA-sport committees are working on that goal now. Girls’ volleyball, as an indoor sport, has some very significant hurdles for high school programs to overcome.
Please be patient as our twelve districts individually tackle the DESE parameters and logistics of implementing their return-to-learning models. We hope to know more in the coming week or two what a Fall Sports season will look like. Each district’s School Committee is charged with approving the specific sports programs that will be offered at each of our schools. Once those details are gathered by our League ADs and Principals, schedules can be drawn up and approved for publication.
Please know we all want to see as many student-athletes return to the competitive playing field this Fall. The health and safety of our students is paramount in any and all of these decisions which are forthcoming.
Sincerely,
The Hockomock League ADs
- Mark Houle, Attleboro
- Danny Erickson, Canton
- Joe Cusack, Foxboro
- Tom Angelo, Franklin
- Gary Brown, King Philip
- Mike Redding, Mansfield
- Peter Boucher, Milford
- Kurt Kummer, North Attleboro
- Bill Matthews, Oliver Ames
- Nick Schlierf, Sharon
- Ryan Donahue, Stoughton
- Mark Ottavianelli, Taunton
HockomockSports (@HockomockSports) tweeted at 9:25 PM on Thu, Aug 20, 2020:
https://twitter.com/HockomockSports/status/1296619352733683718?s=03
Hockomock League Makes Statement On Fall Sports - https://t.co/QIFEg2p0hz #hockomock
https://twitter.com/HockomockSports/status/1296619352733683718?s=03
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| Hockomock League statement regarding the upcoming Fall 2020 season |
Voices of Franklin: State Rep Jeff Roy, State Rep Brian Murray "We are with Joe Kennedy"
We are with Joe Kennedy in his campaign for the United States Senate because he cares, he shows up and he leads.
We first saw Joe in 2010, talking about the need for civility in government. That speech captured our moral imagination and we sure hoped that he would run for office.
In 2012, he was in our communities talking with us and our friends about what he would do in Congress.
While a member of Congress, he has been a champion on such very important issues as health care, manufacturing, substance use disorder, energy, the environment and civil rights,
We have witnessed firsthand his dedication, thoughtfulness and energy. His ability to work across the aisle with those who may have different beliefs is impressive, as is his ability to clearly see complex issues and get to the heart of the matter. And he does it all with a strong sense of empathy, a trait possessed by truly great leaders.
His service to our District is unparalleled. His commitment to constituent services for the folks throughout our communities has been exceptional. His belief that everyone counts and should be counted is his high watermark.
At this moment in the history of our nation, we need his commitment, compassion and leadership on the floor of the United States Senate now more than ever.
Joe has been with all of us, he is one of us and he has the vision to lead us.
That is why we hope you will join us in voting for Joe Kennedy for the U.S. Senate on September 1st. It is a vote not only for a better Commonwealth, but for a better country as well.
We first saw Joe in 2010, talking about the need for civility in government. That speech captured our moral imagination and we sure hoped that he would run for office.
In 2012, he was in our communities talking with us and our friends about what he would do in Congress.
While a member of Congress, he has been a champion on such very important issues as health care, manufacturing, substance use disorder, energy, the environment and civil rights,
We have witnessed firsthand his dedication, thoughtfulness and energy. His ability to work across the aisle with those who may have different beliefs is impressive, as is his ability to clearly see complex issues and get to the heart of the matter. And he does it all with a strong sense of empathy, a trait possessed by truly great leaders.
His service to our District is unparalleled. His commitment to constituent services for the folks throughout our communities has been exceptional. His belief that everyone counts and should be counted is his high watermark.
At this moment in the history of our nation, we need his commitment, compassion and leadership on the floor of the United States Senate now more than ever.
Joe has been with all of us, he is one of us and he has the vision to lead us.
That is why we hope you will join us in voting for Joe Kennedy for the U.S. Senate on September 1st. It is a vote not only for a better Commonwealth, but for a better country as well.
Jeffrey N. Roy
State Representative – Franklin & Medway
State Representative – Franklin & Medway
Brian W. Murray
State Representative – Milford, Medway Hopedale, & Mendon
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