Hockomock League: Statement on Spring Sports Spectators

The Hockomock League is excited to launch the Spring 2021 Athletic Experience, which includes all of its traditional programs. We are excited to also offer Wrestling and Competitive Cheer to our Spring schedules of events. We are proud to state that “no program was left behind” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the League has done throughout the 2020-2021 school year, we have closely followed the MA Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) guidelines for athletic events for both our participants and our spectators, to ensure the safest possible conditions for all involved. We are pleased to put forth the following policies on spectators for our Spring INDOOR and OUTDOOR events:

INDOOR EVENTS: (Boys Volleyball, Competitive Cheer, and Wrestling)

The League will remain consistent with its indoor policies adopted during the Fall 2 season. For each HOME participant, two immediate adult family members and siblings are permitted to attend an event. Additionally 2 family members of AWAY participants may attend an event. Contact tracing will remain in effect and family check-in lists will be utilized at the indoor venue.

OUTDOOR EVENTS: (Lacrosse, Track & Field, Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Unified Track)

As the recently amended EEA guidelines have stated, home and away spectator allowance at outdoor stadium events is capped at a maximum of 50% seating capacity at the stadium venue, with socially-distanced six-foot seating on those bleachers.

At open area venues, such as parks and ball fields, home and away spectators must wear appropriate masks or face coverings at all times, and remain socially distanced as much as possible.

The Athletic Directors will continue to monitor information as it is made available from the EEA, DESE, and our local Boards of Health. Each district has the ability to modify this policy based on its own facility limitations and/or local Board of Health restrictions. It is our goal to focus on the health and safety of our communities while safely permitting the appropriate opportunity to watch high school sports in person.  

Shared from the Hockomock League page  https://hockomockleague.blogspot.com/2021/05/hock-statement-on-spring-sports.html

Hockomock League: Statement on Spring Sports Spectators

 

 

Town of Franklin: E-Newsletter for May 2021

The Town of Franklin May E-Newsletter is out and full of the latest information about what is happening in Town! 

 

Find it here and subscribe to always stay updated!

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/May-2021--E-Newsletter.html?soid=1134219428814&aid=yz8pBHbdFqI

Town of Franklin: E-Newsletter for May 2021

Franklin Art Association: Monthly Meeting - May 5

Don’t forget to add our upcoming virtual monthly FAA meeting on the first Wed. of the month as usual, to your calendar ! 

• May 5 , 2021 6:30 PM FAA Zoom Meeting!!

We have an exciting demo artist for this month- renowned Collage Artist Betsy Silverman.  Check out Betsy Silverman’s work at her website: www.betsysilverman.com. 

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82181910922?pwd=ME9aTGtvRVJFVlg2aDBlMllVT1ZZdz09

 

Franklin Art Association: Monthly Meeting - May 5

 

FM #529 - VFJ Renovations "Empowering with gardening" - 04/22/21 (audio)

FM #529 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 529 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Jessi and Vinny Fanuele, of VFJ Renovations. We had our conversation outdoor, in their yard, albeit with some traffic and breezy interference but it was good.

I was excited to be in person. We had met virtually almost a year ago (May 2020).  We discussed the second year of their raised garden bed initiative, to empower us with gardening.

The recording runs about 21 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jessi and Vinny

Audio file = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ad7c555a-2998-4d98-9528-82cce8549f82

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Last year’s recording: https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/05/fm-261-vfj-renovations-empowering.html

The essay that caught my attention in 2020
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/04/voices-of-franklin-get-back-to-where-we.html

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VFJ-Renovations-336675640619192/ 

VFJ Renovations webpage and ordering process
https://www.vfjrenovations.com/empower-with-gardening-initiative

 
Disclosure: I did purchase a 2.½ ‘x6’ garden bed last year and as discussed, I am looking forward to using it again this year.

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

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 www.Franklinmatters.org/   or www.franklin.news/

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!

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

 

my garden bed from the Fanuele's early in the growing season 2020

MA News: main vaccination sites to phase out, here immunity not likely according to some

"WITH 70 PERCENT of Massachusetts adults having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday announced plans to wind down operations at mass vaccination sites while making the shots more easily available in local communities. The shift comes as demand for the shots has been leveling out, indicating that most people eager to get a shot have already done so.

“Now that we believe we are going to hit the 4.1 million goal we started with over the next few weeks, it’s time to adapt our vaccination efforts to make sure we get to some of the harder to reach populations,” Baker said at a State House press conference.  

According to the CDC, 3.9 million people in Massachusetts have received at least one shot as of Monday, or 70 percent of eligible adults. Another 180,000 people have scheduled appointments to get a first dose in the next week. When the COVID-19 vaccines first rolled out in December, Baker set a goal of vaccinating 4.1 million state residents, and he said those people are on track to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of June.

As a result, the governor announced that four of the state’s seven mass vaccination sites will close by the end of June. These include Gillette Stadium, Hynes Convention Center, DoubleTree hotel in Danvers, and the Natick Mall. Baker said those sites were chosen because of the availability of alternative vaccination sites in the area and projections about interest in appointments there. The Hynes site is also part of a federal partnership with FEMA, which was always scheduled to end after eight weeks. The seven mass sites have administered 1.2 million vaccine doses so far."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/state-plans-to-wind-down-mass-vaccination-sites/

 

Boston Globe coverage:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/03/metro/baker-says-state-plans-close-four-seven-mass-vaccination-sites-june-outperforming-rest-country/

 

Press conference video link = https://youtu.be/KgFn9aFCGJA

 

 

 

 

Reaching ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Unlikely in the U.S., Experts Now Believe

"Early in the pandemic, when vaccines for the coronavirus were still just a glimmer on the horizon, the term “herd immunity” came to signify the endgame: the point when enough Americans would be protected from the virus so we could be rid of the pathogen and reclaim our lives.

Now, more than half of adults in the United States have been inoculated with at least one dose of a vaccine. But daily vaccination rates are slipping, and there is widespread consensus among scientists and public health experts that the herd immunity threshold is not attainable — at least not in the foreseeable future, and perhaps not ever.

Instead, they are coming to the conclusion that rather than making a long-promised exit, the virus will most likely become a manageable threat that will continue to circulate in the United States for years to come, still causing hospitalizations and deaths but in much smaller numbers."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/health/covid-herd-immunity-vaccine.html

Boston Globe coverage on herd immunity

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/04/nation/lack-covid-herd-immunity-could-lock-red-state-blue-state-divide-long-time/

Mass State Police recognize Dr Greg Chiklis, MRN Diagnostics

Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) tweeted on Sat, May 01, 2021:

"The MSP and ⁦@StPoliceAssocMa⁩ are grateful to Dr. Greg Chiklis and team at MRN Diagnostics for guidance & assistance provided to the Department during the pandemic. The union presented them an engraved copy of Rockwell's "The Runaway" in recognition of that gratitude." https://t.co/lw9kyuusUA

Shared from https://twitter.com/MassStatePolice/status/1388544189386924037

 

Related posts for MRN Diagnostics  https://mrndx.com/

• April 2021:  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/04/mrn-diagnostics-offering-free-eua.html
• April 2020:  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/04/dr-greg-chiklis-and-mrn-diagnostics-in.html

 

Mass State Police recognize Dr Greg Chiklis, MRN Diagnostics

Franklin ArtWALK Celebration – Escape to the Arts - Jun 11-13

The Franklin Cultural District is sponsoring a three-day art and cultural event – Franklin ArtWALK Celebration!  

The Franklin ArtWALK Celebration will run from Friday, June 11 through Sunday, June 13 and include live performances, art exhibits displayed throughout town at local businesses, family activities from the Franklin Public Library and entertainment at THE BLACK BOX.

Visit the Franklin Cultural District website for a calendar and details on all the events.  https://www.franklinculture.org/

 Escape to the Arts - Jun 11-13