Sharing good advice for parents (video)

Maria Popova (@brainpicker) tweeted on Wed, Jul 07, 2021:

Multiple readers sent me this Sweet Honey in the Rock adaptation of the Gibran poem, feeding my ecstatic love of poems set to music (when done right): https://t.co/p7lNqdlHhA

For more goodness from Maria visit her page to subscribe in one (or more) way to her "brain pickings"  https://www.brainpickings.org/

Senator Rausch Announces Virtual Summer Office Hours

Senator Rausch (D-Needham) will host her next virtual office hours on Friday, July 16 from 10:00 AM   – 11:00 AM (https://www.beccarauschma.com/office-hours). In keeping with best practices and recommendations from public health officials, conversations with the Senator and her staff will take place via video conferencing and phone calls.  

Residents from any part of the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District are welcome to share their questions and opinions on state issues with Senator Rausch and her staff. Constituents may reserve 15-minute appointments in advance at beccarauschma.com/office-hours.  

Senator Rausch will also hold virtual office hours on Friday, August 13 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. 

To subscribe to Senator Rausch's newsletter, please visit https://beccarauschma.com/newsletter. Constituents can still contact the Senator and her team at 617-722-1555 or email becca.rausch@masenate.gov to share their opinion on state issues, seek assistance, or schedule a call with the Senator or her staff. Residents can also get live updates from the Senator via Twitter (@BeccaRauschMA) and Facebook (@BeccaRauschMA). 

Senator Rausch Announces Virtual Summer Office Hours

Fair, Yates, Betschart & McCrossan at THE BLACK BOX, Fri - July 16

Inky Fair (drums & vocals) and Doug Betschart (guitar, vocals & bass pedals) have played music together for five decades throughout New England, starting with the band “Moonfast” in the early 70’s. 

After joining with Tom Yates (guitar, bass, keyboards & vocals) they formed “Fair, Yates & Betschart”, becoming the renowned house band at Timothy’s Spirits Company in Framingham for 5 years. They packed the house weekly and released their album “Spirits” of all original material. Inky and Doug then became the rock duo Back Pages for 30+ years and with the recent addition of Steve McCrossan (keyboard, bass & vocals), continue to perform throughout the local area. 

For this special night at THE BLACK BOX in Franklin, Tom Yates is returning to the fold to form “Fair, Yates, Betschart & McCrossan.” With the unusual combination of our varied talents, the band will cover a vast eclectic mix of classic and modern rock spanning five decades. It’s an event not to be missed... 

Ticket for this concert at THE BLACK BOX on Friday, July 16 at 7:30 PM
https://www.theblackboxonline.com/events.php?id=1475&month=07&year=2021

Fair, Yates, Betschart & McCrossan at THE BLACK BOX, Fri - July 16 

Reminder: Franklin Historical Museum schedules re-opening celebration - July 15

The Franklin Historical Museum is excited to announce the re-opening of the museum to its regular pre-pandemic operating schedule, Thursday evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons now that all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in the state.

The museum will host a re-opening celebration on Thursday afternoon, July 15 at 5:00 PM. With a ribbon cutting, new exhibits and refreshments.

Full announcement of July news can be found:

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/06/franklin-historical-museum-announces-re.html

Franklin Historical Museum announces re-opening celebration - July 15

FHS girls and boys lacrosse Hockomock League All Stars; Lazzaro named boys MVP

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Girls Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

KELLEY-REX DIVISION MVP
Alana Tavares, Taunton

KELLEY-REX DIVISION ALL STARS
McKenzie Baker, Franklin
Kate O’Rourke, Franklin
Stella Regan, Franklin
Katie Jones, Franklin
Jackie O’Neill, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

Sydney Hawkins, Franklin

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

KELLEY-REX DIVISION MVP
Matt Lazzaro, Franklin

KELLEY-REX DIVISION ALL STARS
Matt Lazzaro, Franklin
Luke Davis, Franklin
Joe Consigli, Franklin
Zach Harvey, Franklin
Jack Maguire, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Owen Kielty, Franklin

For the complete listing 

https://hockomocksports.com/2021-hockomock-league-girls-lacrosse-all-stars/

For the complete listing 
https://hockomocksports.com/2021-hockomock-league-boys-lacrosse-all-stars/ 

FHS girls and boys lacrosse Hockomock League All Stars; Lazzaro named boys MVP

Encore Music Updates: Changes for Fall 2021

Changes in rates, Fall registration procedure, and announcing a new partnership!

View this email in your browser July 12, 2021   Dear Valued Encore Families:   We hope you all had a wonderful July 4th weekend despite the weather, and we are happy to be welcoming many of you back as we proceed with our Summer Session!    We are writing with some very important updates:   RATES ARE CHANGING   Periodically, we have found it necessary to increase our lesson and class pricing in keeping with the economy, and we endeavor to do this no more than once every two years or so. This year after COVID, we will be adjusting pricing beginning with Fall Registration on Monday, July 19 at noon via phone. This will be a 5% increase on average, but please check with the front office at time of registration to learn your instructor's new rate. This rate increase will not affect summer lessons at all, but will be in effect for all Fall registrants.   REGISTRATION FORMS   When you call to register, you will be emailed a registration form that will need to be filled out immediately upon receipt and sent back to the front office at:   encoremusicacademy1@gmail.com   Your chosen lesson time will be held for 24 hours and is predicated upon receipt of registration form AND payment. If both are not received in that 24-hour period, the lesson time will be released into the pool once again.    Please be sure to read all information on the registration form, as it contains all of our policies and procedures, and sign it.   The annual registration fee of $30 will be assessed at time of registration.     IN-PERSON OR ONLINE Beginning with our Fall Registration on Monday, July 19 at noon via phone, you will have the opportunity to choose how you would like your student to attend lessons. The world and times are changing, and we want to be in step. We will be back in-person at 3 Bent Street beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day, and all students are welcome back. We understand, however, that some may wish to remain online, so when registering, please let the office know if you are registering for online lessons or for in-person lessons. We intend to offer both options on a permanent basis.   SCHEDULING AND MAKE-UPS   All scheduling and make-ups will continue to be handled via email or phone on a permanent basis. If you need to reschedule, please contact the front office at (508) 533-7700, ext. 101, or email us at:                          encoremusicacademy1@gmail.com INSTRUMENT RENTALS AND PURCHASES Encore is thrilled to announce our partnership with The Music Wagon, LLC, to provide our students and students in the surrounding areas the opportunity to rent or purchase instruments at Encore! Options for rental, rent to own, and outright purchase are available and all you need to do is visit our website and click on the rentals link or call us at (508) 533-7700, Ext. 101. Additionally, you can scan this QR code and it will take you directly to our rental page. If you are heading back to school and need a band instrument, a string instrument, or a keyboard or guitar, we've got you covered! And, best of all, if you can't come to us, we'll bring your instrument to you!   REFERRAL PROGRAM   Encore has, since we opened our doors in 2012, offered a referral program to our current families. Refer a student to us, and when that student registers and remains for a minimum of one month, the referring family will receive a free lesson. Please be sure to let the registering student know to mention your name when they register so that you may receive credit.    As always, we are grateful to all of you for your continued support of Encore and our mission. We wish you all a very happy and fun-filled summer, and look forward to seeing each and every one of you in September - it's been way too long!!   Warmest regards,   Lisa and Pat Copyright © 2021 Encore Music Academy and Recording Studios, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 3 Bent St Franklin, MA 02038 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Sen. Rausch, Supporters Testify in support of Community Immunity Act

Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) and Representative Paul Donato (D-Medford), lead sponsors of the Community Immunity Act, testified alongside healthcare providers, public health experts, and educators testified at a virtual Public Health Committee hearing today in favor of the Community Immunity Act (S.1517/H.2271).  

This legislation seeks to prevent the spread of highly infectious diseases by promoting and supporting localized herd immunity statewide. The Community Immunity Act strengthens the Commonwealth's immunization policies by standardizing the immunization requirements for all schools, daycare centers, and other covered programs and centralizing within the Department of Public Health (DPH) the processes for obtaining an exemption from those requirements. 

 

Currently, Massachusetts does not have localized herd immunity across the state for many vaccine-preventable diseases. Of the kindergarten programs that submitted data to DPH in 2019-20, 145 kindergarten programs are below herd immunity rates for measles, 119 kindergarten programs are below herd immunity rates for pertussis, and 71 programs reported at least 10% of students are missing one or more vaccines required for school, without an approved exemption. 

 

Furthermore, DPH lacks complete data on immunization rates in daycare centers, K-12 schools, summer camps, and colleges because data reporting is voluntary. In the 2019-2020 school year, 451 middle schools, 520 kindergarten programs, and 1,677 daycares and preschools failed to report any immunization data to the MA Department of Public Health. Moreover, according to recently available data from DPH, in 2020 18.8% of kindergarten students in Suffolk county, 14.4% in Franklin county, and 8.6% in Hamden county are not meeting school vaccination requirements. Under current statute, school and program administrators are charged with implementing certain immunization protocols, including vaccine exemption requests, rather than medical and public health professionals.  

 

“As has become blatantly obvious over the last year and a half, every Bay Stater deserves strong public health protections. COVID reminds us that our collective health and safety rises or falls together,” said Senator Rausch. “If ever there were a time to advance the Community Immunity Act and its comprehensive immunization infrastructure, that time is now.” 

“Senator Rausch and I filed this bill long before COVID hit because even then Massachusetts had a serious immunization infrastructure problem, and we had already seen multiple outbreaks of measles and other illnesses that we can prevent with vaccines,” said Representative Donato. “We all know a lot more about community immunity now. All of us are living through the consequences of what happens when we do not have strong public health infrastructure and herd immunity against infectious diseases.” 
 
More than 20 religious, educational, medical, and public health organizations support the Community Immunity Act including: 

• American Federation of Teachers – MA Chapter 
• Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA) 
• Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) 
• League of Women Voters 
• Massachusetts Association of Health Boards 
• Massachusetts Association of Health Offices 
• Massachusetts Association of School Committees 
• Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents 
• Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners  
• Massachusetts Health Council 
• Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association 
• Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association 
• Massachusetts Infectious Diseases Society 
• Massachusetts Nurses Association 
• Massachusetts Medical Society 
• Massachusetts School Based Health Alliance 
• Massachusetts Teachers Association 
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners – MA Chapter 
• National Association of Social Workers – MA Chapter 
• Progressive Mass  

Link to full press release:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rdUHx2flQYcbf8v899oAI0QcVuJIW3vv/view?usp=sharing

Link to doc with quotes from organizations participating

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CJWnJsUizaCJUAvq-A26K0abxU1Nm-iu/view?usp=sharing

school vaccination requirements

Invisible Stories - #3 - "Echo Park Lake's Homeless Community: 'Where Are We Going to Go'"

Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) tweeted on Sun, Jul 11, 2021:

Invisible Stories is a mini-doc series that goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages understand and can't ignore. 

Link to the 3rd of the series: https://youtu.be/iY3LwDH72-c

Link to the series: https://t.co/Y0NRNIujar 

Shared from Twitter:    https://twitter.com/hardlynormal/status/1414284287034155020

Note: I met Mark at a social media conference many years ago and have been following his work. This series is very well done. Yes, the series is set in LA but homelessness is an issue all around us whether visible or not. 

Senate President Karen Spilka: The FY22 Budget is On Its Way to the Governor's Desk

What it means for MetroWest & Massachusetts

Update on the State Budget for Fiscal Year 2022 Building 'Back to Better' I am pleased to announce that the Massachusetts State Legislature on Friday unanimously passed a $48.07 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), an increase of $326 million over the Senate FY22 budget. This budget maintains fiscal responsibility and recommends targeted investments to address emerging needs, safeguard the health and wellness of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable populations and ensure that residents will benefit equitably as the state recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking into consideration strong tax revenue performance in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), the final FY22 conference report increases revenue assumptions by $4.2 billion over the December consensus revenue projection for a new tax revenue projection of $34.35 billion. The FY22 budget does not make a withdrawal from the Stabilization Fund and projects an estimated balance of approximately $5.8 billion for this crucial 'rainy day' fund at the end of the fiscal year. Notably, the Legislature provides substantial funds in the FY22 budget to meet the Commonwealth's long-term obligations. The new Student Opportunity Act Investment fund was funded at $350 million to be utilized in the coming years for the implementation of the state's landmark Student Opportunity Act (SOA). Additionally, a supplemental payment of $250 million was transferred to the Pension Liability Fund to reduce the Commonwealth's pension liability. As a cornerstone of the Commonwealth's equitable recovery, the FY22 budget protects access to educational opportunity and charts a path forward for students, families, educators, and institutions. The budget maintains the Legislature's commitment to implementing the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) by FY 2027. The conference report proposal funds the SOA consistent with the $5.503 billion local aid agreement reached in March, amounting to an increase of $220 million over FY21. Despite the uncertainty created by the pandemic, this increased level of investment represents a 1/6th implementation of SOA rates and ensures that school districts across the Commonwealth have adequate and equitable resources to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students. The FY22 budget also includes a $40 million reserve to provide additional aid to districts experiencing increases in student enrollment compared to October 2020, as well as $387.9 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker, which reimburses school districts for the high cost of educating students with disabilities at the statutorily required 75% reimbursement rate. Additionally, the conference report includes $154.6 million for reimbursing school districts at 75% for costs incurred when students leave to attend charter schools. Finally, I am proud to say that my personal priority of including $6 million for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) grants to help K-12 schools bolster SEL supports for students—including $1 million for a new pilot program to provide mental health screenings for K-12 students—made it into the final budget. For further information about the budget, please see here  (https://karenspilka.com/updates/2021/7/9/massachusetts-legislature-passes-fy22-budget). The budget now moves to the Governor for consideration. As always, if you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact my office at 617-722-1500 or Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov. Regards,

Baker-Polito Administration Releases Future of Work Report

Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) tweeted  on Tue, Jul 13, 2021:

To address key findings, our plan proposes support for several critical areas, including:

🏘️ Housing
🛠️ Workforce Training
🏙️ Downtown Development
🏥 Substance Use & Behavioral Health Programming
🚸 Child Care
🚗 Transportation Flexibility & Improvements

Full press release link ->  https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-releases-future-of-work-report-outlines-ongoing-steps-to-address-findings

The report provides eight core insights:

1. Demand for office real estate may fall as workers spend more time in residential areas due to hybrid work.
2. Hybrid work will likely drive demand for flexible childcare options, requiring childcare business models to evolve.
3. Public transit ridership is likely to fall, with the steepest decline likely in commuter rail.
4. Business travel may be structurally reduced from pre-pandemic levels.
5. Workforce training may be required at an unprecedented scale and pace.
6. The Commonwealth population is likely to grow, albeit more slowly than pre-pandemic
7. Existing equity challenges will intensify.
8. Equitable housing opportunities will be key to retaining and attracting people.

Download the full report here to read:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/future-of-work-in-massachusetts-report/download

Shared from Twitter:  https://t.co/wM28MYuav7

Commonwealth Magazine coverage:

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/future-of-work-report-highlights-job-training-housing-needs/

Boston Globe coverage

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/13/business/boston-cambridge-could-see-major-changes-some-workers-never-return-mckinsey-report-shows/

Future of Work Report

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM

Hello to all from the 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node. Please mark your calendars for this week's Node meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM.  (As a reminder, we meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month.)

We continue to hold meetings via Zoom. Here are the the Zoom details.

Zoom link for the meeting, July 15, 7:00 PM

https://zoom.us/j/544734092?pwd=N3hwYzZBazRYZG9ycHRsbmliVkMxZz09

Meeting ID: 544 734 092

Password: 350ma

Audio by phone: +1 646 876 9923

 

At our meeting we will update the status of bills that 350 Mass is promoting. You can view our legislative priorities here  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TlmDp8VO0p5GGXFQZkyPisA5CJKt5ehQ/view). We'll also discuss local and regional issues and action plans.

 

As for the national scene, a major focus among climate activists is trying to stop the Line 3 Pipeline, a tar sands oil pipeline in Minnesota that Enbridge is building through Indigenous territory, breaking the treaties. It is despoiling hundreds of delicate waterways and will inevitably leak heavy tar sands oil into them, including the Mississippi River, a source of water for over 18 million people. A campaign is underway to pressure the banks who are funding the project; these loans are up for renewal this month. If you are able to help, you can contact the banks via phone or email using this online tool (https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/line3/).  Or you can join our local protest action, this Saturday morning, July 17, 10-11 AM, in front of the Bank of America building, 49 Main Street, Franklin, next to the Post Office; for more information, contact Carolyn Barthel (carolyncbarthel@gmail.com; 508-335-0848).

 

We hope you can join us on Thursday. We'll send a reminder that day.

Thanks for your participation and support.

 

Node Co-coordinators,

Carolyn Barthel

Ralph Halpern

 

 

Ralph Halpern

ralph.halpern@comcast.net

781-784-3839 (h)

339-203-5017 (c)

350 Mass Greater Franklin Node Meeting, Thursday, July 15, 7:00 PM