Senator Rausch Files Universal Masking Bill For MA Schools

This afternoon (08/02/21), Senator Becca Rausch filed SD. 2723, An Act mitigating COVID-19 transmission among children and families, a bill requiring universal masking among students and staff in all Massachusetts K-12 schools as well as childcare programs licensed under the Department of Early Education and Care. The legislation will also ensure no attendance penalty for students with vaccination appointments during school hours and provide paid time off for parents and caregivers taking students to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

This bill comes on the heels of last week's announcement from the Baker Administration of nonbinding masking recommendations for Massachusetts schools. The guidance contradicts updated CDC guidance and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance on COVID-19 safety in schools, both of which strongly recommend in-person learning with mandatory mask-wearing indoors and vaccinations for all students, staff, and faculty.

"With less than a month before our children head back to school, this administration chooses to play Russian roulette with the health of Massachusetts students and families,” said Senator Rausch (D-Needham). “I have heard from so many parents, school committee members, teachers, and public health experts who are rightly worried, angry, and frustrated in the wake of DESE’s weak, unenforceable, and non-binding mask recommendations. This administration fails to follow the science to the detriment of every community in this Commonwealth. I filed this bill to give families and school staff the piece of mind they deserve about protecting their health and safety.”

In addition to mandating masks for students aged two and older and staff in Massachusetts early, primary, and secondary education programs, the bill also provides excused absences from school for COVID-19 vaccination appointments, as well as up to six hours of paid leave for any parent or caregiver bringing their child to get immunized against COVID-19. 

"It is the job of our government to protect our most vulnerable - which includes our Commonwealth's children," said Dr. Natalya Davis, a Quincy pediatrician who led a sign-on letter last week among medical professionals to mandate universal masking in Massachusetts schools. "Masks are a simple, safe, cheap intervention that saves lives. This is not debatable despite what opposing voices say. With Delta cases rising, masks are crucial to control the spread of COVID-19 while we vaccinate as many eligible individuals as possible." 

Today, by unanimous vote, the Massachusetts Teachers Association also called on Governor Baker to implement a mandatory mask requirement for all students and staff in all programs from pre-K through higher education.  

Direct link to SD 2723 ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1baXTWUCnszLjJP_N26OxlBkfj2oBP_jv/view?usp=sharing

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BeccaRauschMA/status/1422302120989143040

Senator Rausch Files Universal Masking Bill For MA Schools

Open Youth Track Meet scheduled for Weds, Aug 4

Coach Bailey (@FranklinHSXC) tweeted on Mon, Aug 02, 2021:

"Youth Track is happening again this Wednesday at 5 PM at the Franklin High track! $5 for individuals and $10 for families!

Anyone that wants to volunteer should plan on getting there just after 4:30 PM"

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranklinHSXC/status/1422316587743432705?s=03

Open Track meets return to FHS this summer

"I do think it’s a dance. It’s poetry. It’s balance. It’s grace. It’s power"

"The throwers at her school had an annual spaghetti dinner, and they said that anybody who tried their discipline could come to the dinner. “Weirdly, food was my incentive,” Allman remembered, and when she went to throw the discus, she had discovered how familiar it felt to dancing.

“I think it’s a second-and-a-half dance that you do hundreds of times and it’s really repetitive, but gosh-darn, I do think it’s a dance. It’s poetry. It’s balance. It’s grace. It’s power,” Allman said, and all of those virtues together are what defined her performance Monday night to give the U.S. track and field team its first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics — and its first gold in women’s discus since 2008."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/08/02/valarie-allman-discus-olympics/

Watch a brief video of her winning toss -> https://youtu.be/silrPLJrvFU
   

Team USA's Valarie Allman reacts while competing in the women's discus final. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

Franklin Police: request assistance with break-in theft suspect video

On July 31, 2021, at approximately 10:13 PM the Franklin Police were notified of an alarm at Vallee Jewelers located at 68 Main Street.

Officers responded and observed the front door smashed and requested more units to the scene. Officers made entry to the building to check for suspects and found none still on scene. There was major damage to several display cases inside the store, and jewelry on the floor.

The Franklin Police K9 Unit was dispatched to scene and began a track which led down several streets and ultimately appeared to end where the suspect entered a vehicle and left the area.

 

Assistance from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Unit was also called into to help process the scene.

 

Initial estimates place the losses in excess of $10,000.

 

At this time we are releasing video in the hopes that a member of the public will recognize the suspect. We ask that anyone with information contact the Franklin Police Detective Division at 508-528-1212.

 

• Video below or via this link  ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eSGxhUd1ZvOzKcH4ApNrLhgWS-PgDAYp/view?usp=sharing
  

 

Franklin Police: request assistance with break-in theft suspect video

 

Franklin Newcomers & Friends - meeting on the 3rd at 3 this fall

Good news!  Franklin Newcomers & Friends will be returning to in person meetings and events this fall!  We'll be changing it up and meeting the 3rd Wednesday of the month upstairs at 3 Restaurant.  Easy to remember- 3rd at 3!

We're working on planning our monthly meetings and activities for the upcoming year.  We have a couple Concerts on the Common scheduled for 8/6 and 8/20 to have as a casual event before our monthly meetings start.  

For more info or to join the Club, visit our Meetup page: https://www.meetup.com/Franklin-Newcomers-Friends

Franklin Newcomers & Friends

Franklin Election 2021: What does the School Committee do?

While the Town Council approves the overall Franklin budget including the school district top dollar amount, the oversight of the school district is the sole responsibility of the School Committee. They hire the Superintendent, who in turn is ultimately responsible (1) for the hiring of all the other school personnel and (2) the day-to-day management of the district.

Under MA law, each school principal is granted responsibility for all that happens in their building. 

 

All seven (7) positions of the school committee are up for election on November 2, 2021.

 

The School Committee faces a number of challenges. There is a structural deficiency in the funding model for schools. A 'normal' home owning household of 4; two parents, two kids contributes approx. $5-6,000 in annual taxes to the Town coffers while it costs the Town $16,000 to educate one child. Hence, the household benefits from the extra $26,000 (in education) while the Town has to fund that $26,000 from somewhere.

The School Committee has recently determined to close the Davis Thayer Elementary School. They still need to figure out what the district should look like, what other schools (if any) should close, and if redistricting is necessary. Before getting into the Davis Thayer decision, the School Committee had put aside the schools start time discussion to deal with the pandemic. The details of the start time proposal were initially worked by a special advisory committee and should still be addressed some time.

More information about the School Committee can be found on the Town of Franklin page:  https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-committee

 

My notes from the School Committee (and several of the subcommittees) can be found in the Meeting Notes page (scroll down to find the group and either  notes or audio, in many cases both. https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/meeting-notes.html

 

The School Committee section of the Franklin Annual Report for 2020

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

 

Franklin Election 2021: What does the School Committee do?

FPAC announces cast for Legally Blonde

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) has announced the cast for their production of Legally Blonde the Musical. The production, originally scheduled for March 2020, marks the return of live theater for FPAC at THE BLACK BOX. 

Starring as sorority girl turned Harvard Law student Elle Woods will be Ali Funkhouser. A NYC based actress, this will be Funkhouser’s third production of Legally Blonde, having most recently appeared in The Lex’s production directed by Broadway’s original Elle, Laura Bell Bundy. She has been seen in many FPAC productions including Newsies, Joseph, Little Shop of Horrors, and Christopher Rice’s The Tappy Christmas Special: LIVE! 

Elliott Styles will also return to the world of Legally Blonde starring as Elle’s lovable best friend and Harvard guide Emmett Forrest, a role he played with both Riverside Theatre and Walnut Street Theatre.

FPAC is excited to welcome Ryan Vona to the cast as Warner Huntington III. Vona is best known for his work on Broadway in Once and Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour. His debut album Somebody was released in 2015. 

Audrey Cardwell joins the cast as Vivienne Kensington. Cardwell is known for the First National Tours of Falsettos, Bright Star, Cinderella, Elf, and Anything Goes.

NYC’s Katie Gray returns to FPAC as Paulette. Her FPAC credits include Matilda, Christopher Rice’s The Tappy Christmas Special: LIVE, The Addams Family, and more.

Also sharing the stage in Legally Blonde will be Ricky and Myrtle from William Berloni Theatrical Animals as Elle’s canine friends. Berloni and his handlers have provided animals of all species and sizes, found in shelters, humane societies or rescue leagues, for Broadway, off-Broadway, national tours, regional theaters, special events, the New York City Ballet, motion pictures, television, and commercials.

The cast also features Kelsey Breslin as Brooke Wyndham, Caroline Wilkins, Hayley Driscoll, and Courtney Beyer as Elle’s best friends Serena, Margot, and Pilar, Nick Paone as Professor Callahan, Audrey Miningham as Enid, Clay Rice-Thomson as Aaron Schulz, Alexx Stachowiak as Nikos/Padamadan, Griffin Wilkins as Grandmaster Chad and others, Guy Rezendes as Kyle and Sami Goldman as Chutney. Rounding out the cast are Aaron Andrade, Blas Cerda, Tzintli Cerda, John Fitzhenry, Kim Frigon, Mariko Matsumura, Tatiana McAlpine, Hannah Rezendes, Maddie Rezendes, and Colie Vancura. 

FPAC’s production, directed by Raye Lynn Mercer, also features Jerry Mitchell’s original Broadway choreography re-staged for THE BLACK BOX and music direction by Hallie Wetzell. As a special treat for FPAC audiences, patrons at the two Saturday August 14 performances will be able to meet Broadway’s original Brooke Wyndham Nikki Snelson. Snelson has appeared in concert with FPAC and will be coaching FPAC’s Legally Blonde cast.

Legally Blonde presented by the Franklin Performing Arts Company runs August 11-15 at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin, MA. Tickets can be purchased at www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370. 

 

(clockwise from top left): Ali Funkhouser (Elle Woods), Elliott Styles (Emmett Forrest), Ryan Vona (Warner Huntington III), Audrey Cardwell (Vivienne Kensington)

Franklin High School Boys & Girls Golf Tournament - Sep 27, 2021

Thank you for your past support for the Franklin High School basketball program!  This year, we are excited to announce that the Franklin High School boys and girls teams are combining forces for our annual golf tournament. This is our program's largest fundraiser each year and we are looking forward to having a much more normal event this year.  The money raised for the tournament goes to equipment, uniforms and senior scholarships for the basketball teams. 

If you are willing and able to sponsor the golf tournament again this year, any donation would be greatly appreciated.  We are accepting monetary donations as well as gift cards or merchandise for our silent auction and raffle.  

If you would like to donate, checks should be made payable to "FHS Basketball Booster Club" and sent to Mike Vinson, 19 Stewart St., Franklin, MA 02038. If you have a gift card or merchandise, please let us know and we will arrange for one of the boys or girls to stop by to pick it up. Also, for monetary donations or to register for the tournament, you can also click here:  FHS Boys & Girls Basketball Annual Golf Tournament

For questions, please contact Greg Tracey at 774-291-9105. Thank you for your continued support!

Regards,

FHS Basketball Boosters

Franklin High School Boys & Girls Golf Tournament

MA News Updates: bailout funds create 'haves' and 'have-nots'; eviction moratorium expires

" ‘An extinction level event.’ Federal bailout funds split struggling restaurant industry"

"For 16 months, while scrambling to stay afloat, the restaurant industry has begged the federal government for money to help recover from the pandemic. But the $28.6 billion Restaurant Relief Fund didn’t play out as they’d intended. The funds became mired in legal challenges, and then ran out far too quickly, leaving more than 200,000 applicants — nearly two in every three restaurants that applied — in the lurch.

Now, food service workers say, it’s splitting the industry in two: the haves, and the have-nots.

“Imagine you live on a street and all the houses burn down, and the government says, ‘You’re going to be okay and we’re going to help you rebuild,’ ” said chef Steve “Nookie” Postal of Commonwealth in Cambridge, which didn’t receive any funds. “And then the government turns around and says, ‘We’re just going to give it to 30 percent of the houses on your block.’ They can rebuild their house. You’re [out of luck].”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/01/business/an-extinction-level-event-federal-bailout-funds-split-struggling-restaurant-industry/ 

The Franklin restaurants (there are not many) who were among the 'haves' can be found in this listing  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/07/sba-restaurant-revitalization-fund.html

Lets Eat Franklin operates 3

"End of eviction moratorium brings worry"

"ANXIETY IS HIGH among tenants, landlords, and housing advocates as the midnight Saturday expiration date for the federal eviction moratorium looms, but what the end of the tenant protection will actually mean is uncertain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions 11 months ago. The state had earlier put in place its own stricter ban. The state measure, which precluded landlords from filing nearly all eviction actions, expired in October, but the federal ban remained in place until now."

Continue reading the article online 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/end-of-eviction-moratorium-brings-anxiety/

Franklin TV: Goodbye, July

July, we hardly knew ye.  Now August is upon us.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 08/01/2021 

Print the page, hold fairly close and stare far beyond it to see it in 3D

This idyllic stereogram is how most of us envision July. 72 and sunny with a hint of sultry haze. Here, a family enjoys ice cream at Kimball Farm in Lancaster, MA.

This is the Summer we long for in the depths of February. This year? Not so much. More than the usual wet gray days, July might be in the same lingering covid funk that many are experiencing. Perhaps August will be more considerate. Whatever good weather August may bring, make the most of it, appreciating the good days and moments as they may come – as Summer slips by – again – all too soon.

It would be nice if Autumn could get it together before Winter shows up. It would be better still if we could all get it together by having everyone be vaccinated. In these impatient, aimlessly angry times it would also be especially nice if all of us could strive to be ‘72 and Sunny’ in our comportment toward others. That striving ought to be part of our new normal – and well worth the effort. So, even if you are still wearing a mask in tight quarters (thanks), smile.  It shows.

And –  as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. 

And, thank you for watching.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online

http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf  or for archive purposes 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jWoh41IBrXTkD9o-6OFMa371IQP2u1VO/view?usp=sharing

Mass. Municipal Assn: "Select board group discusses the future of public meetings"

Mass. Municipal Assn (@massmunicipal) tweeted on Fri, Jul 30, 2021:

Mass. Select Board Assn concluded its annual Leadership Conference series with a webinar on the future of public meetings w/ @TOFranklinMA Town Administrator Jamie Hellen & #Stow Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski.  https://t.co/6GTFYf0aCl 

"The future of public meetings was the topic of the fourth and final webinar in the Massachusetts Select Board Association’s Leadership Conference series today.

Franklin Town Administrator Jamie Hellen kicked off the meeting with a discussion about how the town has transitioned from all-virtual to hybrid board and committee meetings that allow for a combination of virtual and in-person participation. Hellen showed how Franklin’s Town Council chambers have been set up to allow the council, staff, presenters and meeting participants to attend meetings in-person while the public joins remotely.

Hellen covered important aspects of the set up, such as room layout and the necessary technology, as well as the town’s partnership with its local access TV provider, Franklin TV. He also emphasized the importance of trial and error in order to develop a system that works best for the community."

Continue reading the article online
https://www.mma.org/select-board-group-discusses-the-future-of-public-meetings/ 

Mass. Municipal Assn: "Select board group discusses the future of public meetings"

Franklin Election 2021: What does the Town Council do?

The Town Council approves the budget and authorizes all spending. One exception is that the School Committee is responsible for managing the school budget after the Town Council approves the total amount as part of the overall Town budget. Hence, you'll often hear of the town side and the school side as the two groups provide separate oversight for their area.

The Town Council hires and reviews the Town Administrator. The Town Administrator (Jamie Hellen) is responsible for the daily operations of the Town departments (except as noted for the schools, which are overseen by Superintendent Sara Ahern (hired by the School Committee)).

The Town Council is the legislative body to approve changes to the Town bylaws. Usually there is some controversy when the Town Council 'forgets' their legislative role and attempts to intervene in the day to day operations.

There are nine members of the Town Council all elected 'at large' (they represent all the voters of Franklin as opposed to the individual precincts). The Council chooses their Chair, Vice Chair, and Clerk in the first session after each election.

All nine positions are up for election on November 2, 2021. Each position has a two year term.

Additional information on the Council, their process and procedures, fiscal policies, meeting agendas, minutes and a host of other information can be found on the Town of Franklin webpage https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council

"Welcome to the webpage of the Franklin Town Council. By the Town Charter, the 9-member Town Council serves as the legislative body who sets policy for the community. The Council serves as the Local Licensing Authority for Alcoholic Beverages Licenses. The Council also has several subcommittees, including Budget, Capital Budget and Economic Development. The Council also has two liaisons, one to the S.A.F.E Coalition and for Communications.

The Franklin Town Council has established high standards for customer service for the Town staff. If you have a question, concern, or need assistance, please feel free to email us directly using the email forms below, or you can email all nine members of the Council by using that option to the left of this message."

Additional information on accomplishments of the Town Council can be found in the Town of Franklin Annual Report for 2020

https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-franklin-annual-report-2020

 

My notes and audio recordings of prior Town Council meetings can be found in the Meeting Notes page (scroll down to find the "Town Council" section).

https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/meeting-notes.html

 

VETERANS COFFEE SOCIAL - Aug 4, 2021

August 2021 Coffee Social

Join Us for Coffee & Conversation!

 

VETERANS COFFEE SOCIAL

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

Franklin Senior Center Cafe

Coffee and Pastry will be provided

All Vets are Welcome!

Face coverings are not required but feel free to wear a face covering - with no judgment!

Shared from Town of Franklin page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/august-2021-coffee-social

VETERANS COFFEE SOCIAL - Aug 4, 2021

COVID-19 Pandemic updates: guidance on traveling; vaccine proof

Boston Globe: "With COVID on the rise, we asked disease experts how they’re traveling, dining, and gathering"

"After a lull, COVID-19 is on the rise again in Massachusetts, with new — and sometimes conflicting —warnings and guidance emerging each day from state and national authorities. So how should we react? Should we start wearing masks? Should we stop dining indoors? We asked several infectious disease experts if they are changing their behavior while traveling, dining, gathering, shopping, and schooling. All the experts are vaccinated."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/30/nation/with-covid-rise-we-asked-disease-experts-how-theyre-traveling-dining-gathering/

Washington Post: "You’re going to be asked to prove your vaccination status. Here’s how to do it."

"Congratulations, you’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Now you have to prove it, and your smartphone can help.

Across the world, fears about the contagious delta variant are leading more businesses, schools and travel destinations to require vaccination. Like it or not, there’s a real chance that somewhere you want to go will ask to see proof of your shots.

Let’s say you are planning to visit Hawaii — you’ll need to be vaccinated or show a negative coronavirus test if you want to avoid quarantine. You’ll need proof to work in the federal government, at tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Uber, and a growing list of other companies. And in New York and San Francisco, you’ll need it to go inside a bar, get a seat at some restaurants, or take in a show on Broadway."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/07/31/covid-vaccine-card-phone/

What are the best ways to carry your proof of vaccination with you? Here's what we found. (Washington Post illustration; iStock)

Inside the Provincetown town outbreak

"A sobering scientific analysis published Friday found that three-quarters of the people infected during an explosive coronavirus outbreak fueled by the delta variant were fully vaccinated. The report on the Massachusetts cases, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers key evidence bolstering the hypothesis that vaccinated people can spread the more transmissible variant and may be a factor in the summer surge of infections.

The data, detailed in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, helped persuade agency scientists to reverse recommendations on mask-wearing and advise that vaccinated individuals wear masks in indoor public settings in some circumstances.

Critically, the study found that vaccinated individuals carried as much virus in their noses as unvaccinated individuals, strongly suggesting that vaccinated people could spread the virus to others. The CDC was criticized this week for changing its mask guidance without publishing the data it relied on. The report released Friday contains some of that data."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/30/provincetown-covid-outbreak-vaccinated/

CDC Report -> https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cid=mm7031e2_w

Boston Globe coverage -> https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/31/metro/closer-look-cape-cod-covid-19-cluster-data/

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONRYAN HUDDLE