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Friday, August 20, 2021
State Representative Roy: What's happening in Franklin and Medway for August 2021
The newsletter was shortened for publication here. To view the full set of contents -> https://mailchi.mp/ca48ce6c782b/march-2021-newsletter-5165858?e=6ead984465
Gov Baker orders state employees to be vaccinated; Senate President Spilka applauds the move
"Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday issued one of the nation’s strictest government vaccine mandates, requiring tens of thousands of state employees to prove they have been inoculated against COVID-19 by mid-October or risk being fired.
Baker’s order, which applies to about 42,000 Executive Department employees, goes a step further than the mandate in place for employees of the City of Boston, as well as state workers in New York and California, who have the option of submitting to regular COVID-19 testing if they choose not to get vaccinated.
Under the new requirement, state employees may be entitled to exemptions “due to medical disability or . . . a sincerely held religious belief,” according to an executive order signed by Baker. The mandate applies to employees under Baker’s purview working in person and teleworking."
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
Commonwealth Magazine coverage ->
- August 19, 2021
The following is a statement from Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland):
"I applaud Governor Baker for issuing a strong vaccination mandate for Massachusetts Executive Department employees. It underscores the message that vaccination is our best tool for ending the disruption and suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate working group is meeting to discuss updated hybrid work policies, including a vaccine mandate and other policies guided by public health best practices and designed to keep Senate employees safe. I expect this group to issue its recommendations very soon."
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| Gov. Charlie Baker at a State House press conference. (Pool file photo by Jessica Rinaldi/Boston Globe) |
Legislative Statement on Emergency Paid COVID Leave
Statement on Emergency Paid COVID Leave
"The evidence is overwhelming: receiving the COVID-19 vaccination is the best way to keep our residents safe, end the pandemic in Massachusetts, and ensure we can continue the process of building a robust and equitable economic recovery. In order for the Governor's vaccine mandate to be successful, the Legislature will work to extend emergency paid COVID leave in the Commonwealth past the September 30, 2021 deadline and ensure that all workers have the opportunity to take time from work to receive the vaccine if and when they can."
Senate President Karen E. Spilka
Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano
Senator Jason Lewis
Representative Paul Donato
Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Franklin Public Schools
The Franklin School Committee has had a busy year. The challenges posed by a global pandemic have certainly presented unique challenges to all of us. We remain committed to supporting the Strategic Plan of the Franklin Public Schools in promoting each student’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential with a safe, nurturing and respectful environment.
While the committee meets in public twice a month throughout the school year, subcommittees and task forces meet regularly to do the work in service to the community. Below are listed some of the areas for focus over this past year:
The subcommittees and their functions are outlined below:
Budget: Reviews, proposes and considers matters pertaining to the school budget. Participates with the town-wide Joint Budget Subcommittee. Committed to educating the public about the budget process in an open and transparent way.
Community Relations/Public Schools Advocacy: Reviews, proposes and considers matters pertaining to communication with the community about school policies, issues and programs. Meets on a monthly basis throughout the community at various locations including the Harvest Festival, The Farmer’s Market, The Senior Center, The Public Library, Franklin Cable TV Station, etc. in order to share information and address citizens’ concerns. Shares information on legislative matters at the federal, state and local levels. This year the committee held its third annual legislative forum. Our state senators and state representative shared updates and answered questions from citizens.
Budget: Reviews, proposes and considers matters pertaining to the school budget. Participates with the town-wide Joint Budget Subcommittee. Committed to educating the public about the budget process in an open and transparent way.
Community Relations/Public Schools Advocacy: Reviews, proposes and considers matters pertaining to communication with the community about school policies, issues and programs. Meets on a monthly basis throughout the community at various locations including the Harvest Festival, The Farmer’s Market, The Senior Center, The Public Library, Franklin Cable TV Station, etc. in order to share information and address citizens’ concerns. Shares information on legislative matters at the federal, state and local levels. This year the committee held its third annual legislative forum. Our state senators and state representative shared updates and answered questions from citizens.
Policy: Reviews, proposes and considers matters pertaining to policies and procedures in the Franklin Public Schools. This subcommittee also maintains the Policy Manual.
Transportation: Recommends and reviews policies regarding transportation. The subcommittee also develops bids for transportation services.
In addition to the work of these subcommittees, members participate on advisory councils and as liaisons to the Joint Parent Communication Councils and Mass Association of School Committees (MASC)
The responsibilities of these members are outlined below:
School Wellness Advisory Council: Establishes annual wellness goals for the district. Reviews data, conducts data collection and sponsors professional development programs for students, faculty, parents and the community. Meets monthly throughout the school year.
Parent Communication Council Liaisons: Joining the Superintendent and other central office administrators, school committee liaisons share important information relative to policies and issues before the school committee. This is another opportunity to gain feedback, insights as to the issues/ concerns of the community. Meets every month during the school year.
MASC Liaison: Advocates at the state level for issues relative to public schools.
Substance Abuse Task Force: The School Committee has supported the work of the Substance Abuse Task Force, led by Assistant Superintendent, Lucas Giguere. The purpose of this task force is to address the serious issue of substance use disorder which is so dramatically impacting our community and communities across the country, with a focus on education, treatment and prevention. School Committee representatives contribute to the work of the task force, along with members of the Franklin Police Department; State Rep. Jeff Roy; the SAFE Coalition; the Recreation Department, teachers, principals, counselors, local doctors, nurses, students and other citizens of our community.
Comprehensive Closing Study: This year the committee began a comprehensive closing study of the Davis Thayer School. The Superintendent, per our policy, recommended that this facility justified further analysis. The work will continue this fall.
Other: In line with the focus on diversity and inclusion, the committee has representation on the community-wide task force (Franklin Social and Racial Justice Task Force). In support of our focus on the social, emotional health of our students, the school committee has representation on the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use.
Summer Workshop: The School Committee also meets at a one-day summer workshop with the Superintendent to provide input relative to the District Improvement Plan and to plan pertinent School Committee presentations and workshops for the following school year. Throughout the year, the School Committee works with a facilitator from MASC to strengthen our skills and effectiveness as an elected body so that we may better serve the public.
Respectfully submitted,
Anne Bergen,
Chair, Franklin School Committee
Continue reading the Franklin Public Schools section of the Annual Report for 2020
Prior Annual Reports can be found online
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| Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Franklin Public Schools |
Country Gazette: Kelly resigns from Town Council; Sponsors can help art bloom for the Cultural Festival
Country Gazette (@CountryGazette) tweeted on Thu, Aug 19, 2021:
Thank you for your service, Councilor Kelly. https://t.co/n5m8cxU5n1 @TOFranklinMA
Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/CountryGazette/status/1428455044035264521?s=03
Country Gazette (@CountryGazette) tweeted on Thu, Aug 19, 2021:
Help Franklin's arts scene bloom! https://t.co/kkxhsZfgaT @TOFranklinMA
Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/CountryGazette/status/1428417656869294081?s=03
In case anyone wonders if Kelly's resignation triggers a special election, no it does not as we have the regular election scheduled for Nov 2, 2021 which is within the 120 days as specified in the Town Charter. https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/revised_2013_1.pdf
"Section 8 Vacancy2-8-1 Unless recalled in accordance with Article Five, Section 4 of this Charter, a vacancy in the office of Councillor at Large shall be declared by the Town Clerk following notification of the death, permanent disability to serve, resignation, and/or failure to maintain a permanent residency within the Town of Franklin.
2-8-2 Vacancies shall be filled by special election to be called withinninety (90) days of said vacancy unless a regular or special Townelection shall occur within one hundred twenty (120) days."
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| Franklin gearing up for the Franklin Cultural Festival - Sep 12, 2021 |
wfpr.fm: A Priest A Rabbi and A Minister - 010 - May 2021
"Dr. Pandora Carlucci is joined by Rev. Cherry, Priest McAdams and Rabbi Alpert to discuss faith in their own congregations and how listeners can discover more opportunities to practice faith in their own lives."
Direct link -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/624cf907-27ab-4cae-99ae-4d8352c2ce84
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| wfpr.fm: A Priest A Rabbi and A Minister - 010 - May 2021 |
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Tropical Storm Henri heads for New England, stay tuned for changes in the forecast
"Keep an eye on this one. The National Hurricane Center says the expected track of Tropical Storm Henri has shifted, meaning it’s more likely it will hit the Northeastern states at the end of the week.“The forecast track of Henri has shifted toward the northeast coast of the U.S. this weekend and early next week, increasing the risk of direct storm surge, wind, and rain impacts in portions of the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada during that time,” the forecasters said Wednesday , noting that Henri was on the verge of reaching hurricane strength. “Interests in these areas should closely follow the progress of Henri and check for updates to the forecast.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
Since the Globe article was posted, NWS has further updated a shift more off the coast of New England. For additional updates from the National Weather Service visit https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Henri
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| Tropical Storm Henri heads for New England |
Franklin Cultural Council: We want to hear from you!
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50+ Job Seekers' August/September Events
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Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Purchasing Office
GOALS
The office function involves assisting other departments to ensure the highest quality of services and supplies for the best price and in compliance with applicable procurement laws.
The office function involves assisting other departments to ensure the highest quality of services and supplies for the best price and in compliance with applicable procurement laws.
PURCHASING UPDATE
Over the past year, the Purchasing Office has made a concerted effort to modernize the Department while also assisting Department Heads with a number of significant projects. These projects include a continued focus on improving the Town’s overall utility based infrastructure.
PROCUREMENT CHANGES
The Purchasing Office continues to oversee the implementation of various improvements in the way vendors can access bid documentation. One of the more significant advancements is the change we made to the distribution of plans & specifications. Vendors no longer need to wait for the bid packages to be mailed, emailed, or picked in person. With the web based platform, vendors can download the entire bid package from the Town website, thus improving the accessibility of the documents while at the same time cutting municipal costs in a number of areas.
This change has been very well received, particularly by those doing business with the Town. The upgrades have also further reinforced our continued approach to modernizing the way procurement is handled.
OBJECTIVES
Promote fair, prompt and courteous consideration to all suppliers. Observe the highest ethics in all transactions and correspondence.
Respectively submitted:
John Bugbee
Chief Procurement Officer
Town of Franklin
Visit the Procurement Dept. on the ToF page
Continue reading the Annual Report for 2020
Prior Annual Reports can be found online
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| Franklin Annual Report - 2020: Purchasing Office |
wfpr.fm: A Priest A Rabbi and A Minister - 009 - March 2021
"Jay Horrigan and Dr. Pandora Carlucci join Rev. Cherry, Priest McAdams and Rabbi Alpert to discuss faith in their own congregations and how listeners can discover more opportunities to practice faith in their own lives."
Direct link -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/4d8cda14-ed14-4686-bd64-9631a5ab459e
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| wfpr.fm: A Priest A Rabbi and A Minister - 009 - March 2021 |
MA News: weekend commuter rail volume; commissioning public art
"Weekend commuter rail off to good start"
"Weekend service on all of the MBTA’s commuter rail lines returned on July 3, and already ridership is back close to pre-COVID levels.
Saturday ridership is roughly 77 percent of what it was during the summer of 2019, while Sunday ridership is 100 percent, according to Justin Thompson, a spokesman for Keolis Commuter Services, the operator of the T’s commuter rail system.
Trains are still under-utilized, but those are strong numbers given that weekend service wasn’t even available on most commuter rail lines during the first half of the year. The numbers also represent a stark contrast with weekday ridership, which still hasn’t recovered from the pandemic and the corresponding decline in commuting to work. "
Continue reading the article online
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| "Weekend commuter rail off to good start" |
"A new way to commission public art"
"MOST MASSACHUSETTS communities use the same process to commission public art as they do to pave a sidewalk or hire a streetsweeper. They put out a call for contractors, review the bids that come in, and select one, typically the cheapest one. There is little or no public input into the process.Lynn, with the help of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, has come up with a new approach called Lynnstallation.The process began with two community focus groups that outlined the standards and values they wanted reflected in a piece of art: engagement, multi-generationality, education, justice, support, positivity and joy, and a colorful appearance. "
Continue reading the article online
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
ALERT: NO NODE MEETING THURSDAY, AUG 19, 2021!
Hey, node members!
We are canceling our 350 Mass Greater Franklin Node meeting this Thursday, August 19, 2021!
350 Mass is joining forces with allies at a
Rally to #SealTheDeal for Climate, Care, Jobs and Justice!
Congresspeople Seth Moulton and Richard Neal are the only two from the whole Massachusetts delegation to not sign onto the THRIVE Act which would provide $10 Billion over ten years for climate justice and jobs! To push them, we're having BIG RALLIES IN SALEM AND SPRINGFIELD to drive home we want STRONG legislation in the reconciliation infrastructure bill!
So sign up at the RSVP link if you can come to SALEM!
We want everyone there! Bring a sign!
The rally will be outside the whole time in a PARK, wear a mask,
and keep your distance.
So far, Ralph Halpern and Carolyn Barthel are interested in driving separately to the rally, so contact us if you're vaccinated
and you'd like to potentially carpool.
As the rally is 3:00-6:00 pm, there's not adequate time to return home for a Zoom node meeting, so we're canceling it.
Our next node meeting will be Thursday, September 2.
We hope to see you there!
Ralph Halpern 339-203-5017 cell, 781-784-3839 home
Carolyn Barthel 508-335-0848 cell, 508-473-3305 home
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| Rally to #SealTheDeal for Climate, Care, Jobs and Justice |
Still time to pull papers, obtain signatures, and run for Town of Franklin elected positions
Friendly reminder - Election Timeline
- September 10 by 5:00 PM – Last day to obtain Nomination papers
- September 14 by 5:00 PM – Signed Nomination papers must be submitted to Board of Registrars for certification
- September 30 by 5:00 PM- Last day to withdraw your candidacy
- October 13 – Last day to register to vote. Office hours will be extended to 8:00 PM or register online at http://www.sec.state.ma.us
- Please visit our website www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk or call the Town Clerks Office at 508-520-4900 for a complete list of available positions.
Who is running so far? Check out the listing of potential candidates posted by the Town Clerk as of 8/16/21 https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/news/local-election-11-2-2021-nomination-papers-pulled-8-16-2021
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| Still time to pull papers, obtain signatures, and run for Town of Franklin elected positions |
Franklin Library Program: Spark Joy, Franklin - Aug 18
Franklin Library Program: Spark Joy, Franklin!
Spark Joy, Franklin!
Live Q&A, Wednesday, August 18, 7:00 PM
Certified Silver level Konmari Consultant Shannon Honeycutt will be bringing the life-changing magic of tidying to you through her Spark Joy Program. Find out what it means to lead a life that Sparks Joy. You will learn the KonMari philosophy and guiding principles needed to tidy once and for all and leave you feeling motivated to Spark Joy in your home, office, and life! Be sure to have a standard t-shirt and a pair of pants ready for the folding activity as you will be learning the famous KonMari Vertical folding technique.
The pre-recorded program will be available to view at https://sparkjoycharlotte.com/franklin Tuesday, August 17, 7:00 a.m. through Thursday, August 19, 7:00 a.m. The live question and answer session is Wednesday, August 18 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.
Shannon Huneycutt is the founder of Spark Joy Charlotte and trained by tidying expert Marie Kondo. Marie is the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and the creator of the KonMari MethodTM, which is a style of tidying focusing on decluttering and organizing your space by keeping only those items you love.
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| Franklin Library Program: Spark Joy, Franklin - Aug 18 |
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